Ypsilanti residents can expect to see five Washtenaw County millages on the ballot this November.
The ballot measures ask residents to vote on the status of property tax millages that will fund emergency communications, veterans’ relief, elderly services, mental health services, public safety, and special education.
The enhanced emergency communication ballot measure asks residents to renew an existing tax rate and add a small increase to fund Washtenaw County’s Enhanced Emergency Communications System. The money would go toward maintaining, upgrading, and operating the system, including building new towers, upgrading infrastructure, buying equipment, and covering maintenance and user fees.
“That [millage] goes to support how public safety agencies inside of the county communicate with each other,” said Washtenaw County Deputy County Administrator, Andrew DeLeeuw.
This means that ambulances, firefighters, police officers, and sheriff deputies all have a system that allows them to communicate with each other efficiently during emergencies, according to DeLeeuw.
“The benefit there is shortening response times and making sure we don’t have any gaps in terms of coverage inside of the county,” DeLeeuw said.
The Veterans’ Relief millage asks voters if they want to renew an existing tax rate to support the Washtenaw County Department of Veterans Affairs in providing financial aid and services to veterans, including assistance for low-income veterans and managing the department's operations.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has provided veterans with assistance like access to adequate housing and food, DeLeeuw said.
The elderly service millage asks residents to approve a new property tax to fund services and programs for people aged 60 and older in Washtenaw County.
With the millage being new, the county is still in the process of planning how the money would be used, DeLeeuw said.
DeLeeuw plans to address the needs of the county’s aging population based on suggestions from the Washtenaw County Commission on Aging and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, including the right to age in place, he said.
“Aging in place is this concept that you don’t want to move out of your long-time home because you’re getting older,” DeLeeuw said. “So doing things like modifying bathtubs, ramps, or door handles, can make it so that no one is forced to leave their home if they don’t want to,”
More suggestions include focusing on food accessibility for low-income older adults, accessible housing and accommodations, and transportation services, according to DeLeeuw.
The community mental health and public safety millage asks residents to renew an existing tax rate and add a small increase to fund mental health services and law enforcement in Washtenaw County. Specifically, 38% of the funds will go to the County’s Community Mental Health Department, 38% to the County Sheriff’s Office, and 24% to local government police departments.
According to Washtenaw County Community Mental Health, or WCCMH, these funds will be used to expand services like therapy, crisis support, and housing, while increasing access for all residents regardless of insurance or ability to pay.
Their efforts will focus on reducing stigma, especially among youth, improving community outreach, and providing more equitable care, according to
WCCMH’s goal is to offer preventive treatment and divert low-risk offenders from jail or hospitalization whenever possible.
According to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, a portion of these funds will be used for their Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion and Deflection, or LEADD program.
LEADD aims to reduce racial disparities, particularly for African Americans and people of color, and ensure community responders, service providers, and recipients work together effectively. The focus is on creating a safe, supportive environment with trauma-informed care that prioritizes harm reduction.
The special education millage asks for votes to renew an existing tax rate to fund special education services for students with disabilities in the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.
According to the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, or Washtenaw ISD, this millage would not lead to the increase of any existing tax rates and would go to support services that could benefit every public school student, including advanced placement coursework, improved learning environments, mental health supports, extracurricular activities, school safety and more.
Washtenaw ISD provides support services to every one in seven students in Washtenaw County who receive special education services from preschool age through age 26.
