Aspire North REALTORS Opposes Traverse City Proposal 1, Michigan REALTORS State Legislative Update, Aspire North REALTORS Supports the TCAPS Bond Proposal
The Aspire North REALTORS® Board of Directors votes to oppose Traverse City Proposal 1 and to support our association working with the Traverse Together ballot committee to defeat this ballot proposal. Brad Ward, Vice President of Public Policy and Legal Affairs for Michigan REALTORS®, provides an update on the State Legislature as they move into their summer recess. Aspire North REALTORS® supports the TCAPS August 6th Boind Proposal to keep students safe, warm, and dry.
1. Aspire North REALTORS Opposes Traverse City Proposal 1
The Aspire North REALTORS Board of Directors voted at their June 28th meeting to oppose Traverse City Proposal 1 on the November 5th, 2024 ballot and to support our association working with the Traverse Together ballot committee to defeat this ballot proposal. This proposed city charter amendment threatens Tax Increment Financing (TIF), crucial to Traverse City’s preservation and progress to meet the needs of our region’s central hub now and into the future. Traverse City Proposal 1 reads:
We declare that tax increment financing (“TIF”) plans shall be submitted to a vote of the people since TIF plans to divert local property tax revenue away from the general fund and basic city services such as police, fire, ambulance, streets, and parks. Any proposal to create a TIF plan or to modify, amend, or extend an existing TIF plan shall not be adopted or approved by the City or City Commission until after the proposal is submitted to and approved by a majority of the electors of the City at a regular election or at a special election held for that purpose.
There is the possibility that a second Traverse City Proposal, Proposal 2, could also be approved for the November 5th Traverse City ballot. If Traverse City Proposal 2 makes it onto the ballot. The Aspire North REALTORS Board of Directors voted to oppose Traverse City Proposal 2 if this ballot proposal is on the November 5th, 2024 ballot. The potential Traverse City Proposal 2 reads:
The City Commission shall not attempt to evade the petition rights and voting rights of City residents. Any and all ordinances of the city to extend, amend, and/or modify Tax Increment Financing and Development Plan #97 (“TIF97”), which ordinance or ordinances were enacted or are enacted at any time after January 1, 2024 without first being submitted to and approved by a majority of the electors of the City at a regular election or at a special election held for that purpose are repealed and such ordinances shall be void and of no effect.
As Aspire North REALTORS® works with Traverse Together our association will be disseminating educational and persuasion messaging in opposition to Traverse City Proposal 1 and 2. In the meantime, check out the Traverse Together website to learn more about Traverse City Proposals 1 and 2. If you have any questions or want to get involved in Aspire North REALTORS efforts contact me at connor@aspirenorthrealtors.com or 231-944-8315.
2. Michigan REALTORS® State Legislative Update
Brad Ward, Vice President of Public Policy and Legal Affairs for Michigan REALTORS, published a State Legislative Update this past Thursday, June 27th as the Michigan State Legislature breaks for their summer recess until July 30th. Updates include:
- Housing Receives over $100 million in the state budget (Senate Bill 747) - this $100 million will support housing programs that include housing development and rehab initiatives, downpayment assistance, and foreclosure prevention. The Michigan State budget will also continue the REALTOR®-supported Redevelopment Readiness Grants assisting local governments in their zoning and master plans to add housing development opportunities.
- The Right-to-List Service Provision Agreements (Senate Bill 602) - covered in previous GAD Top 3s this Michigan Right-to-List Bill has the Michigan State House and is on its way to the Governor’s desk to be signed!
- Short-term Rentals Bill (House Bill 5438) still in the House Committee. Michigan REALTORS successfully held off efforts to move statewide short-term rental bills out of committee and through the Michigan State House after Michigan REALTORS compromise language was dismissed by local government groups
- Michigan REALTORS worked with their Public Policy Committee to amend the Source of Income Bills (Senate Bills 205, 206, and 207 as well as House Bills 4062-4063) to bring them to a neutral position should these bills become law.
Read Brad Ward’s full report HERE
3. Aspire North REALTORS Supports the TCAPS Bond Proposal
A recommendation by the Aspire North REALTORS Public Policy Committee to support the TCAPS Say Yes for Kids Bond Proposal on the August 6th, 2024 ballot was approved by the Aspire North REALTORS Board of Directors at their June 28th Board Meeting. This TCAPS Capital Bond Millage proposal would renew TCAPS' current Bond Millage Rate of 3.1 Mills to support capital school improvements not funded by state-allocated dollars to keep students safe, warm, and dry. Learn more about TCAPS Capital Bond Millage on the TCAPS website or on the Say Yes For Kids bond proposal website. If you would like to sign on to Traverse Connect’s public letter of support you can do so here.