ASSYRIA TOWNSHIP
Barry County, Michigan
2009 Winter Newsletter
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» Tax Time ! 2009 Winter Taxes are due December
1, 2009 through March 1, 2010 without penalty. (Because February 28th
falls on a Sunday, the deadline has been extended until March 1, 2010) Please note payments must be
received by March 1st to avoid penalty. We do not accept postmarks or
proof of mailing. Township Treasures office hours are
by appointment. EXCEPT Monday, December 28, 2009 and Monday, March 1,
2010. Office hours are 9AM
to 5PM on both days. Please call
if you need to pay after 5PM as times can be arranged to suit your schedule.
Please remember, I work out of my home at 10419 S. M-66 Hwy. Please call 269-758-3334 if
you have any questions. My apologies to anyone who thought Assyria
Township accepted postmarks as
proof of payment for their Summer 09 taxes. Assyria Township has not accepted postmarks as proof of
payment for some years. I
mistakenly assumed that residents were aware of that procedure which resulted
in some confusion. |
Assyria
Township Board Mike P. Timmons, Supervisor (269) 963-3538 Deborah S. Massimino, Clerk, (269) 758-4003 Beth Miller, Treasurer (269) 758-3334 (please leave message) James D. Miller,Trustee (269) 758-3410 Fred Bylsma, Trustee (269) 962-0001 Yes, we have a Web Site |
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Quiz (Answers on back) 1.Who
wrote the original pledge of allegiance? 2.Who
was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence? 3.
Who was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence?
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Board Meetings Township meetings start at 7:30 pm on the first Monday
of the month unless Monday is a National Holiday, then we meet the next day.
Except that the April 2010 meeting will be held in conjunction with the
Annual Budget on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 starting @ 7:30 pm. YOU ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND, GIVE COMMENT
OR SIMPLY OBSERVE YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO VISIT OUR
WEBSITE FOR MEETNG MINUTES |
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(Who
Do I Call? Questions on Cemeteries : Debbie Massimino
(269-758-4003) Questions on Property Taxes: Beth Miller
(269-758-3334) Questions on Assessments: Dennis McKelvey
(269-838-8975) Questions on Elections: Debbie Massimino
(269-758-4003) General Township Questions: Mike Timmons
(269-963-3538) |
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Message from Supervisor Mike Timmons Most residents do not realize that our local roads are under the ownership
and jurisdiction of Barry County. Since the 1930s, townships
have little road authority, and we receive no transportation funding
(Public Act 51 of 1951). However, as with about 95% of the townships in
Michigan, we do contribute
money to the road commission for the material that goes into and onto our
roads. In Assyria Township this amounts to about $ 10 per resident per
year. While funding of roads at the local level is likely to be an ongoing
issue for Michigan for some time to come, it is important for residents to be
aware of our limited role in road projects and maintenance. Issues related to
local roads are best addressed by the county road commission, which has
both the authority and responsibility to handle these matters. For more information,
contact the Barry County Road Commission at (269) 945-3449 or visit them ay
1725 West M-43 Hwy, Hastings, MI 49058. |
1902 Graduation Class – Assyria School
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Quiz Answers 1.
Francis Bellamy wrote the original pledge of
allegiance in 1892. The Pledge
has been modified four times since then, with the most recent change adding
the words "under God" in 1954. 2. Edward
Rutledge (age 26) 3. Benjamin
Franklin (age 70) |
We are always
looking for additional vintage photos of Assyria. We would like to find one of the township hall. If you have any you are willing to
share, call Beth Miller at 269-758-3334 |
Basic Guide To Taxable Value
Until
1994, property was valued, for tax purposes, at half its market value. This was
called its State Equalized Value, or SEV. In 1994, Michigan voters passed
Proposal A. That shifted some of the tax burden off property and onto the sales
tax, which rose from four cents on the dollar to six.
Proposal
A also limited the growth of property tax assessments. Now, we don't use SEV.
We use ``taxable value.'' It limits the growth in taxable value to 5 percent a
year or less. The gap between property value and taxable value will continue to
spread, as long as inflation drives up property values.
This
limit on taxable value assumes no significant change to the property: no new
family room, no major fire.
The
lid comes off when a parcel is sold. In the year after the sale, taxable value
kicks up to the SEV, but just for that year. Then the limit applies to future
increases, until there is another sale. A parcel's taxable value is printed on
the annual tax bill.
Tax Rates
Property
owners can calculate their tax bill by multiplying that taxable value by the
tax rate. In Michigan, the property tax rate is called a millage, and it is
figured in mills. A mill equals $1 in taxation for every $1,000 in taxable
value.
A
parcel may have several millages in its tax rate. There is likely to be a
millage to operate local government, and another for the county. Part of the
millage rate may include mills for libraries, police and fire or schools.
Millage
rates are not shown on assessment notices. Property owners can find out their
millage rates by looking at their tax bills, or calling their local assessor,
or their mortgage company. With the taxable value alone, a property owner can
tell how much a tax proposal will cost, just by multiplying the millage rate of
the proposal by taxable value. The owner of a parcel with a taxable value of
$50,000 who votes on a 2-mill issue would be voting on an additional $100 a
year in taxes.
For more information, click on the site shown below.
http://www.statetaxcentral.com/Michigan/Property_Taxes/