IV. Downriver's Property Tax Burden

Property taxes are also too high in the Downriver area, where the millage rate average is more than 22 percent higher than for 13 competitor communities in northwestern Wayne and Oakland counties.

The competitor communities have benefitted from Detroit's economic decline, and economic development which has proceeded north into Oakland County, away from Downriver. These are communities that Downriver must compete with if it is to remain viable for economic development: Birmingham, Canton Township, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Northville, Northville Township, Novi, Plymouth, Plymouth Township, Redford Township, Royal Oak, Southfield and Troy.

In 1987, the average millage rate for the 17 Downriver communities was 72.11 mills. [15] The average rate for the 13 competitor communities was 58.94 mills. [16]

The Downriver average is also higher than the statewide average of 63.44 mills for cities and 47.27 mills for townships Incredibly, not a single Downriver community has a millage rate lower than the statewide average. [17] The rates in Riverview (64.80 mills) and Trenton (65.69 mills) were the lowest Downriver in 1987, although both exceed the state average. Both Downriver townships also exceed the average millage rate in their category.

The Melvindale millage rate (85.05 mills) actually exceeds Detroit's rate (82.08 mills, while Lincoln Park's rate (81.12 mills) is comparable. [18]

Table 1 compares the property tax burden of the 17 Downriver communities with the 13 competitor communities in northwestern Wayne and Oakland counties.

TABLE I

Total Property Tax Millage in 1987 by Communities

Data are from the Michigan State Tax Commission, 1987 Ad Valorem Property Tax Levy Report