Mason, MI

If passed, the Parks, Trail, and Pathway Capital Improvement Millage would go into effect July 1, 2022.

While these are separate independent funding issues, we understand that voters are concerned about the cost of both.

The City is in the process of preparing for a  mandated wastewater treatment plant expansion that requires the DPW facility to be moved.  The City is working to apply for any and all funding that may assist in reducing the costs of those projects to utility users.   While we are hopeful the recent release of additional federal funds to the State will assist with the project and we are working to secure potential grants, we won’t know for many months and can’t determine the rate increase until those decisions are made.      

While the City Council will make the final approval of individual projects during its regular meetings, which are typically held on the first and third Monday of each month, these decisions take residents’ feedback and needs into great consideration. The listed projects below were prioritized by community members over several years of feedback and engagement opportunities as part of the  2020-2024 Parks, Recreation and Non-motorized Plan. 

The following projects have been identified, but the City is in the process of finalizing site plans for all the parks that will lead to more specific improvements: 

Project estimates were done prior to COVID and we have already found that actual costs have increased significantly.  The City Council will prioritize project scope based on the actual costs.   City staff will continue to actively seek grant funding in addition to the millage to leverage the millage funds, if approved, to the maximum.                                                                     
A prime example is the City is seeking DNR funding for the Rayner Playground.  However, with the increased requirements from DNR it increased the overall cost of the playground, but still reduced the estimated cost due to their contribution.  The City Council will evaluate each of those opportunities to determine if they meet the goals of the adopted plan and the prioritization determined within that plan.

Specifics for each of the projects listed above, including the playgrounds and location of pickleball courts, have not been decided yet. If the millage passes, the City will finalize the plans for each park and encourage the community to have input prior to have final adoption.  Long term financial sustainability is an important factor for any investment by the City Council and staff. 

The company that installed the playground in 1993 recently did a review of the condition to determine their recommendation.   They noted that the average lifespan for that type of playground is 20 years with proper maintenance and specifically noted that this playground has been well taken care of.  The playground is now 28 years old and these types of playgrounds are being removed all over the country due to the how the wood was originally treated.   It also no longer meets playground safety and accessibility compliance.   If the funding is available, the City hopes that the replacement playground will include a community build to ensure that our residents continue to be connected this resource.

The City's allocation has been designated to be used for water and sewer infrastructure which are considered essential services.  The City will continue to seek funding from state agencies that received COVID funding to leverage the millage. 

For each project, long term maintenance will be evaluated and determined if it can be funded within the existing allocation of funds for staff or not.  The Council will ultimately determine if staff resources should be increased based on expectations for the parks, but many of these improvements will likely reduce maintenance for our staff.  The staff will be developing an asset management plan for all parks as part of this process to ensure we can maintain the improvements into the future, until they reach their lifespan for replacement. 

No. All money collected from the millage will directly fund the playgrounds and other projects listed above.

Use the following formula: Taxable value X 0.001 mills = your annual cost

Examples below: 

If passed, the Parks, Trail, and Pathway Capital Improvement Millage would go into effect July 1, 2022.  It is estimated that 1.00 mill will raise approximately $232,220 when first levied in 2022.

If not passed, the City will reassess plans to determine which projects are feasible to accomplish with the available funding to ensure parks remain the vibrant.

According to Tax Resource- Ingham County has one of the highest median property taxes in the United States! Ranked 176th of 3,143 counties for property taxes as a percentage of medium income and 222nd in actual taxes for the tax year 2019.

Ingham County is unique in that there are significantly large stretches of land that are not taxable due to being owned by the State, MSU, or other tax-exempt entities.  This means that the remaining property owners have to fund operations instead of it being more evenly distributed among all property owners.

While Mason residents pay all their local taxes at City Hall, only $0.29 of each dollar paid stays in Mason.  The taxes you currently pay fund essential legally required services, including fire, police, planning, etc.  

Many of the projects will move forward, but this will not fund all the projects in the plan and they will not happen all at once.  Based on prioritization, projects will be completed within 2-6 years, during which time individual plans may be altered based on additional community feedback and consultant recommendations.

After much discussion with residents and community members, the City and its consultants ranked residents’ top priorities as listed. However, specific plans for each individual project will be presented to City Council before moving forward. Large projects will include further community engagement sessions. 

The City is anticipating that a renewal after five years will be required to finalize all the projects in the plan, but wanted to ensure the community had a say in extending the length based on the progress the City had made within the five years. 

March 2020, Ingham County voters approved renewing the millage to support the development of a county-wide regional trails and parks system.  The .5 mill levy will raise an estimated $4 million per year over the next six years.  

Mason has been a successful applicant in seeking funding for eligible projects from this fund.  Every project the City has  applied for has received funding so far, but the eligibility is limited and doesn’t cover all the park improvements proposed in the park plan.   The City will continue to apply for funds to leverage any funding we have locally. 

The most up to date election information can be found here.