LANSING, Mich– Ingham County residents voted on 10 proposals on Nov. 5, seven of which passed. Topics ranged from housing to the sale of marijuana, and funds for the initiatives that passed will come from property taxes.
Many of these proposals are known as millage proposals. A millage is a tax on property, which can be approved by conducting a popular vote. The amount per $1,000 of taxable property is represented in mills.
For example, a 1 mill tax rate on a home valued at $100,000 would generate $100 in taxes annually from that single property.
Click on the buttons below to see how each proposal passed or failed and calculate how much the new millages will add to your property taxes based on where you live.
INGHAM COUNTY
1. Ingham County Housing and Homeless Millage
Passed by 61.8%, this millage will raise an estimated $5,618,512 in the first calendar year of the tax that will go towards improvements to prevent and reduce homelessness. Low and moderate-income families either unhoused or on the brink of homelessness, as well as housing programs, will receive funding. The millage rate of 0.5 mills is equivalent to 50 cents per thousand dollars of taxable value and will be imposed for four years.
2. Ingham County Lodging Excise Tax Increase
This proposal, which was voted against by a 59% majority, would have increased the excise tax on lodging in Ingham County. Excise tax is a tax on a specific good or service. In this case, the tax referred to lodging transactions of guests staying less than 30 consecutive days – generally referring to hotel guests. There was a proposed tax increase from 5% to 8% of a guest’s total charge.
LANSING, EAST LANSING, MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP AND DELHI TOWNSHIP
3. Capital Area Transportation Authority Millage Renewal
From 2026 to 2030, this millage, which passed by 69.4%, will fund Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) services within the City of Lansing, City of East Lansing, Meridian Township, Lansing Township and Delhi Township. The millage will be renewed at 3.007 mills, or $3.007 per thousand dollars of taxable value. This will raise approximately $24,139,928.06 for CATA in 2026 alone.
“CATA has served as our region’s public transportation service provider since 1972. Voters across the capital city region expressed confidence in, and enthusiasm for, the services CATA provides, allowing us to continue operations. We remain committed to achieving regional mobility, customer experience excellence, community partnership, organizational strength and a dynamic workplace,” said Lolo Robison, spokesperson for CATA.
4. East Lansing City Charter Amendment
This citizen-initiated proposal will amend the East Lansing City Charter, eliminating restrictions against long-term guests who do not pay rent. The city will not be permitted to restrict relationships or a homeowner’s rights to live with the person or people of their choosing.
The proposal, which received 54.5% of votes, will also make zoning and rental records public, give advance notice of housing penalties and make certain violations of zoning and rental laws misdemeanors if intentional. House-sitting exemptions will also be applied to people in federal service, such as those in military units.
LEROY, WHEATFIELD AND WILLIAMSTON
5-7. Williamston Area Senior Center Millage
Three proposals in Leroy, Wheatfield and Williamstown Township were passed, all related to millage for Williamston Area Senior Center (WASC). The millage proposals, which garnered over a 55% majority of votes in each township, will fund the center.
The WASC will be moving into a new building within the next few weeks. The millage will primarily cover salaries and building expenses, as well as other general operations, according to executive director of WASC Julie Rudd.
This proposal renewed the millage for both Leroy and Wheatfield Township and established a new millage for Williamstown Township. An estimated $152,580 will be raised in the first year by all three townships combined.
Residents from Locke Township also attend the senior center, but their board did not see a need to put a millage on their ballot due to the distance from the facility, Rudd said.
“Our senior center is like a community center for seniors. They come in the morning and they play cards, other games, they get a good balanced lunch. We’ve got some activities or speakers in the afternoon. They get a sense of community, they grow to be friends with the people that come here.”
The center has been around for 32 years, and it used to be funded purely by donations and memorials.
“Five years ago we were at a place where we thought, if we don’t get some kind of funding that comes in on a regular basis, that we’d probably have to shut the Williamston Area Senior Center down,” Rudd said.
Rudd also noted a statistic from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) stating that by 2026, there will be more older adults in Southeast Michigan than children.
“This is just crazy. I don’t know that we… meaning all of us.. have prepared for that. [WASC] has started to go down a path to be in a prime position to help support and service the elder adults in our area,” Rudd said.
In Leroy Township, the millage will be renewed at 0.2478 mills, or $0.2478 per thousand dollars of taxable value.
In Wheatfield Township, the millage will be renewed at 0.2438 mills, or $0.2438 per thousand dollars of taxable value.
In Williamstown Township, the millage will be 0.2500 mills, or $0.2500 per thousand dollars of taxable value.
MASON
8. City of Mason Charter Amendment
This amendment proposed the operation of two recreational cannabis retail establishments. It was denied by 57.4% of voters, continuing the prohibition of marijuana sales in the City of Mason.
In Livingston County, which neighbors Ingham County, a recreational marijuana proposal in the City of Howell also did not pass, despite Michigan being one of the 24 states where recreational use of the drug is legal in the U.S.
“We’ve never had any ground swell of people from Mason that have come in and said, ‘We think you need to allow weed retail here,’” said Russell Whipple, mayor of the City of Mason.
“My tell on the people of Mason is that they believe people should have the right to smoke marijuana. That it’s something that shouldn’t be as regulated as it was.. but they don’t necessarily want a pot shop in their neighborhood,” Whipple said.
LESLIE
9. Leslie Public Schools Sinking Fund Millage Renewal
Passed by 51.8%, this millage will be renewed at a rate of 2.9649 mills, or $2.9649 per thousand dollars of taxable value. An estimated $799,373 will be raised in the first calendar year of the tax. Funding will go towards a sinking fund for Leslie Public Schools. A sinking fund is a collection of savings for future expenses, and in this case, is tailored primarily towards the purchase and repair of real estate sites within the school district. The millage will be renewed for 10 years, from 2026 to 2035.
LIVINGSTON
10. Livingston Educational Service Agency Special Education Millage
This millage proposal centered around renewing funds for Livingston Educational Service Agency, which provides support to children in public schools with disabilities. While it did not pass on the Ingham County ballots, as only a portion of the Livingston Educational Service Agency reaches Ingham County, it passed overall.
“The boundaries of the school districts that comprise the Livingston Educational Service Agency cross the county borders in some places,” said Micheal Hubert, superintendent of Livingston Educational Service Agency.
“The proposal was primarily a renewal, so the funding will be used substantially to continue services and programs,” Hubert said.
Approximately $12,810,905 will be raised by this millage within the first year of its 10 year renewal from 2026 to 2035. The tax will be renewed at a rate of 3.31 mills, or $3.31 per thousand dollars of taxable value.
Voting data is based on results at the time of publishing. For further details on all proposals, refer to the Ingham County Proposal Listings.