Oakland County homeowners will continue supporting the Detroit Zoo and pay a new tax supporting three Detroit history museums after voters approved both millages on Nov. 3.
The zoo millage renewal drew 70.71% support in Oakland County, according to the county’s unofficial returns, updated Nov. 4. The new museum millage passed with a narrower margin. Oakland County voters backed it 53.26% to 46.74%, with all precincts reporting.
The museum proposal covered Oakland and Wayne counties. Separate zoo renewals appeared in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. Voters approved the measures in each county, BridgeDetroit reported.
What it costs
The zoo millage renews 0.0927 mill and restores 0.0073 mill lost to required rollbacks, returning the levy to the original voter-approved rate of 0.1 mill, according to Oakland County’s official ballot language. At that rate, a property with $100,000 in taxable value would pay $10 annually.
The museum millage is new. The 10-year, 0.2-mill levy will cost homeowners 20 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value, according to the museum campaign’s FAQ. A property with $100,000 in taxable value would pay $20 annually. Taxable value is different from market value.
What residents get
According to the campaign, the museum millage will provide Oakland County residents free admission to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Museum in Midtown and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle. Seniors and students would also get free transportation to the museums.
The zoo millage will continue funding the Detroit Zoo and the Belle Isle Nature Center. The zoo campaign says the zoo cares for more than 2,000 animals representing 200 species.
To celebrate the vote, the three museums are offering free admission from Wednesday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov. 8, BridgeDetroit reported.
Where the money goes
The museum millage is expected to generate about $30 million in its first year, with $17.7 million coming from Oakland County and $12.2 million from Wayne, according to a Citizens Research Council of Michigan analysis. The majority of those funds will go to the Wright Museum and the Detroit Historical Society. Oakland’s ballot language directs 15% of its revenues received by the authority, after authority administrative expenses, to support historical museums in Oakland County.
The zoo renewal is projected to collect about $8.8 million from Oakland County in its first year, according to the county’s ballot language. The renewed levy runs from 2028 through 2037.
Hayley Murphy, executive director and CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society, told BridgeDetroit that the millage accounts for about a third of the nonprofit’s annual operating revenue.
Neil A. Barclay, president and CEO of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, said in a statement reported by BridgeDetroit that voters “honored that legacy and made sure every child in this region can learn from it.”
All results are unofficial and will become official after canvassing and certification. The Wright Museum and the Detroit Historical Society said they plan to share a timeline for the first levy and details on how funds will be used in the coming months, BridgeDetroit reported.
