County sets 2003 property tax rates
by Holly Nelson

TAWAS CITY - The most expensive place to live in Iosco County, at least in terms of taxation, remains Tawas City.

And the distinction of offering the lowest property tax rates in the county goes to Sherman Township.
Oscoda Township has the highest tax base and thus collects the most taxes.

And Whittemore has the lowest base and the smallest tax collection.

Property owners of Iosco County will pay an estimated $26,769,973 in property taxes in 2003.

And nearly all millage levies decreased from last year, primarily because the state dropped the school tax by a mill to make up for collecting it in the summer.

These tidbits are among the information which can be gleaned from the 2003 Iosco County Apportionment Report, prepared by Iosco County Equalization Director Janet Bonnell.

It is Bonnell's job to ascertain that each township, city and school district has followed state law in establishing millage rates.

The responsibility for authorizing the levy of the rates falls to the Iosco County Board of Commissioners. It did this last Wednesday at Bonnell's recommendation.

The table to the right lists the total maximum millage which will be levied on property owners for 2003, along with the taxable value and estimated tax collection.

According to Bonnell, the taxable values are subject to change by boards of review and/or the Michigan Tax Tribunal, and thus so are the estimated dollars to be raised.

Property owners can compute their estimated 2003 property tax liability by multiplying the total homestead or non-homestead rate, whichever applies, against the taxable value of their property, the later figure divided by 1,000. For example, the taxes on a homestead in Tawas City with a taxable value of $40,000 would be determined by multiplying 40 times 33.7309 mills for a total of $1,349.

The responsibility for authorizing the levy of the rates falls to the Iosco County Board of Commissioners. It did this last Wednesday at Bonnell's recommendation.

The table to the right lists the total maximum millage which will be levied on property owners for 2003, along with the taxable value and estimated tax collection.

According to Bonnell, the taxable values are subject to change by boards of review and/or the Michigan Tax Tribunal, and thus so are the estimated dollars to be raised.

Property owners can compute their estimated 2003 property tax liability by multiplying the total homestead or non-homestead rate, whichever applies, against the taxable value of their property, the later figure divided by 1,000. For example, the taxes on a homestead in Tawas City with a taxable value of $40,000 would be determined by multiplying 40 times 33.7309 mills for a total of $1,349.

The millage rates shown on the table for each township and city include a tax of 3.9961 mills for county operations; a 0.2973 mill levy to support Commission on Aging programs; a 0.4516 mill levy for Iosco County Medical Care Facility (ICMCF) operations; a 0.3427 mill levy to pay for the ICMCF Alzheimer's wing; a 0.4526 mill to support county ambulance operations; and a 0.0979 mill tax to support the Iosco Transit Corporation.

The lion's share of the total levy goes to support schools and includes the 5.0 mill state school tax, as well as local school issues.

Each total includes two millages to support operations of the Iosco Regional Educational Service Agency: 0.2180 allocated operating and 0.6546 voted operating.

The voted levies included in the totals for all properties within the boundaries of the Tawas Area School district are 0.4881 for the sinking fund and 1.5 mills for debt retirement. In addition, non-homestead property owners must pay two voted operating levies of 17.3067 and 0.6933 mills.

Additional school levies in the Oscoda school district are 2.0 mills for school improvement project and 0.7821 mill for the sinking fund. Non-homestead additionally pay 16.7888 and 1.2112 mills for operating.

All properties within the Hale school district will pay a 3.3 mill levy for debt retirement; in addition to which non-homestead property will be taxed for two voted operating issues of 16.9028 and 0.7362 mills.

All Iosco County property owners within the Whittemore-Prescott district pay a 4.75 mill levy for debt retirement, with non-homestead owners taxed for two additional levies of 17.0695 and 0.5632 mills.

The final tax rates which comprise the totals are those imposed by the individual cities or townships. These are as follow and are the same for homestead and non-homestead.

Alabaster Township: 0.6796 mill general operating; 1.2703 roads; 1.1823 fire; and 1.1823 mills for garbage.

AuSable Township: 4.6678 mill general operating and 0.65 mill fire.

Baldwin Township: 0.7577 mill general operating; 0.6 bond debt; 0.4955 roads; 0.7577 mil and 0.2928 mill for fire; and 0.4547 and 1.1714 mills garbage.

Burleigh Township: 0.8982 mill operating; 1.9291 mills roads; and two fire millages in the amount of 0.964 and 0.4821 mills.

Grant Township: 0.7238 allocated; 1.9273 mill refuse; 0.2409 roads; and two fire millages in the amounts of 0.9636 and 0.4818.

Oscoda Township will levy 4.7358 mills for allocated operating.

Plainfield Township: 0.7368 mill operating; 0.9753 roads; and two fire levies, 0.4717 and 0.4932 mill.

Reno Township: 0.9455 mill operating and two fire millages, 0.9786 and 0.4892 mill.

Sherman Township: 0.8334 mill operating and 1.3888 mills fire.

Tawas Township: 0.8810 mill operating and 1.4644 mills fire.

Wilber Township: 0.8374 mill operating; 0.9543 fire; and 0.9543 mill roads.

East Tawas: 13.6 mills operating and 5.0 mills for bond debt, both levied in the summer.

Tawas City: 13.9671 mills for operating and 6.2649 mills for bond debt, both levied in the summer.

Whittemore: 8.399 mills operating and two fire millages, 0.9644 and 0.4822 mill.