TECUMSEH TOWNSHIP NEWSLETTER
Tecumseh Michigan
April 2010
We would like to extend a cordial welcome to the new residents of Tecumseh Township and trust that this newsletter contains helpful information for you and all of our residents.
INDEX:
BOARD MEMBERS Pg.13 PUBLIC SAFETY MILLAGE Pg. 1 BUILDING PERMIT INFO Pg. 8 TAXES & REVENUE SHARING Pg. 1
BURN PERMITS Pg.11 TEC.DISTRICT LIBRARY Pg. 12
2010 CENSUS Pg. 2 TOWNSHIP BUDGET Pg. 6
CLERKS OFFICE - ELECTIONS Pg. 4 TOWNSHIP MILLAGE Pg. 5
DUMP DAY DATES Pg.10 TOWNSHIP ROAD REPORT Pg. 7
GENERAL INFORMATION Pg. 3 TRASH REMOVAL & RECYCLE Pg. 9
RENEWAL OF PUBLIC SAFETY MILLAGE:
We are required by law to renew our public safety millage every 4 years. This millage was last renewed in 2006 and it will be on the August primary ballot this year. The money collected from this millage can only be spent for public safety which includes all fire and safety protection. We currently contract with the city of Tecumseh for our fire protection which given our townships proximity gives our residents the quickest response time and best fire protection available. We will continue to only levy enough millage to support our current requirement. Passage of this renewal is critical for us to maintain our fire and safety protection. Given the size of our township and the available voters your vote is important. We hope that our residents will make it a point to vote "yes " on this renewal in August.
Taxes & Revenue Sharing:
Our township will continue to receive less tax revenue and revenue sharing from the state due to the down turn in the economy. This is to be expected and we should be planning accordingly. Our revenue sharing from the state of Michigan is being reduced by 5% this year and will more then likely be further reduced by at least that much next year. Our tax base (SEV state equalized value) for residential property will continue to go down this year an additional 10.3% which brings residential property down 19.2% over the past two years. Our SEV's go down or up each year based on the actual sales in our township, not including foreclosures.
continued……
Listed below is a break down of where our property tax dollars go. It should be noted that only the two items in italics & bolded are levied by your township and those funds stay in our township (total of $180 out of the $2,897). The break down is for a house valued at $200,000 with a Taxable and SEV of half that or $100,000.
MILLS $'s
SCHOOLS:
Tecumseh Public School Debt 7.2 $720
State Education 6.0 $600
Lenawee Int. Schools 7.2 $720
Township Operation:
Tecumseh Twp. Public Safety 1.0 $100
Tecumseh Twp. Operation .8 $ 80
County Operation:
Lenawee County Operation 4.9 $490
Lenawee Dept. of Aging .48 $ 48
Lenawee Medical Care .18 $ 18
Tecumseh District Library 1.1 $110
TOTALS** 28.86 $2,886
Totals with 18 mills 46.86 $4,686
**If the property you own is NOT your primary residence you will pay the additional 18 mills for school operations.
2010 US CENSUS INFORMATION:
All Tecumseh Township residents should have received a census form from the US Census Bureau in the February/March time frame. It is important for receipt of any and all future funding, both Federal and State, that you complete and return this form. An incomplete count could mean that Tecumseh Township & Lenawee County would not receive its fair share of funding.
Note: If your Tecumseh Township address is your primary residence and you also have a second home; do not complete the form for your second residence.
For the new residents in our area please note that we do not have
a Township Hall. Each member of the Board conducts Township
business from their respective residences. We welcome your
questions & comments.
General Information:
Tecumseh Township is slightly over 13 square miles and its population in the 2000 census was 1881 residents with approximately 550 residences. Our borders are Allen Rd. to the North, M-52/N. Adrian Hwy. to the West, West Russell Rd. & Shull Rd. to the South, & Hendershot Hwy. to the East. Fire coverage is contracted through the City of Tecumseh and police coverage is by the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department.
Board Meetings are held the second Monday of each month at 7pm at the Masonic Hall located at 700 Bishop Reed Drive (North off Brown Street) in Tecumseh.
Township Web Site: Our township web site www.tecumsehtownship.org continues to be revised and updated where applicable. It contains information on building permits, taxes, our budget, contact information, and recently we added our Zoning Ordinances. Please visit the web sight and provide us with your comments.
Building Inspector for Tecumseh Township is Harry Hutchison and can be reached at 423-3162 (ext 1010) or cell phone # (517) 605-3047. We are contracting this service from Raisin Township. Applications for building permits can be found on our web site (tecumsehtownship.org) or by calling or e-mailing Harry.
Homestead Property Exemption: If you own property that is your primary residence then you are eligible for a homestead property exemption. This exempts you from paying the additional 18 mills to the state for school operations and is collected with the summer tax statement. To determine if you are receiving this exemption look at your most recent tax bill and there is a line that shows: P.R.E. %. If that column shows 100% then you are receiving the exemption. If this exemption on your principal residence is not shown on your tax statement, then please call our Assessor, Tim Voorhees at 263-8694. You also may be eligible for this exemption for farm land.
Please keep in mind that the homestead property exemption is different then the homestead property tax credit that is available when you file your state income tax
Mosquito Program: For the past several years we have contracted with APG for a mosquito control program intended to help protect us from the West Nile virus. Given the unique weather conditions we have had over the past couple of years, this program has not been as effective as anticipated. When weather conditions are wet enough regardless of how much we treat we are unable to stop mosquito’s from breeding. In 2009 the Board reduced the contract to treat only those residents that request it; we are currently reviewing this program for 2010. We would appreciate your comments regarding its effectiveness.
When a tornado watch is issued:If you are inside go to your basement or a place that will protect you from glass and other flying materials. If you are outside hurry to the basement of a sturdy building or lie flat in a ditch or low lying area. If you are in a car or a mobile home – get out immediately and head for safety.
CLERK’S OFFICE
Curtis Brown
7750 Hendershot Hwy.
Tecumseh, MI 49286
(517) 423-2284
ü Hours are by appointment. Phone Curt Brown at 423-2284.
ü Please leave your name and a number where you can be reached in the evening.
Up-coming ELECTION DATES
v Primary Election -- August 3, 2010
v General Election -- November 2, 2010
NOTE: Last day to register for August primary is July 6, 2010
Last day to register for November general election is October 4, 2010
How to Register to Vote:
You can register at any Secretary of State’s Office; the County Clerk’s Office or the Township Clerk’s Office. You can also register by mail; forms are available through all State and Federal Offices.
Township Polling Location: Masonic Lodge
700 Bishop Reed Drive
Tecumseh, MI. 49286
Absentee Ballots: Applications for absentee ballots will be available in the near future. At that time you will be able to call & pick the application up from the Clerk or you can stop by the office of Attorney Michael Brooks from 9 AM – Noon and 1 PM – 5 PM Monday thru Friday. The application form can also be downloaded from our website www.tecumsehtownship.org. After completing & signing the form you can either mail it to the Clerk at his above address or drop it off in person (please call for appointment).
Polling Place for School Elections Only:
Tecumseh Public Schools Clinton Community Schools
Tecumseh Community Center Clinton Township Office
703 East Chicago Blvd. 172 W. Michigan Ave.
Tecumseh, MI. 49286 Clinton, MI. 49236
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Reminder: If you call a Board Member and get their answering machine, please leave your name, telephone number, and a short message and your call will be returned as soon as possible. The majority of our Board Members work outside the home and are not always available. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Tecumseh Township Millage
2010 / TECUMSEH SCHOOL DISTRICT / CLINTON SCHOOL DISTRICTSUMMER / WINTER / SUMMER / WINTER
County / 4.94120 / 0 / 4.94120 / 0
Township Safety / 0 / 0.7000 / 0 / 0.7000
Tecumseh Dist. Library / 0 / 1.1472 / 0 / 0
Township Operating / 0 / 0.8121 / 0 / 0.8121
L.I.S.D. / 3.6399 / 3.6397 / 0 / 7.2796
School State Ed. / 6.0000 / 6.0000
School Operating / 18.000** / 0 / 18.000**
Bldg. & Site / 7.20 / 0 / 3.200
Dept. of Aging / 0.4820 / 0.4820
Med. Care / 0.1896 / 0.1896
MILLAGE / 21.7811 / 06.9706 / 10.9412 / 12.6633
Combined Total / 28.7517 / 23.6045
** Not paid for primary residence or qualified farmland.
Tecumseh School District residents get two bills a year, a summer and winter one. The Summer billing is handled by the County Treasurer and is usually sent out in the spring with payment due by approximately mid September. The Winter billing is handled by the Township Treasurer and goes out the first week in December and is due by mid February.
Clinton School District residents also now receive two bills a year. Summer taxes are handled by the County Treasurer and includes the State Education tax. The Winter tax bill is handled by the Township Treasurer and is sent out the first week in December and due by mid February.
If you have any questions about your taxes please call our Township Treasurer. Also watch your newspapers for the notices of the schedule of meetings for the Board of Review. Board of Review meetings are held on the 2nd Monday & Tuesday of March every year. If you do not receive your notice of assessment change by then, call Tim Voorhees our assessor. This is the time to voice your opinion on your taxes.
NOTE: All Homestead Exemption forms should be mailed directly to Mr. Tim Voorhees, Assessor, at 3310 Northmor Drive West Adrian, MI 49221.
The inflation rate used in the 2010 capped value formula will be minus .003%. Listed below are the inflation rates used in this calculation since 1996.
1996 -- 1.028 2000 -- 1.019 2004 -- 1.023 2008 – 1.023
1997 -- 1.028 2001 -- 1.032 2005 -- 1.023 2009 -- 1.044
1998 -- 1.027 2002 -- 1.032 2006 -- 1.033 2010 -- .997
1999 -- 1.016 2003 -- 1.015 2007 -- 1.037
Rick Bunch - Treasurer
TECUMSEH TOWNSHIP2009-2010 BUDGET
REVENUES
Taxes General / $60,000.00 / EMPLOYEES
Taxes Public / $55,000.00 / Supervisor / $10,320 / Annual Salary
Building Permits / $4,000.00 / Clerk / $8,880 / Annual Salary
Electrical Permits / $0.00 / Treasurer / $8,880 / Annual Salary
Revenue Sharing / $118,000.00 / Trustee / $100 / Per Meeting
Interest Income / $5,000.00 / Zoning Board / $60 / Per Meeting
Other Revenue / $5,000.00 / Board of Review / $100 / Per Meeting
Transfer from Reserves / $23,322..00 / Zoning Bd. of Appeals / $60 / Per Meeting
$270,322.00 / Construction Bd. of Appeal / $100 / Per Meeting
Building Inspector / $40 / Per Inspection
DISBURSEMENTS / Administrative Support / $12 / Per Hour
Assessor / $14,442 / Zoning Ordinance Officer / $12 / Per Hour
Supervisor / $10,320
Clerk / $8,880 / CONTRACTORS
Treasurer / $8,880 / Assessor / $1,203.50 / Per Month
Trustees / $4,000 / Land Division / 50% of Application Fee
Administrative support / $3,000 / TWP Attorney / $265 / Per Month
Zoning Board Expense / $3,000 / Election Inspector / $10 Per Hour + Meals
Building Inspector / $4,000 / Election Supervisor / $12 Per Hour+ Meals
Board of Review / $3,000
FICA Tax / $3,800 / Mileage Reimburse / $0.50 per mi.
Office Expense / $4,000
Fire and Rescue / $68,000
Ambulance / $0
Legal and Professional / $12,000
Rent / $2,200
Election Expense / $2,000
Insurance / $5,000
Workers Comp / $800
Drain Tax at Large / $2,500
Misc. Expense / $6,000
Road Maintenance / $95,000
Capital Acquisitions / $2,000
Publishing/Printing / $5,000
West Nile Virus / $4,500
TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS / $270,322
Payment of Taxes Via Internet Banking:
Tecumseh Township does allow payment of the winter taxes via internet banking. All payments/checks must have the property identification number on them. Example: TE0- 999-0001-00.
Tecumseh Township Road Report
Lenawee County Road Commission Right of Way:
The Lenawee County Road Commission has a right of way on both sides of the road up to 33 feet from the center of the road. They are legal in cutting down any tree or limb, digging up sprinkler systems that are close to the road and taking down any fences within that 33 foot span. They often will do tree trimming in this area and leave the cuttings there. The homeowner in this case can use the wood first and if they do not want it then others may take it (check with homeowner first). Most wood left over goes this route but unfortunately some just stays there.