Farmington and Farmington Hills residents will decide on a state constitutional convention, a Detroit Zoo millage renewal and a new historical museum tax when they head to the polls Nov. 3.

Oakland County Elections published the official proposal list for the general election Sept. 8, with a final update Sept. 9. The ballot includes two statewide proposals and two countywide millages that will affect every property owner in the Farmington area.

Constitutional convention: Proposal 1

Proposal 2026-1 asks voters whether Michigan should convene a convention of elected delegates in 2027 to rewrite the state's 1963 Constitution.

The question is not new. Article XII, Section 3 of the Michigan Constitution requires it to appear every 16 years. Voters have rejected it every time since 1963. In 2010, 67% voted no.

A Detroit News-WDIV-TV poll of 600 likely voters, conducted Aug. 31 through Sept. 3, found 47% would vote yes, 31% no and 22% undecided. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Pollster Richard Czuba of the Glengariff Group said the convention faces a difficult path. "There's nobody advocating for it. There are a lot of people advocating against it, on both sides of the aisle," Czuba told the Detroit News.

If approved, the convention would meet in Lansing on Oct. 5, 2027. If rejected, the question returns automatically in 2042.

Zoo millage renewal: 0.10 mill for 10 years

The Oakland County Zoological Authority is asking voters to renew its property tax supporting the Detroit Zoo at 0.10 mill for 10 years, from 2028 through 2037. The proposal would renew the current 0.0927 mill rate and restore it to the original 0.10 mill approved by voters in 2008 and 2016. The rate had been reduced under the Headlee Amendment.

The renewal would collect an estimated $8.8 million in its first year, according to the official proposal list. For a homeowner with $100,000 in taxable value, the cost is about $10 a year, MLive reported. A home with $250,000 in taxable value would pay roughly $25.

Oakland County voters last renewed the Zoo millage in 2016, when 74% voted yes. The funds support care for more than 2,000 animals of 200 species, along with educational programs and facility upkeep.

Historical museum millage: new 0.2 mill tax

The Southeast Michigan Public Historical Museum Authority is seeking a brand-new 0.2 mill levy for 10 years, from 2026 through 2035. The authority was formed by Wayne and Oakland counties to support the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.

If approved, the tax would generate about $17.7 million from Oakland County property owners in its first year. A homeowner with $100,000 in taxable value would pay roughly $20 a year. A home with $250,000 in taxable value would pay about $50.

In return, residents of both counties would receive free admission to the Wright Museum and the Detroit Historical Society's museums, according to BridgeDetroit. Under the museums' present policy, only young children and members get in free.

Fifteen percent of Oakland County revenue from the millage, after administrative costs, would go back to the county to support local historical museums. Oakland County has more than two dozen, including the Pine Grove Museum in Pontiac.

What else is on the ballot

Proposal 2026-2, which would ban certain campaign contributions from regulated utilities and large government contractors, also appears on the Nov. 3 ballot. We will have separate coverage of that measure.

The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 19.