The economy has been improving for several years now and the unemployment rate has dropped; why is the Lenawee County revenue stream so flat?

Michigan counties are limited in their revenue options by state statute.  Like all counties in Michigan, the majority of Lenawee County’s general revenue, that funds operations, comes from the property tax.   This dependence on the property tax has been a struggle for the County due to several factors:

  • In the three years immediately following the recession the tax base of the County declined each year resulting in reduced operating revenue for general services.  
  • The growth in the tax base is constitutionally limited and tied to the Consumer Price Index.  So for the last few years, with a CPI of less than 2%, the County tax base has been flat.  
  • There was no limit on how rapidly property values could fall but there is a very specific limit on how quickly they can increase.  What took a short time to loose will take many years to recover.

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1. What will the ballot question say?
2. What will the proposed impact be on my taxes?
3. What will Lenawee County do if the renewal passes?
4. What services will continue as a result of the renewal?
5. What County services are MANDATED and which are NON-MANDATED?
6. What does the 2018 Budget A and Budget B summary look like?
7. Why did the Lenawee County Board of Commissioners initiate discussion about the Tax Allocation Board?
8. What information did the Tax Allocation Board consider to determine the best course of action?
9. Was renewal of the previous tax limitation the only option that the allocation board considered?
10. What exactly did the Tax Allocation Board do?
11. What governmental bodies are effected by the tax limitation renewal?
12. What action has the Lenawee County Board of Commissioners taken?
13. The economy has been improving for several years now and the unemployment rate has dropped; why is the Lenawee County revenue stream so flat?
14. Why didn’t Lenawee County have a rainy day fund to get through the tough spots?
15. Why not cut expenses and reduce costs?