Inside 208

State House Republicans will retain control of the Michigan House of Representatives next year, as Democrats were unable to take the nine seats required to win the majority. The Republican majority is the same as in the 2014 general election, with 63 Republicans and 47 Democrats. Two House Districts flipped...

In case you didn’t see it, there was a recent article in MIRS quoting Governor Snyder as suggesting municipal retirement health care reforms could be considered during the upcoming lame duck legislative session. This is an issue that the League has identified as a key cost driver for communities (www.SaveMICity.org)...

Last week the Senate voted 23-13 in support of SB 953, a bill allowing commercial activities that are not related to education purposes on school owned property. The legislation opens the door for all school property to be exempt from zoning when used for a private commercial purpose such as billboards, cell...

Yesterday, the Senate passed SB 1026, the TIF legislation, on a 37-0 vote. The bill now heads to the House. The legislation consolidates all tax increment financing authority acts, excluding the brownfield redevelopment act, into one TIF act. It also focuses on reporting requirements and accountability for adhering to those...

The Senate Finance committee met today and reported Senate Bill 960 (Brandenburg), despite testimony from the League and the mayor of the city of Dexter in opposition to the bill.  This bill was introduced at the request of non-profit organizations, claiming inconsistency between municipalities in the application of the charitable exemption standards in...

The Governor signed medical marijuana legislation into law on Sept. 21, which sets the framework to regulate commercial marijuana facilities. Local municipalities choosing to allow for one or more types of the five different facilities can opt in by adopting an authorizing ordinance. If a municipality does not want any...

The League co-hosted a webinar this afternoon with Howard Heideman from Treasury’s Office of Revenue and Tax Analysis as a continuation of our effort to provide information and greater access to Treasury as communities move through the initial phases of implementing the state’s new personal property tax system.  More than...

Last week, the Detroit News ran an op-ed article from a lobbyist with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, expressing their opposition to the dark stores fix being supported by the Municipal League and every other local government and education organization in the state.  The piece, titled “Local officials mislead property taxpayers“,...

Newly introduced House legislation would require TIF authorities to undertake additional transparency and reporting requirements as well as eliminate the capturing of special millages. HB 5851-5856 covers DDAs, Water Resource Improvement TIFAs, LDFAs, CIAs, TIFAs and BRAs. The six bill package is on the agenda of the House Local Government Committee for...

Treasury is requesting feedback from communities on the Department’s current F-65 revision project by September 23, 2016. The Michigan Department of Treasury has been responsible for producing a template and receiving a completed Annual Local Unit Fiscal Report (F-65) from all primary local units of government in the State of...