By Staff
NILES - On Tuesday, residents in the Niles Community School district will be asked to renew the non-homestead property tax levy.
This vote is crucial to all schools within the district, said Doug Law, Niles Community School superintendent. If the vote does not pass, it would cost the district $3 million a year, making it almost impossible for the school district to operate, he said.
However, Law pointed out voters will simply be asked to renew an existing tax levy.
Although homeowners in a district approve the millage, they do not pay this levy. This millage is assessed on business/commercial property, second homes and non-exempt agriculture property. Primary residences (homesteads) are not assessed this 18 mill levy.
Law wanted to make it clear to residents this vote has nothing to do with recent bond proposals.
Under Proposal A, Michigan schools are financed through the School Aid Fund that receives money from a variety of different taxes.
The majority of the funding comes from the sales tax and a 6-mill property tax that all property owners pay. In addition to these two sources and the non-homestead millage, the School Aid Fund gets money from portions of the Michigan lottery, cigarette tax, liquor tax, real estate transfer tax and income tax, he said.
Voters will vote at the same location they voted in the May election.