Utica Community Schools voters approve bond, millage proposals

SHELBY TOWNSHIP/UTICA/STERLING HEIGHTS — Voters in the Utica Community Schools district voted overwhelmingly in favor of the district’s school improvement bond proposal and the replacement operating millage proposal in the May 2 election.

The district had referred to May 2 as the “safety and success” election. Voters approved both proposals by approximately 69% to 31%.

The bond proposal asked voters for permission to borrow up to $550 million and issue general obligation unlimited tax bonds in one or more series for a number of purposes, including rebuilding and constructing additions to district buildings to create “a safe and secure modern learning environment for students,” as stated on the ballot.

The proposal’s language also talked about using the money to construct replacement elementary school buildings; remodel buildings; and refurnish buildings, athletic fields and playgrounds. Buying and installing technology and acquiring and developing sites for district buildings and facilities were other uses highlighted in the proposal. So too was purchasing school buses.

The district called the bond proposal the “No Tax-Rate Increase Facilities Bond Proposal.” The district estimated that the millage levied to pay the bonds in the first year will be 1.52 mills, which will be a zero mill net increase over the annual debt millage that it levied in 2022. The bond will fund projects at all 40 district facilities.

The bond proposal passed 17,749-7,973, according to the Macomb County Clerk’s Office.

The replacement operating millage proposal was one that district residents had passed before. It gives the district the ability to levy the 18 mills allowed by state law on non-homestead properties, which are second homes, rental properties, businesses and vacant land. The state requires districts to levy the 18 mills to receive a full share of state aid.

The proposal on the ballot will offset Headlee Amendment rollbacks that reduced what the district could collect from 18 mills to 16.75 mills. Voters approved 20 mills May 2, so while 18 mills is the maximum amount that can be levied, the unlevied 2 mills will be used in the future to offset future rollbacks.

Under Headlee, if the assessed value of a local taxing jurisdiction increases by more than the inflation rate, the maximum property tax millage must be reduced so that the local jurisdiction’s total taxable property brings in the same gross revenue as adjusted for inflation.

The millage proposal passed 17,695-8,044, according to the Macomb County Clerk’s Office.

Superintendent of Schools Robert Monroe said in a prepared statement that, on behalf of the Board of Education, he would like to thank the voters.

“Approval of the bond proposal will update and renovate UCS buildings and protect the community’s investment in its schools. Approval of the non-homestead millage proposal will allow UCS to collect its full share of school funding. I am grateful to the parents, staff, students and other members of the community who helped us inform people about the bond proposal and the non-homestead millage proposal,” he stated.

Sterling Heights City Clerk Melanie Ryska commented on how voters responded to the election in her city. She said the city received almost 7,000 absentee ballots, with the rest of the votes being cast on the day of the election.

“The election went really well,” she said. “It was slow. We had about 14% turnout, I believe, with most of that being absentees.”

Lori Cooke, the Utica city clerk, said that the city combined three precincts for this election.

“We ended the night with 606 total votes, which included 437 (absent voter) ballots. As a parent of two UCS students participating in five sports total, I am very happy the two proposals passed,” she said in an email.

Staff Writer Eric Czarnik contributed to this report.