Mackinac County voters approved a renewal of a countywide millage by 147 votes in the Tuesday, August 3 election. The measure, which asked for up to 4.5 mills for county operations, 1.5 mills for township operations, and 0.2 for the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District (ISD), passed, 1,107 to 960, based on an election night tally. That figure could change after canvassers certify the election sometime this week.

The proposal, which was called a Separate Tax Limitation, confused some voters, who said they thought it was a new millage. In fact, the operational millages have been assessed for years, but the apportionment to the county, townships, and ISD were formerly made by the county's Tax Allocation Board, which allocated the 6.2 mills collected by the county to the three institutions.

In 2006, to save money, the allocation was put on a ballot, making the distribution for four years. Money was saved by the Allocation Board not having to meet to make the same allocation year after year. The four years that voters approved in 2006 expires this year, and voters were asked to renew it last week, this time indefinitely.

The amount of tax money collected each year is limited to inflation. As property values increase, the millage must by rolled back so that the tax dollars collected by the county each year can't increase by more than the rate of inflation. Increased value from new construction and property value is not affected by the limitation, known as the Headlee Amendment.

Because of Headlee, last year the county was only able to assess 4.4631 mills of the 4.5 it is allocated. The ISD received 0.1990 mill, which is used for handicapped student programs. Townships, because their property values rise and fall independently, and thus must roll back their millages differently, assessed millages between 1.4607 and 1.4998. Next year, they will all assess 1.5 mills.

The indefinite time period approved by voters this year will allow the county to continue the same allocation until such time as the Headlee Amendment whittles the millage down and a new vote is needed to bring the values up to the full 6.2 mills.

The Tax Allocation Board will continue to exist, but won't meet unless needed.

Sitting on the Tax Allocation Board is the county commission chairman, county treasurer, a representative of township supervisors, a resident of the municipality, a representative of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District, and a citizen at large.

The county's 4.5 mills next year will raise an estimated $4,050,000, if there is no significant change in the taxable value.