Belleville City Council mulls how to get more money from taxes

The Belleville City Council says it doesn’t have enough money to run the city so it is considering ways to get more funding. There’s no more ways to cut, they said.
At Monday’s regular meeting, members discussed asking voters for a Headlee Override, which would bring in about $225,400 in property tax revenue, after the DDA capture.
That would cost a taxpayer $80.25 more a year if his house has a value of $50,000 and a taxable value of $25,000. If the home is worth $250,000 and has a taxable value of $125,000, the taxpayer would have to pay $401.25 more a year.
The city is allowed to levy 20 mills, but over the years the Headlee Rollback has reduced that to the present rate of 16.79 mills. The Override would put it back to 20 mills.
This would be for one year. The voters would have to approve it yearly, if requested by the council. It could be on the November ballot and be levied on the winter tax bill.
Another proposal is for a Public Safety Special Assessment on Real Property, which would bring $85,460 for each mill assessed. For a $50,000 home it would be an annual cost of $25 per mill. For the $250,000 house it would be $125 cost per mill.
The city council has the power to levy the millage for a total of up to 20 mills without a vote of the people.
When asked if a Public Safety Special Assessment would guarantee the city would keep its fire department, Mayor Kerreen Conley said there are no guarantees.
The proposed $2.1 million budget for the 2018-19 year is based on a property tax levy of 1.1 mills for general operating purposes, which would establish 18.1 mills.
The proposals on the Headlee Override and the Public Safety Assessment are currently being discussed by the council as ways to reimburse the general fund’s fund balance after the city pays for the Doane’s Landing seawall repair and the public safety expenses.
Mayor Conley said if the city took all the money it currently takes in on taxes it would still not be enough to pay for public safety expenses.