Thumbs down on a 20-year county parks tax
We have long been a supporter of the Oakland County parks system which is funded for the most part by annual taxes paid by county residents. But we are not thrilled by what county commissioners have placed on the ballot for the November 2024 election.
As a bit of history, here is the story of the Oakland County parks system.
The county electorate was first asked for a five-year county parks tax – .25 mill – in 1966. It was renewed every five years until 1990 when voters agreed to renew the tax for 10 years.
In 2020 the county asked for an increase to .35 mill for a 10-year period, and voters willingly obliged by a vote of 537,857 in support to 166,867 in opposition.
When Oakland County came to voters in 2020 with the request for an increase in the amount of the annual tax for a lengthier period of time to improve the county park system, we gladly supported the ballot issue on this editorial page.
Now the county is back just four years later for another increase. The county board of commissioners recently approved a ballot question for the November 5 election, this time for .65-mill but for a 20-year period. The new tax would expire in 2043.
As in the past, the county issues the standard hype about improving county parks and the county farmers market; new and expanded regional trails; and the expansion of the park system with new locations near population centers. The specifics are never offered.
We will admit that we have not pursued a detailed plan that we usually would seek when this or any unit of government asks for a tax that will generate $52 million annually. Why? Because we are simply turned off by the 20-year length of this levy. Under normal circumstances, we would ask for specifics on how your tax money will be spent.
At no point should a tax, new or renewal, run 20 years in length. Taxpayers should at least have the ability to look once a decade to see if the government is performing as promised when a tax is first put on the ballot. Much more difficult to look back over 20 years to arrive at a decision about whether the government unit did what it said it would.
We did some cursory review of some recent local community ballot requests, from the August 2024 primary election, to see in municipalities that were requesting parks and recreation millages just how long officials proposed for the length of the levy. Those we quickly found all capped their request at 10 years, not 20.
We also find it a bit contradictory for the county board of commissioners to complain about a proposed 20-year tax proposed earlier this year for museums in Detroit, including the length of the suggested levy, but then turn around and support 20 years of taxation for county parks.
Yes, Oakland County has a great park system. So if you don’t want to sweat the details or care about seeing a more specific plan for what will be over a $1 billion tax haul, then go ahead and support this tax.
But count us out. We may be willing to back a 10-year – not 20 year – tax increase once we have seen more specifics. For now, we say vote NO on this 20-year tax increase.
