More Proposals Headed to November Ballot

Two more ballot proposals are primed to go to local voters this November. The City of Traverse City announced that a charter amendment aimed at the tax increment financing (TIF) 97 plan will be placed on the ballot even if a governor’s review of the language is not completed in time, while Grand Traverse County commissioners will hold a special meeting August 9 to vote on putting a road millage renewal on the ballot.

TIF 97 Amendment
Two charter amendments related to TIF are set to appear before city voters in November. The first, which would require a public vote on all tax increment financing (TIF) plans in Traverse City, was deemed to conflict with state law by the Michigan attorney general’s office earlier this month. However, because the proposal is petition-initiated, the law requires it to still go to voters for approval – setting up a potential legal battle if the proposal passes.

A second charter amendment from TC Taxpayers for Justice was certified by the city clerk’s office earlier this month but faced an uphill battle to get through a required governor’s review of the language in time to go on the November ballot. That amendment would retroactively negate any actions the city might take to extend or amend the TIF 97 plan unless that action goes to voters first. City commissioners approved putting the proposal on the ballot this fall at their July 15 meeting. City Attorney Lauren Trible-Laucht advised commissioners, however, that it couldn’t appear on the ballot until the governor’s review was complete.

On Thursday, the city announced in a release that Trible-Laucht had “further researched case law on the matter,” and that she and City Clerk Benjamin Marentette “have concluded that the second charter amendment proposal related to tax increment financing should also be placed on the November 2024 ballot, regardless if the governor has completed the required review prior to its submission to the county clerk.”

TC Taxpayers for Justice and resident Fred Bimber - who has helped spearhead both of the proposed charter amendments - filed a lawsuit last week seeking to compel the city to put the proposal on the November ballot. “By the city clerk certifying the ballot proposal for the November 2024 election, the litigation is moot,” according to the city release. In a statement, Trible-Laucht said that “although charter amendments initiated by petition automatically appear on a ballot due to state statute, the timeline was thought to be delayed due to the interpretation of the required governor review. We have done our due diligence and pursued the review of case law that provides a different interpretation, and we are pleased that the petitioners’ intent is now met.”

Marentette said that “ensuring that citizens feel confident in the integrity of all aspects of the voting process is paramount. By verifying the petition signatures and upholding the state statute, we affirm that every resident's voice is heard and respected. It's crucial that citizens exercise their right to vote and trust that their participation truly matters in shaping our community's future.” Mayor Amy Shamroe said she has “complete confidence in the city clerk and city attorney to interpret the law appropriately,” adding: “I am pleased that this matter was researched further and that the residents of the city will have the opportunity to vote on this ballot proposal.”

Road Millage
Grand Traverse County commissioners will hold a special meeting August 9 at 9am to vote on putting a road millage renewal request to voters in November.

The Grand Traverse County Road Commission (GTCRC) is looking to renew and restore a 1-mill, four-year levy to support local road, street, highway, and bridge repairs and improvements. That 1-mill levy has slowly been reduced over time due to Headlee rollbacks. If approved, the millage renewal will generate an estimated $6.5 million its first year to be disbursed to GTCRC, the City of Traverse City, the Village of Kingsley, and the Village of Fife Lake for local road repairs.

County commissioners discussed the millage proposal at their July 17 meeting but delayed taking action to allow staff time to clarify the ballot language. At that meeting, Chair Rob Hentschel questioned why GTCRC would seek a renewal and not an increase in funding, given the significant number of repairs needed across the region. A renewal would only put the county further behind the curve, he argued.

Road commissioners did consider requesting an increase initially, but ultimately felt it was safer to go for a renewal. “I just can’t imagine raising that this year, even though it would be justifiable and appropriate,” Road Commissioner Alisa Korn said at a recent meeting, adding residents were “fatigued” by costs. Chair Joe Underwood stressed the importance of maintaining the millage funding for local roads. “Without the renewal, you’ll see significant changes in your roads,” he said.

Voters previously approved the county road millage by significant margins in both 2016 and 2020.