Property Values and Taxes: You be the Judge

The high school bond is not only about building a school for our students. For many voters, the decision comes down to two issues: property values and property taxes. We all know property values are dependent on many factors, including; proximity to employment, reliable city services, a reasonable tax structure, the perception of a community and, of course, the reputation of the local school district.

Never before has our community been presented with a high school solution that actually lowers our school taxes by 20%, as the proposed new tax is less than expiring taxes. Consider the attached chart so you can see how your taxes will go down. Or, for more information, visit http://www.onebloomfieldunited.com/millage_details and use the tax calculator to determine your own personal property tax reduction. 

Never before was there a plan that had so much detail and clearly defined the savings for the school district. The BHS will save $2.4 million per year with the bond passing and only $1 million per year if the bond fails. This savings preserves programs, which in turn preserves our school districts reputation and our property values. Ed Bretzlaff (head of student curriculum) said “he wanted the committee to know that K-12 programming would face cuts if the bond fails, not just high school programming.”

So, as a tax paying community member, ask yourself what impact voting yes will have on your property values vs. voting no. Will a home buyer say, I want to move to Bloomfield because they turned down a bond that lowered their taxes?  Will a home buyer say, I want to move to Bloomfield because now they have larger class sizes and fewer programs? Or will a home buyer say, I want to move to Bloomfield because after 8 years of working to find a reasonable solution, the voters got it right.  They approved a financially conservative, comprehensive, and value oriented plan?

"I have been a realtor in the Birmingham/Bloomfield district for over 25 years. I can very firmly support the fact that strong schools build a strong community. For that reason, we have enjoyed property values above many areas around our state.

Keep our property values strong. I urge you to vote yes on May 8th"

--Gwen Schultz                           

This voter looks forward to voting YES on May 8th so I can preserve my property value and lower my taxes.