On Sept. 12, the Michigan Tax Tribunal ordered big tax relief to Ecorse Belleville LLC for Van Buren Township tax assessments in 2006 and 2007.
VBT Clerk Joannie Payne said the tax tribunal reduced the 2006 assessment from about $18 million to $6 million. The 2007 assessment was reduced from $18 million to $9.5 million.
Deputy Treasurer Sean Bellingham said the township lost a total of about $270,000 in income for both years combined.
The township’s loss was $173,000 in taxes and the Downtown Development Authority’s loss was $96,000.
Docket #324202 originally was filed June 27, 2006 with the tax tribunal.
Ecorse Belleville LLC owns the 450 acres bordered by Belleville, Ecorse, Beck, and Van Born roads that had at one time been the proposed site of the huge Saratoga residential project and later a Chrysler engine plant, neither of which was built. The property is now up for sale.
— Rosemary K. Otzman, editor
Published 10-4-07