Neither. It’s a renewal. The original three-year, 1.5-mill property tax millage was first approved by voters in May 2005 and then most recently renewed in 2020. This is a request to renew the millage for another six years. If approved, taxpayers would continue paying the same millage rate they have been paying since 2005.

Each local school board decides district budget needs and priorities. Millage funds are used to support instructional services, support services and other district priorities and operating expenditures. KRESA is fiscal agent and revenue is distributed to local districts based on their blended pupil count.

As the fiscal agent, Kalamazoo RESA distributes the tax revenues to school districts and charter schools on a per-student basis. Each school district and charter school receives the same per-student amount, which is approximately $425/student.

Changes to the applicable state law since the millage was originally approved added charter schools as beneficiaries of the millage effective May of 2018. All beneficiaries must be listed on the ballot.

Since the enhancement millage is a renewal, it would not cause any increase in tax rates. Homeowners would pay based on the taxable value of their home, which is typically about half of the market value. A homeowner with a home with a taxable value of $75,000 (approximate market value of $150,000) pays ~$112.50/year, which is ~$9.38/month.

The registered voters in each of the nine school districts in the Kalamazoo RESA service area will be asked to vote on May 2, 2023, on whether to renew the 1.5-mill property tax millage, which supports the operations of the public-school districts and charter schools in the KRESA service area.

The last day to register to vote by mail for this election is Monday, April 17, 2023, using the form available at www.michigan.gov/documents/MIVoterRegistration_97046_7.pdf. An individual can register to vote online by visiting www.michigan.gov/voterregistration. Voters may register in person through Election Day, May 2, 2023, during any hours in which the local election clerk’s office is open.

This time, the millage request would be for 6 years so that school millage requests can be spread out and therefore fewer school resources will be used for preparing for millage renewals that have been clearly supported by the community for over 17 years.

KALAMAZOO REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCY REGIONAL ENHANCEMENT MILLAGE RENEWAL PROPOSAL

This proposal will allow the intermediate school district to continue to levy regional enhancement millage that expired with the 2022 levy. Pursuant to state law, the revenue raised by the millage will be collected by the intermediate school district and distributed to local public school districts based on pupil membership count.

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency, Michigan, be increased by 1.5 mills ($1.50 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 6 years, 2023 to 2028, inclusive, to provide operating funds to enhance other state and local funding for local school district operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2023 is approximately $14,044,867, which funds will be disbursed as required by statute to the following school districts: Climax-Scotts Community Schools, Comstock Public Schools, Forest Academy, Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools, Gull Lake Community Schools, Kalamazoo Covenant Academy, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Oakland Academy, Paramount Charter Academy, Parchment School District, Portage Public Schools, Schoolcraft Community Schools, Vicksburg Community Schools and Youth Advancement Academy