Issue Position: Property Taxes

Issue Position

Property taxes are once again approaching a crisis in Michigan. While Proposal A of the 90s stabilized that era's problems, the problems are coming back as seen with huge pop-up taxes and the big box/dark store problem. I believe this is one of the biggest problems creeping up on us in Michigan and is already having a devastating affect on our communities and their abilities to provide the services we all count on: police, jails, roads, courts, public defense, schools, ambulance and fire fighting. The state effectively handcuffed our communities when it could provide the revenues to support them. Now that the revenues from the state are gone, the shackles remain for our communities. All of these problems need comprehensive, fair-minded thinking to create solutions that will stop this downward spiral. It will take less centralized, Lansing based demands and mandates and more local options and freedom. We should consider significant reforms to the property tax system and dependence in Michigan and we must close the unfair dark store tax loophole.

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