Non-Homestead Operating Millage Proposal

An Operating Millage is regulated by Michigan law and is a voter-approved non-homestead (only levied on businesses, second homes, etc.) property tax that provides annual funding for the daily operation of schools, including instructional programs, staff salaries, student supports, transportation, and essential operating costs.

It is a non-homestead tax. Clintondale Community School residents do NOT pay this tax at all on their primary homes.

Many of the day-to-day costs like staff, transportation, technology, facility repairs and maintenance, coaches, and utilities, to keep the school district running every day.

Each year the district’s operating tax levy is subject to a Headlee rollback. This reduces the allowable levy. In 2016 the Clintondale community approved an operating tax levy of 19.50 mills. Over time, the Headlee rollback has decreased that authorized amount.

Now the operating levy is below 18.00 mills. Because the state of Michigan assumes we will levy 18.00 mills for our local portion of per student funding, this means that CCS is losing out on foundation funding. In this most recent school year, 2025-2026, the district lost out on approximately $42,000 of funding. This loss will only increase and compound each year until the operating millage is restored.

The funding generating by the operating millage pays for many of the operating costs of the district such as staffing, technology, repairs and maintenance and utilities. 
 

No. The tax is not levied on primary residences at all, only on certain businesses, rental property, and second homes (such as a cottage or vacation home). 

A Headlee Rollback happens when local property values rise faster than the rate of inflation.
This rule comes from the "Headlee Amendment," which Michigan voters added to the state constitution back in 1978 to limit tax growth.

By law, when property values spike, the school district is forced to lower (or "rollback") its property tax rate. This prevents the district from collecting more total tax revenue than allowed. Over time, these automatic cuts chip away at school funding, causing it to drop below the full amount originally intended by the state.
 

This is asking voters to restore and hedge the millage rates for the non-homestead school operating tax levy.

Michigan school districts are only allowed to tax up to 18.00 mills on non-homestead properties. However, each year this tax is subject to “Headlee rollback” which decreases the available millage. The hedge provides for a buffer for the district to maintain the 18 mills and hedge against any future rollback. 

Even if the total operating millage approved by the community is greater 18.00 mills, the district, by law, cannot levy any more than 18.00 mills. Any amount above 18.00 mills is a “hedge” against future Headlee rollbacks. This hedge is estimated to maintain an 18.00 mill levy through school year 2031.

During school year 2026 the operating millage levied by the district fell below 18.00 mills due to “Headlee Rollback”. This means the Clintondale Community Schools lost approximately $42,000 in total operational funding for the 2026 school year. This election would restore the millage authorized to be levied by the school district to 18.00 mills and protect against future rollbacks.

For any funding lost due to non-approval of this ballot proposal CCS would need to cut a portion of its budget for it to be structurally balanced. This is because the State assumes all school districts are levying 18 mills on non-homestead property. If we do not, CCS will not receive its full per-pupil allocation. The State does not make up the difference if the local 18-mill levy is not collected. The operating millage is a component of the per pupil Foundation Allowance, which is the School District’s largest source of revenue.

No, this is not a bond proposal. A bond proposal requests voters approve a tax levy that would allow the district to borrow money to pay for facility improvements. This proposal is for the normal, day to day operations of the school district.

Generally, yes. The state of Michigan assumes every district is levying 18.00 mills on local non-homestead properties. Any levy less than this amount is not “made-up” by the state and is a direct loss of student funding. 

Non-homestead property refers to buildings like shops, offices, or vacation houses where the owner does not live as their main home. 

August 4, 2026

The local operating tax levy funding represents approximately 10% of our general fund budget.

CLINTONDALE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS     OPERATING MILLAGE PROPOSAL
This proposal will allow the school district to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance.

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in Clintondale Community Schools, Macomb County, Michigan, be increased by 2 mills ($2.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 5 years, 2027 to 2031, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2027 is approximately $369,428 (this millage is to restore millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and will be levied only to the extent necessary to restore that reduction)?
How do I register to vote?
Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center to register to vote online. You can register at any time up to 8 p.m. on Election Day at your city or township clerk’s office. If you’re registering another way, your voter registration application must be received or postmarked at least 15 days before the election. For assistance in obtaining the address of your local clerk, visit:  Michigan.gov/vote.
Where can I find more detailed information?
More detailed information can be found on the operating millage ballot proposal page of our website: Link to webpage

Paid for by: Clintondale Community Schools, 35100 Little Mack Avenue, Clinton Township, MI 48035