Your County. Your Vote.

What Every Chamber Member Should Know About the August 4 Ballot

If you’ve noticed more line items on your property tax bill in recent years, you are not imagining it. Animal control. Drug enforcement. School resource officers. Each one its own separate millage, its own separate ask. There is a reason for that — and it connects directly to a ballot proposal Benzie County voters will decide on August 4, 2026.

The Chamber wants to make sure every member understands what is on the ballot, why it matters, and what it means for your business, your community, and your tax bill. 

Let’s start with the basics.

A Funding Story That Starts in 1978

Michigan’s Headlee Amendment, passed in 1978, automatically reduces a local government’s millage rate whenever total property values in the community rise faster than inflation. It is a consumer protection mechanism — designed to prevent governments from quietly collecting a windfall when the real estate market heats up. It is also, over long stretches of time, a slow leak in the budget. Once a rollback has been enacted, it cannot be restored except by the voters.

In August  of 1982, Benzie County voters approved a general operating millage of 5.29 mills. That vote covered everything from the Sheriff’s Office and 911 dispatch to the Clerk, Treasurer, Register of Deeds, and the courts. It was set indefinitely, so while most Michigan counties review or reset their millages every 2-4 years, Benzie County has not reset its millage in 44 years. 

Because we have enjoyed steadily increasing property values except in 2007-11 (the Great Recession), Benzie County has experienced a Headlee rollback every single year since 1982. The result: the county’s general operating millage has declined from 5.29 mills to 3.2399 mills in 2025 — a nearly 40 percent reduction in funding capacity over four decades. The cost of every service the county provides has risen over that same period, while the revenue to fund those services has declined in a way the county can’t control.

It is important to be clear about what this is and is not. This is not mismanagement. The county has been a careful steward of its budget — managing the gap through reserves and targeted special millages. This is a structural issue created by state law, with no automatic path to recovery. Under the Headlee Amendment, the rate only moves in one direction: down.

Why Your Tax Bill Has So Many Line Items

As the general fund shrank, the county needed a way to continue funding services that no longer fit inside the main operating budget. The solution was a series of separate, voter-approved special millages. Each does its job. Each also adds a line to every property owner’s bill.

That complexity is a symptom of the underlying funding constraint, not a policy preference. And the August 4 proposal addresses it directly.

What Is on the Ballot

The August 4 ballot asks voters to reset the general operating millage to 4.4399 mills for a two-year period covering fiscal years 2027 and 2028. A few things worth noting about that number:

• It is still below the 5.29 mills voters originally authorized in 1982. This proposal does not restore the full original rate — it partially closes the gap.
• It is a two-year term. After 2027 and 2028, voters decide again. This is not a permanent change.
• It consolidates three existing special millages — animal control, drug enforcement, and school resource officers — into the general fund, removing 0.4074 mills worth of separate line items from your tax bill. Those services continue; the bill gets simpler.
• The same reset applies to townships. Every Benzie County township has experienced the same Headlee rollback from their original 1.21 mill rate. The county and townships are directly linked — both reset together under this proposal, restoring the funding base for township services like parks, cemeteries, fire protection, elections, and zoning.

The ballot also includes a small Intermediate School District component (0.1828 mills), which funds countywide ISD operations — special education coordination, career and technical education, and early childhood programs. This is not a school operations tax; day-to-day school budgets are funded separately through the state.

What It Costs

For the typical Benzie County home — market value around $400,000, taxable value around $200,000 — the county portion of the reset adds $158 per year.  Three existing special millages totaling 0.4074 mills are eliminated if the proposal passes, partially offsetting that increase.

For a commercial property with a taxable value of $500,000, the county reset adds approximately $396 per year — less than a month of a typical utility bill for most businesses.

You can calculate the exact impact on any specific parcel at benzierenewal.org using your parcel number.

Why the Chamber Is Supporting a Yes Vote

The Benzie Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraging members to vote yes on August 4. Here is our thinking.

Benzie County’s economy is built on a foundation of public infrastructure that most of us take for granted: roads that are patrolled, emergency services that respond, parks and natural amenities that bring 235,000 visitors here every summer, county offices that process deeds and permits efficiently, and a community investment capacity that supports economic development. That infrastructure is not free, and it is not self-sustaining.

The services funded by the general fund — including road patrol, animal control, EMS, MSU Extension (4H), and economic development — are not mandated by state law. When a general fund is constrained, those are the services that face the most difficult tradeoffs. The reset gives Benzie County and its townships a stable, consolidated foundation to continue providing the quality of services this community expects.

This is not a new tax. It is a partial restoration of a rate voters approved more than 40 years ago, still below the original authorization, subject to a voter check every two years. The Chamber views it as a reasonable, well-structured investment in the county we all share.

Come to the Town Hall on June 16

We know that a Chamber endorsement is one data point, and that many of you will want to hear directly from the people responsible for county and township finances before making up your mind. That is exactly why we have organized a community town hall and panel discussion. The panel will consist of members of the Benzie County Tax Advisory Committee, formed in 2024 to assess the county’s ongoing budget shortfall and recommend a path forward based on data and financial projections. 

The town hall is open to all community members. Bring your employees, your neighbors, anyone who has questions. The goal is a clear, honest conversation about how county funding works and what this proposal would do.

A Few Things to Do Before August 4

• Attend the June 16 town hall at Mills Community House.
• Visit benzierenewal.org to calculate the impact on your specific parcel and find additional information.
• Make sure you are registered to vote. Online registration deadline is July 14, 2026. Same-day registration is also available in person on Election Day.
• If you prefer to vote absentee, request your ballot by mail by July 31, 2026.
• Tell your employees. Election Day is Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Polls open at 7 AM and close at 8 PM.

Benzie County is a remarkable place to do business, raise a family, and build something. The Chamber believes this proposal is a practical, well-designed step toward making sure it stays that way. We hope to see you on June 16.