Hamtramck residents to vote in November on renewal of operating millage for Hamtramck Public Schools
By Nargis Hakim Rahman
Hamtramck residents will be voting on a $2.7 million non-homestead millage to continue operating costs for the Hamtramck School District for 2025-2034.
The resolution to adopt the renewal of the operating millage took place at a regular board meeting held between the Hamtramck’s Board of Education, Wayne County, State of Michigan on June 27.
Jim Larson-Shidler, Hamtramck Interim Superintendent, says 72 percent of the money will go toward salaries and school services.
“About $2 million of this goes towards salaries for teachers, secretaries, maintenance, everybody that works for the district,” he says.
The proposed millage would replace an existing millage that expires next year, taxing non-homestead (business properties) of up to 18 mills.
The tax is on business properties. Homeowners and renters do not pay the tax.
Larson-Shidler says if the millage doesn’t pass the district would have to make up $2.7 million some other way. He says that represents about 6 percent of the total general fund operations.
Last year Hamtramck voters did not pass a $900,000 sinking fund millage, which would have gone toward school repairs, school safety, and technology upgrades for 10 years.
Larson-Shidler says that puts more pressure on the district to have a general fund which can sustain repairs, school safety and general operations such as salaries.
“This is very important to the district. We’re providing education to the kids. This helps keep teachers in the classroom, pays for staff to do all the services that educate our students,” he says.
Hamtramck is the most populated city in the state, with a poverty rate hovering around 38 percent according to Census data.
The proposed non-homestead millage renewal has provisions to protect tax rollbacks impacted by Michigan’s Headless Amendment, which limits property tax increases if there the tax base increases, property values increase, or there are state spendings which burden taxpayers. The provision would allow an additional 2 mills to be levied if needed.
The Hamtramck Public Schools relies on multiple types of funding to operate.
Hamtramck Public Schools has recently faced decreased student enrollment, which also impacts the budget. Larson-Shidler says those declines in part were impacted by the Virtual Academy.
“I think last year’s enroll decrease had to do with our Virtual Academy… there was a reduction in thatprogram from the prior year. So that’s where we saw the student loss was in that area,” he says.
He says this year student enrollment is currently up by about 150 students.
The proposed language is as follows:
This tax levy does not apply to owner occupied homes or to persons renting their homes. This proposal would replace and extend the authority of the School District to continue to levy the statutory limit of 18 mils on all property, except principal residences (owner occupied homes) and other property exempt by law, for general operating purposes, which currently expires with the School District’s 2025 tax levy and allow the School District to continue to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills in the event of future Headlee rollbacks of up to 2 mils. This authorization will allow the School District tocontinue to receive revenues at the full per pupil foundation allowance
permitted by the State.
Shall the limitation on the total amount of taxes which may be assessed against al property, except principal residences and other property exempted by law, situated within the School District of the City of Hamtramck, County of Wayne, Michigan, be increased in the amount of 20 mils with 18 mils being the maximum allowableannual levy ($18.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), for a period of ten (10) years, 2025 to 2034, inclusive? This operating millage fi approved and levied, would provide estimated revenues to the School District of $2,748,420 during the2025 calendar year, to be used for general operating purposes.
YES
NO
Voters will vote on the millage on November 5. The new millage would be used for 2025-2034.
