To the Editor:
It has come to my attention that many voters in Houghton County are confused as to how much they will pay for the proposed Justice Center. I will take you through a simple calculation that you can all do in the privacy of your own homes.
Find your last tax bill that was mailed July 1 of this year. Somewhere on that tax bill are the words "Taxable Value." Take the number next to those words and do the following - I will use my own Taxable Value (TV) to illustrate: TV = 41,938
Now put a decimal point where the comma is in that number, making the number to use in your calculations 41.938. Multiply 41.938 by 1.2956 to get $54.33, which is what I should expect to pay for the first year. This is a yearly amount.
The following year, as long as taxable values increase in Houghton County, the millage rate should go down. The County cannot collect more than is necessary to pay down the yearly bond payment. If taxable values go down, then it is feasible for the millage rate to go up. However, at this time, Houghton County's taxable values have been increasing every year over the prior year. Increases are due to new construction and property uncappings (when property is sold).
If you still cannot figure out how much you owe, please call me or email me at treasurer@houghtoncounty.net and I will gladly figure it out for you.
It is far better to be fully informed than to make an important decision with incorrect data.
Kathleen A.Beattie
Houghton County Treasurer
Houghton
So contrary to what the Justice Center Committee says, it will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $65/yr in increased taxes if the Justice Center Bond proposal passes! Not the $33 quoted in the Gazette.
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