Enyart tribunal appointment opposed
MARQUETTE — Marquette Township officials are expected to add their voices to a growing number of municipalities that oppose Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s reappointment of Victoria Enyart to the Michigan Tax Tribunal.
The township board will consider a resolution rejecting Enyart’s reappointment during their regular meeting at 6:30 tonight. The document will be sent to Whitmer as well as State Sen. Ed McBroom, who serves on the Senate Advice and Consent Committee, which ultimately approves the governor’s appointments.
The goal of the resolution is to “respectfully ask Gov. Whitmer to withdraw the nomination or the Michigan Senate to reject the appointment of Victoria Enyart to the Michigan Tax Tribunal as proposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to the detriment of local governments, tax revenue-reliant public agencies, and all constituent taxpayers.”
“Victoria Enyart has been instrumental in allowing Dark Store valuations to persist in Michigan,” background information written by township Manager Jon Kangas states. “It is imperative that Marquette Township respond expeditiously regarding this proposed appointment.”
The township, and all the taxing entities it collects taxes on behalf of, has been significantly impacted by tax tribunal decisions in recent years.
A report compiled by Marquette Township Assessor Dulcee Atherton in August shows that state tax tribunal decisions involving businesses in the township alone has resulted in more than $2.8 million in cumulative property tax revenue reductions for all taxing entities from 2009 to 2019.
The board will also consider scheduling one or more work sessions to discuss the township’s 2021 budget during tonight’s meeting.
Township officials are required to hold a public hearing for the 2021 tax levy and budget no later than the first township board meeting in December, “such that the final budget may be adopted at the Dec. 15 regular meeting, but no later than Dec. 31,” a memo from Kangas states.
In other business, the board is expected to review and approve updated bylaws for its Recreation Committee.
Participants can attend the meeting on the web by visiting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82358581510, or by calling 1-646-558-8656 and keying in meeting ID 82358581510 followed by #.