Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth of MAC and Steve Liedel of Dykema law firm
Topic: In a special episode to launch its 2024 season, MAC’s Podcast 83 looks at a radical ballot proposal that, if adopted, would blow a nearly $3 billion hole in county revenues.

MAC’s Stephan Currie and Deena Bosworth interviewed guest Steve Liedel of the firm of Dykema in Lansing, an expert in elections law, about the process that the group “Ax MI Tax” is using to try to ban property taxes in Michigan.

In fiscal 2022, Michigan’s 83 counties levied nearly $2.9 billion in property taxes for their operations, which would disappear under the proposed constitutional amendment.

In fiscal 2020, Michigan collected 37 percent of its state and local revenue from property taxes, well above the national average. Only 10 states were more reliant than Michigan on property taxes for revenue for public services.

The anti-tax group has twice visited the Board of State Canvassers, which reviews ballot proposals, but left without any approved language or petition forms. Undaunted, the group says it plans to collect signatures anyway to force a vote in 2024, a course Liedel detailed as having many “risks” from a legal standpoint.

After banning property taxes, the measure also would impose supermajority requirements in both legislative chambers to effectively increase taxes, in effect giving 33 percent of legislators a veto over state tax policy.

Liedel noted that the measure’s calls for “replacement revenue” are likely to fall far short of what is currently collected.

“Local millages are gone for your veterans, for your roads, for public safety …” Currie said.

“They are trying to bankrupt government,” Bosworth said.