Fall Legislative Update: Session Recap and Local Millage Results – Legislature Adjourns Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Michigan’s legislature will adjourn a very active Fall 2023 session tomorrow – with a number of bills headed to the Governor’s desk for approval and many others poised to move when activity resumes in mid-January of 2024. Dykema has prepared a summary of the fall 2023 State legislative session focused on the legislative issues important to Southeast Michigan communities and impacting policies in the region’s 2023-2024 Legislative Policy Platform.

SEMCOG thanks those members who engaged with their legislators on the myriad of bills considered by the legislature over the past several weeks.

The December 1, 2023, meeting of SEMCOG’s Executive Committee will feature a panel discussion comprised of local government policy experts from the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC), Michigan Municipal League (MML), Michigan Townships Association (MTA), and Dykema. The panel will recap Fall 2023 legislative activity while looking forward to 2024 and the issues likely to be active for local governments and schools. Registration is now open for this meeting.

Millages Widely Successful While Marijuana Proposals Fall Short in Local Elections
Southeast Michigan voters broadly supported local millage and ballot proposals in last week’s election, with just over 70% of these measures passing in the seven-county region. According to Gongwer, voters weighed in on a total of 47 ballot questions – 31 for local millages, nine for ballot proposals, and seven for school bonding.

Renewals of existing millages were universally approved by voters, ensuring a continuation of current millage revenues for libraries, parks and recreation, public safety, roads, school operations, and sinking funds. Results were more mixed regarding millage increases for public services, with voters approving just more than half (58%) of the proposed millage increases across the region. School bonding proposals were approved at a rate of 86%.

Ballot proposals were primarily focused on authorizing Marijuana Businesses – with voters in five different communities rejecting proposals to allow these businesses in their communities.

For specific information on these results, please see SEMCOG’s Southeast Michigan Ballot Proposal/Millage Election Results list, which is sorted by county and breaks down results by proposal type.