FROM THE VILLAGE PRESIDENT, HARRY WALDER

Our Property Taxes are based on the Millage Tax Rate.   Our Millage Rate in 1988 was 11.19.  Our Millage Rate last year was 5.75.   The Millage Rate is the factor used to determine the amount of Property Taxes you pay annually to the Village of Grand Beach.   The Millage Rate is currently $5.75 per $1,000 of Taxable Value.   If you look at your annual Notice of Assessment you will see the following:  Taxable Value; Assessed Value; State Equalized Value. 

If you take the Taxable Value divided by 1,000 and multiplied by 5.75 you will see your Grand Beach Property Tax Amount.  (Note that the actual Millage Rate if 5.7537 but I dropped the last two decimal places for ease of explanation.)

The difference between the Taxable Value and the Assessed Value is reflective of how long you have owned your property and how much it has grown in value over the years.  As long as you continue to own your property, the most the Taxable Value can increase annually is the rate of inflation and that is capped at 5%.   Most years it is much less.  Many homeowners in Grand Beach own property worth well over $500,000 but pay taxes as if the property was worth $250,000 or less.   

Questions individuals have asked:  Is a Millage increase for a specific period of time?   No, it is simply an increase in the rate that will becomes effective the Tax year following the vote.   The Millage Rate is reduced each year in accordance with the Headlee Amendment which means the year after an increase is passed the millage will decline annually.   That is why the Millage Rate was 11.19 in 1988 and is 5.75 today.   The Headlee Amendment over those 37 years reduced the Millage Rate by almost 50%.  The Headlee Amendment is unique to Michigan.

A Millage Tax Rate increase must be voted on by the voters in Grand Beach and it requires 50% of those voting to pass the Millage increase. 

TOWN HALL MEETING JULY 18, 2025