Proposed Headlee Override Slated for August 2024
Authorized by Act 164 of Public Acts of 1877 of the State of Michigan which established Lincoln Township Public Library, the following bylaws have been set down to establish, exercise the powers and authority and assume the responsibility of a township library.
The Lincoln Township Public Library currently serves 23,500 residents in Lincoln Charter, Baroda, and Royalton townships.
In 1959 and 1990, residents in Lincoln Charter Township approved operating millages in perpetuity of 0.5 mills. This rate has been reduced to 0.3923 mills (1959 millage) and 0.4348 mills (1990 millage) due to Headlee Rollbacks. This reduction now equates to approximately $141,547.52 annually in lost revenues and further reductions will continue in the coming years.
In August 2024, the Lincoln Township Public Library will be seeking a Headlee override to restore the original millage rate. If approved, the millage would continue to fund the library in perpetuity. New revenues would be collected via the winter tax rolls and would generate approximately $141,547.00 in additional revenues the first year.
The average property owner LTPL’s service district will pay an additional $26.92 per year in taxes, just $2.24 a month.
If the requested proposal passes, the new total operating millage will be reinstated to their 0.5000 mills each. The amount paid in taxes to support the library depends on the value of your property. To calculate the increase, take ½ the market value of your property and divide it by 1,000, then multiple that figure by 0.5000 mills.
According to the most recent census data from 2018-2022 QuickFacts, the median value of Lincoln Charter Township owner-occupied housing units is $266,100.
| Market Value of Home | Current Millage Annual Cost (1959 millage) | Renewed Millage Annual Cost |
| $200,000 | $39.23 | $50.00 |
| $250,000 | $49.04 | $62.50 |
| $300,000 | $58.85 | $75.00 |
| $350,000 | $68.65 | $87.50 |
In 1978, voters in the state of Michigan approved Headlee Amendments to the state’s constitution. Headlee requires a local unit of government to reduce its millage when annual growth on existing property is greater than the rate of inflation. As a consequence, the local unit’s millage rate gets “rolled back” so that the resulting growth in property tax revenue, community-wide, is no more than the rate of inflation. A “Headlee override” is a vote by the electors to return the millage to the amount originally authorized via charter, state statute, or a vote of the people, and is necessary to counteract the effects of the “Headlee Rollback.”
Source: Michigan Municipal League
1959 Millage Restoration
Shall the authorized millage in Lincoln Charter Township for the Lincoln Township Public Library first authorized in 1959 in perpetuity, established at 0.5 mills ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) and reduced to 0.3923 mills ($0.3923 per $1,000 of taxable value) by the required Headlee millage rollbacks, be increased and restored to the original authorized millage of 0.5 mills ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) for each year beginning in 2025 in perpetuity subject to required Headlee millage rollbacks, to provide funds for general Library operating purposes, which 0.1077 mills increase and restoration will generate an estimated additional $88,170.43 in the first year the millage is levied?
1990 Millage Restoration
Shall the authorized millage in Lincoln Charter Township for the Lincoln Township Public Library first authorized in 1990 in perpetuity, established at 0.5 mills ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) and reduced to 0.4348 mills ($0.4348 per $1,000 of taxable value) by the required Headlee millage rollbacks, be increased and restored to the original authorized millage of 0.5 mills ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) for each year beginning in 2025 in perpetuity subject to required Headlee millage rollbacks, to provide funds for general Library operating purposes, which 0.0652 mills increase and restoration will generate an estimated additional $53,377.09 in the first year the millage is levied?
Both ballots restore the library’s existing millage to its original amount.
- Maintain current levels of programs and services, including presenters and story times.
- Provide more physical and digital materials to meet resident demands.
- Add collections to strengthen curriculum support to the Lakeshore School District.
- Continue to improve and update the building’s parking lot and outdoor spaces.
Your Library by the Numbers!
2023 Snapshot of LTPL Services
