(LANSING) - A Southwest Michigan lawmaker has introduced a bill that would eliminate school based property tax for those without children in school.
State Representative Steve Carra introduced legislation to provide property tax relief to Michigan residents who do not have dependents enrolled in government schools. The primary bill amends the General Property Tax Act to eliminate school-related property taxes for qualifying taxpayers. The proposed bill reflects the principle that individuals should not be compelled to fund services they do not utilize.
Carra, a Republican from Three Rivers, says Michigan taxpayers deserve fairness in how their hard earned money is spent. He says it's fundamentally unjust to force people, including seniors, empty nesters, those who pay for private school and those without children, to subsidize a government education system they do not use. Carra says it is especially unfair because the broken system spends a record amount of money yet results continue to plummet.
If approved the four-bill package would exempt property owners from paying school-based property taxes if they do not have a dependent utilizing a taxpayer funded K-12 school. The exemption would be phased in starting with a 40% reduction in taxes in 2027 and then expanded by 15 percentage points annually until eliminated completely by 2031.
The property tax reduction would also apply to property taxes collected under the State Education Tax, Revised School Code and District Library Establishment Act.
Approximately 72% of Michigan households do not have a child in government schools.