March 2013

 The last library millage proposal took place 11/8/94.  Per Michigan state law, a district library’s operating tax may not exceed 4 mills.  Voters approved 2.7 mills in perpetuity,.3 mills for 20 years, and 1 mill for 20 years for repair and restoration of buildings and for restoring hours of operation.  Headlee Rollback Factor: a millage may be reduced by this factor.

 A millage rate is equal to $1.00 per $1000 of a property’s taxable value.  A millage may not be levied or renewed without voter approval.  Once approved by voters, a millage must be requested annually by a taxing authority.

 County assessment of properties is completed by 12/31 each year & notices mailed to property owners.  State determines a SEV-state equalized value of every property and applies factors to achieve a taxable value.  Through March 31 st, property owners may challenge the SEV/Taxable values at a Board of Review hearing.  The millage rates for all collections (i.e. police, fire, schools, library) are applied to the taxable value to reach each property owner’s amount of tax due.

Taxing Authority Real Property Tax Personal Property Tax Total Levy Due PLOS City of Saginaw1,692,084375,1442,067,228 Kochville Township 500,32192,654592,975 Zilwaukee158,56333,749192,312

 The library’s largest source of revenue.  The library receives summer property tax revenue from the City of Saginaw, Kochville Township, and the City of Zilwaukee.  Property tax revenue currently includes real estate and personal property taxes.  The amount of tax revenue changes annually based upon the taxable value of all real and personal properties.  Property tax revenue may be reduced by non-payment and foreclosures.

Total Taxable Value (TV) $100, $100,000 /1,000 = 100 x millage rate Current Library Millage Rate: Maximum authorized (Originally was 4, reduced by Headlee to ) x 100 = Property Tax Revenue $399.47

In 2012 payments from the City of Saginaw, Kochville, and City of Zilwaukee were reduced by the following: Capturing Entity2012 DDA – Downtown Development Authorities$156,748 NEZ – Neighborhood Tax Incentives$1374 IFT – Industrial Facilities Tax Abatement$3904 Brownfield TIF – Brownfield Tax Increment Financing Act$11,732 Board of Review & Michigan Tax Tribunal Tax Adjustments$22,378 $196,136 The following michigan.gov link has detailed explanations of the various tax abatements and exemptions that an entity may use:

 Beginning in July the taxing authorities (Saginaw, Kochville, and Zilwaukee) will remit tax payments to the library as they are collected – usually on a weekly/bi-weekly basis.  By April of the following calendar year, the final summer payments have been made.  Delinquent local real estate taxes (not personal property taxes) are paid to the library by Saginaw County.  If these taxes remain unpaid, the property is foreclosed upon and the library is billed for the taxes that the County paid on the tax payer’s behalf.  In the library reimbursed the County over $90,000 in charge backs for foreclosed properties.

 Certain business properties located in renaissance zone areas are generally granted a tax exemption for a specified number of years.  State law once held libraries harmless for the loss of tax revenue and reimbursed for the loss.  Renaissance Zone property taxes were paid to libraries by the State until 2010 when the statute was amended to absolve the state of its responsibility to reimburse these entities while maintaining the tax credit.  State legislature opted to restore a percentage of reimbursements to schools and colleges. MLA (Michigan Library Association) is lobbying to have libraries included.

Tax Receipts 3,360,9203,296,0573,154,1392,899,6032,779,230 Ren Zone/ PILOT 204,990239,707232,566188,9980 Single Business Tax / SBT 271,

 Penal Fines – State Constitution of 1963 requires that all penalties collected for violations of state penal laws (criminal and civil) be used for the support of public libraries.  PLOS receives penal fine revenue from the City, Kochville, Zilwaukee, Saginaw Township, Tittabawassee Township, Buena Vista Township and others in our legal service area.  Annual distribution is made to library by the County Treasurer based upon the library’s certified service population.  Between penal fine payments to the library decreased 18% from $446,000 to $368,000

 Public libraries may collect 50 cents per capita for their served population if minimum standards of operation are met (i.e. hours open to public, number of degreed librarians, collection standards, programming, etc…).  State budget cuts reduced the per capita amount to $.19 in 2011 and $.22 in  Annual State Aid Report which measures minimum standards is prepared and submitted to Library of MI by February 1 st.  State aid payments are made in the winter and the spring.  Between 2008 and 2012 state funding paid to the library dropped from $86637 to $56136 – a 35% decrease in funding. 

Total revenue from all sources in the past five fiscal periods: Hard Facts  In five years PLOS has lost over $1.7 million in operating revenue (approximately 29% of pre-recession revenue).  Tax abatements and exemptions will continue to increase as Saginaw rallies to attract new businesses.  The State plans to cut personal property tax revenue to libraries over the next 24 months-a possible loss of up to $500,000 to PLOS.  Libraries are limited in the other kinds of revenue generators in which they may participate (investments, securities, etc…) ,120,5735,482,4655,261,9794,775,9974,365,102

Prepared for the Public Libraries of Saginaw March 2013 by Neica Dey