With a crippling infrastructure and an even more crippling debt, East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows and the City Council are proposing a new tax structure.
Voters will decide Nov. 7 whether to approve a proposal to levy a city income tax.
“Sixty percent of it will be going to pay down that pension obligation, 20 percent of it will be going to infrastructure within the community. The other 20 percent of it would be going to general community operations such as parks or recreation,” Meadows said.
Those who live or work in East Lansing will have to pay a local income tax if voters approve the proposal. Residents will be taxed at 1 percent of their income, while non-residents who work in the city would pay a half percent.
Carlie Wirebaugh, a Michigan State University creative service intern, is in favor of the proposal.
“I like the idea of fixing the pipes because of everything that happened with Flint, I wouldn’t want that to happen here,” she said. “I do like the idea of renovating, bringing the parks up to code because I have a dog and I like to take him to the park.”
For MSU employee Josh Behr, the feeling is mixed.
“I can understand both sides of it I guess. It’s one of those things should I have to support the roads where I only work?”
If you make $10,ooo, as an East Lansing resident you’ll be paying 1 percent per your salary. For the person that is making $10,000 per year, they can expect to pay $100 per year. To figure out how much you’ll be paying with the new taxes, multiply your salary by 1 percent and you’ll get your tax.