Michigan
Sterling Heights to consider opposing Michigan House tax policy bills
The Sterling Heights City Council is set to consider a resolution Tuesday evening opposing tax policy bills in Lansing that one councilmember contends put every municipality “at risk.”
The Michigan House voted in May to pass several bills that would slash property taxes across the state, but skipped a vote on a bill needed to replace some of the more than $5 billion in lost tax revenue.
At its Tuesday evening meeting, Sterling Heights City Council is slated to consider the adoption of a resolution opposing Michigan House Bills 5872 through 5879 due to “their potential negative impact on local government revenue, financial planning, and administrative operations,” a city document said. Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool said the city would lose about $5 million in annual revenue from the bills. He said there’s no “guaranteed replacement” for the lost revenue, and the city would need to cut services, he said.
“So we’re deeply concerned about that,” he said.
The House’s sweeping tax cuts can’t be implemented without the passage of a separate bill levying a loosely defined 6% sales tax on services that has yet to be revealed. Republicans who control the House did not hold a vote on the sales tax hike bill, which remains in committee.
All combined, the four property tax cuts passed by the House are estimated to result in a tax revenue loss that could progress from $5.5 billion to $7.5 billion a year, according to a series of nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency analyses.
Vanderpool, the Sterling Heights city manager, said he wants the state Legislature to work “hand in hand” with cities, townships and villages to come up with a solution for “guaranteed revenue replacement.”
“We are more than willing ― I think our reputation precedes us ― to work with our state legislators hand in hand to come up with viable solutions that … may reform property taxes without harming communities across the state,” he said.
Sterling Heights Councilwoman Barbara Ziarko said the legislation reduces the city’s revenue without a guarantee of what it will be replaced with. She said that in the future, the legislation could prevent the city from maintaining positions that it has promised residents it would maintain, including public safety roles.
“When they put the burden on our local government, they’re actually putting it on the residents of whatever community it is,” she said.
State Rep. Steve Frisbie, a Calhoun County Republican, previously said that Michigan residents need to see tax relief immediately. He noted a ballot proposal collecting signatures last year would have eliminated all property taxes in the state. That citizens’ initiative, known as AxMiTax, fizzled out and won’t be on the ballot this fall.
“They realized that our property taxes are too high and they demand that we take action now,” Frisbie said.
More on the bills
The cuts passed by the House in May would eliminate the 6-mill State Education Tax and eliminate the 0.75% real estate transfer tax assessed on the sale price of real estate.
House Republicans also signed off on eliminating the personal property tax. That bill, largely intended to benefit utility companies, is tied to separate legislation that requires utilities such as Consumers Energy and DTE Energy to pass on personal property tax savings by cutting electric and gas rates for their residential customers. It also requires utilities to freeze rates for two years.
Jennifer Varney, Sterling Heights’ finance and budget director, said the elimination of the personal property tax would result in a $4.3 million annual revenue loss for the city. She said the personal property tax refers to the taxes that businesses pay on their assets, such as their machines and vehicles.
Another tax on the chopping block is the so-called “pop-up tax,” an increase in a property tax bill that occurs when a house transfers from one owner to the next in Michigan, uncapping a constitutional limit on the property tax increase on a home’s taxable value.
Under the state Constitution, a property’s taxable value cannot increase by more than the rate of inflation or 5% each year. But when a property is sold, that cap lifts and is reset at a new, often higher taxable value, resulting in a “pop-up” in property taxes.
Varney said the “pop-up” is the only way cities “recapture” the true value of a home. Michigan also has the Headlee Amendment, a state law that requires local governments to roll back millage rates if taxable property values rise faster than the rate of inflation.
“If you take away the pop-up … and you keep the rollback of the millage, you’re basically limiting any kind of growth in taxable base for municipalities,” she said.
Staff Writer Beth LeBlanc contributed.
asnabes@detroitnews.com
Search for missing Michigan woman Lynette Hooker reopened
The search for missing Lynette Hooker has been reopened. Hooker, who is from Michigan, was with her husband in the Bahamas when he claims she fell off a boat. However, new location data from his cell phone contradicts the story he gave authorities.
(FOX 2) – The search for a missing Michigan in the Bahamas has been reopened after authorities say her husband allegedly gave police false information.
Lynette Hooker and her husband Brian were boating in the Bahamas in early April when, according to her husband, she fell off the boat and was swept to sea. Brian told police he had to paddle to shore after Lynette fell into the water because she had the key.
Brian was taken into custody in the Bahamas after Lynette’s disappearance, but was later released and returned back to Michigan.
Recently, it was revealed that new location data from Brian’s cell phone contradicts the story he gave to authorities, and suggests he may have sent search crews to the wrong area. This new information has led to the U.S. Coast Guard reopening its search for Lynette.
The Source: Previous reporting and information from FOX News were used in this story.
Fifth Third Bank said it has finalized its list of Michigan branch closures this summer, confirming that 75 locations will shut down in September as part of an ongoing effort to streamline its retail network.
Of the branches closing, 55 are former Comerica Bank locations, and 20 are existing Fifth Third branches.
The bank said most of the affected locations have another Fifth Third branch within one mile.
After the closures, Fifth Third said it will operate 227 branches across Michigan, including 116 in the five-county Metro Detroit area.
In a statement, Fifth Third said it is “building a stronger, more efficient branch network that supports customers today and positions the Bank for long-term sustainable growth in Michigan and across our expanded footprint.
The bank said it will continue serving Michigan through 227 financial centers across 39 counties and nearly 140 communities.
It added that while it is consolidating overlapping branches, most of the affected locations have another Fifth Third financial center within one mile.
After the customer conversion later this year, Fifth Third said Michigan customers will have access to approximately 42% more branches, while former Comerica customers will have access to about 60% more branches than before.
In southeast Michigan, Fifth Third’s post-conversion network is expected to be the largest in the five-county region of Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties, with 116 financial centers.
In Detroit, the bank said it will operate 19 locations, making it the largest banking network in the city following the conversion.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
President Trump not worried Iran will hurt GOP midterm chances
President Donald Trump said he isn’t worried about the 2026 midterm elections as effects of the war in Iran threaten to hurt Republican chances.
Gasoline prices fell nationwide and, in a few states, even dropped below $4 a gallon, which one petroleum analyst said was a sign of “growing optimism surrounding a potential U.S.-Iran agreement,” but even as fuel prices dropped, there are now new concerns.
In Michigan, gasoline dropped to $4.35 a gallon on Monday, June 1, according to AAA, while crude oil prices — the primary factor in fuel costs — started edging up, which could make it harder to reach a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Crude oil prices rose after the United States and Iran each launched new strikes.
“Michigan drivers are getting some relief at the pump,” said Adrienne Woodland, a spokeswoman for AAA. “While the drop is welcome as we head into the busy summer travel season, fuel prices remain volatile and could shift again quickly.”
Higher fuel prices are causing some motorists to rethink how they shop for gas and are likely affecting other spending habits as well, such as cutting back on eating out.
One oil company executive also warned about how low oil inventories are getting.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said average gasoline prices declined in all 50 states over the last week, and were below $4 a gallon in 15 states, “offering motorists some of the most widespread relief seen in weeks.”
De Haan said much of the decline came from growing optimism for a deal.
Renewed attacks spark uncertainty
The average price of regular unleaded gasoline in Michigan dropped on Monday by 28 cents from a week ago, according to AAA. But it was still significantly higher than before the war in the Middle East.
Throughout the state, the most expensive gas price averages were in Traverse City, $4.48 a gallon; Ann Arbor, $4.43; and Benton Harbor, $4.42; the least were in Flint, $4.15; Lansing, $4.19; and Marquette, $4.22.
A year ago, regular unleaded gasoline in Michigan was $3.08 a gallon.
Diesel prices, $5.84 a gallon in Michigan, also fell.
“However,” De Haan said, “the coast is anything but clear. Oil prices edged higher Sunday evening as uncertainty surrounding a potential deal persisted and renewed Israeli attacks added another layer of geopolitical risk.”
He added that motorists “may continue to see some short-term relief,” they also may “soon experience another upward swing as retailers run out of room to lower prices further. Overall, any setback in negotiations could quickly reverse the recent decline in fuel prices.”
In addition to the rising oil prices, there are now indications that the price of gasoline could go higher again with increased demand during the summer travel season and more Mideast conflict.
Mitigating pain at the pump
Michigan motorists are now paying about $66 for a full 15-gallon tank of gasoline, with some even telling the Free Press during the past few weeks that to mitigate the pain at the pump, they’ve stopped filling up all the way.
Instead, they said they are making more frequent stops and shopping around.
Costco — the membership-only, warehouse club retail chain that tends to sell lower-priced gas — said during its recent quarterly earnings report that it is seeing record demand for gasoline.
It has been so overwhelmed, CNN reported, that tanker trucks are refilling stations multiple times a day.
On top of that, according to a Reuters report, several U.S. restaurant chains such as Wingstop and Domino’s have reported “weaker-than-expected sales growth” in the latest quarter, saying that high gas prices are leading their customers to cut back.
The report added that “analysts expect other restaurant chains also will show declining sales growth.”
And one oil company senior executive warned last week that global oil inventories are approaching record lows, which he said, potentially could cause oil prices — and then gasoline prices — to suddenly increase in two or three weeks.
ExxonMobil senior vice president Neil Chapman spoke at a conference on Thursday in New York, and, according to CNBC, cautioned that “we’re approaching unheard of inventory levels,” what he referred to as “really, really low levels.”
He added: “Once you get to that point, then you’ll see the price shoot up.”
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com
-
Cleveland, OH1 minute agoLeaders in Washington and Cleveland take aim at affordable housing in Northeast Ohio
-
Austin, TX4 minutes agoJane Nelson, Texas’ top election official, stepping down as Secretary of State
-
Alabama9 minutes agoAlabama raises income guidelines for WIC program
-
Alaska16 minutes agoPhotos show Alaska National Guard plane damaged in Iran war theater
-
Arizona19 minutes agoRacial equality in education: Arizona ranked 18th – KTAR.com
-
Arkansas24 minutes agoYour Arkansas Driver’s License Can Now Live on Your iPhone
-
California31 minutes agoMidterm primaries 2026 live: results and reaction after six states including California and Iowa cast ballots
-
Colorado34 minutes agoEagle Rock Ranch
