Township of Cottrellville
Road Funding Millage Information
The Township of Cottrellville is providing the following information to help residents understand the proposed 0.50‑mill road millage that will appear on the ballot. This explanation is intended to describe how township roads are currently funded, recent changes to state revenue sharing, and why the Township Board has placed this proposal before the voters.
Township roads are funded through a combination of local funds and state‑related revenue sources. Beginning this year, the Michigan State Legislature redirected a portion of township state revenue sharing directly to county road commissions to support local road work. The St. Clair County Road Commission refers to these redirected funds as the Local Road Preservation Program.
Under this program, a portion of Cottrellville Township’s state revenue sharing no longer comes directly to the Township but is instead sent to the St. Clair County Road Commission to be applied toward eligible township road projects. Cottrellville Township’s share of this funding is approximately $77,000 for the current year.
While the Local Road Preservation Program provides meaningful assistance, it does not fully cover the cost of township road maintenance. The St. Clair County Road Commission requires the Township to contribute additional local funds for services such as gravel road maintenance, ditching, roadside mowing, and other routine road work. For the current year, the Township’s total road‑related expenditures are approximately $260,000, which significantly exceeds the amount provided through redirected state revenue sharing alone.
To help meet these costs, the Township has relied on a road assessment that was levied by the Township Board. This assessment was not voter‑approved and currently generates approximately $95,000 per year for road funding. The assessment is scheduled to expire in 2027.
As the expiration date approaches, the Township Board reviewed whether continuing road funding through another board‑levied assessment was appropriate. After discussion, the Board agreed that renewing the assessment was not the proper course of action and that residents should have a direct opportunity to decide whether road funding should continue.
For this reason, the Township Board has placed before the voters a proposal for a 0.50‑mill road millage, set at the same effective revenue level as the current assessment. If approved, the millage would continue approximately $95,000 per year in road funding and would be levied for a period of five (5) years, providing a voter‑approved and stable source of funding for township roads.
If approved, the millage would be used solely for the repair, improvement, and maintenance of township roads, including meeting the Township’s financial obligations to the St. Clair County Road Commission for gravel road maintenance, ditching, mowing, and other eligible road‑related services.
If the millage is not approved, the current road assessment will expire as scheduled in 2027, and no replacement funding source will be in place. This would result in a significant reduction in the funds available for township road maintenance and would limit the Township’s ability to participate in road improvement projects going forward.
The Township Board is committed to transparency and responsible stewardship of public funds. This information is being provided so residents can better understand the proposal and the reasons it has been placed before the voters.
This explanation is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to advocate for or against the proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Local Road Preservation Program?
The Local Road Preservation Program is the name used by the St. Clair County Road Commission for funding that comes from a portion of township state revenue sharing redirected by the Michigan State Legislature. Instead of being paid directly to the Township, these funds are sent to the Road Commission and applied to eligible township road projects.
How much funding does Cottrellville Township receive through this program?
For the current year, Cottrellville Township’s share of redirected state revenue sharing under the Local Road Preservation Program is approximately $77,000.
Does the Local Road Preservation Program cover all road costs?
No. While these funds help support local road work, they do not cover all costs associated with township road maintenance. The St. Clair County Road Commission requires additional township contributions for services such as gravel road maintenance, ditching, roadside mowing, and other routine road work.
How much does the Township spend on roads each year?
For the current year, the Township’s total road‑related expenditures are approximately $260,000.
What is the current road assessment?
The current road assessment is a charge that was levied by the Township Board to help fund road maintenance. It was not approved by voters and currently generates approximately $95,000 per year. The assessment is scheduled to expire in 2027.
Why isn’t the Township just renewing the assessment?
After reviewing future road funding needs, the Township Board determined that continuing road funding through another board‑levied assessment was not appropriate. The Board agreed that residents should have a direct vote on whether road funding should continue at the current level.
What is being proposed instead of the assessment?
The Township Board has placed before voters a proposal for a 0.50‑mill road millage. The proposed millage is structured to generate approximately the same amount of funding as the current assessment, or about $95,000 per year.
How long would the proposed millage last?
If approved, the millage would be levied for a period of five (5) years.
What would the millage funds be used for?
Millage funds would be used solely for township road purposes, including the repair, improvement, and maintenance of roads, and to help meet the Township’s financial obligations to the St. Clair County Road Commission for gravel road maintenance, ditching, mowing, and other eligible services.
What happens if the millage is approved?
If approved, the millage would replace the expiring assessment with a voter‑approved funding source, allowing road funding to continue at its current level for the next five years.
What happens if the millage is not approved?
If the millage is not approved, the current road assessment will expire in 2027, and no replacement funding source will be in place. This would significantly reduce the funds available for township road maintenance and limit the Township’s ability to participate in road improvement projects.
How would the proposed millage affect property taxes?
The proposed road millage would be levied at a rate of 0.50 mills, which equals fifty cents ($0.50) for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value.
What is taxable value?
Taxable value is the number used to calculate property taxes in Michigan. It is shown on annual property tax bills and is often lower than a property’s market value.
How much would the millage cost individual property owners?
Examples based on taxable value are provided below for illustration:
A property with a taxable value of $100,000 would pay approximately $50 per year.
A property with a taxable value of $150,000 would pay approximately $75 per year.
A property with a taxable value of $200,000 would pay approximately $100 per year.
Actual amounts vary depending on a property’s taxable value.
Would this be a new tax or an increase in what is currently paid for roads?
The proposed millage is intended to continue road funding at approximately the same level as the current road assessment. The existing assessment currently generates about $95,000 per year for road funding. If approved, the millage would generate a similar amount and would not increase road funding beyond the current level.
Why does the proposal change from an assessment to a millage?
The current road assessment was levied by the Township Board and was not voter‑approved. The Board determined that renewing a board‑levied assessment was not appropriate and instead chose to give residents the opportunity to vote on whether road funding should continue through a voter‑approved millage.
How long would the millage be in effect?
If approved, the millage would be levied for five (5) years.
Would all of the millage revenue stay dedicated to roads?
Yes. By law, revenue from a road millage may only be used for road‑related purposes, including the repair, improvement, and maintenance of township roads and meeting the Township’s obligations to the St. Clair County Road Commission.
What happens to taxes if the millage is not approved?
If the millage is not approved, the current road assessment will expire in 2027 and no replacement road funding source will be in place. Residents would no longer pay the assessment, but the Township would have substantially fewer funds available for road maintenance and improvements.
Is the millage permanent?
No. The proposed millage would be levied for a limited five‑year period and would expire unless renewed by voters in the future.
Tax Bill Example – No Change in Rate
Both the current road assessment and the proposed road millage are set at a rate equivalent to 0.50 mills, or fifty cents ($0.50) per $1,000 of taxable value. Because the rate is the same, approval of the millage would not increase or decrease the amount currently paid for road funding. The example below is provided for illustration.
Example property with a taxable value of $150,000:
Under the current road assessment (0.50 mills):
$150,000 ÷ 1,000 = 150
150 × $0.50 = $75 per year
Under the proposed road millage (0.50 mills):
$150,000 ÷ 1,000 = 150
150 × $0.50 = $75 per year
In this example, the amount paid for road funding remains the same. The difference is not the rate, but how the funding is authorized.
The current assessment was levied by the Township Board and is scheduled to expire in 2027. The proposed millage would allow voters to decide whether to continue road funding at the same half‑mill rate for the next five years through a voter‑approved tax.
Actual tax amounts will vary depending on a property’s taxable value, which is shown on individual property tax bills.