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Jackson Board of Review affirms special assessment No. 4307 after public objections
Summary
After a public hearing with objections from downtown property owners, the Jackson Board of Review voted 5–2 to confirm Special Assessment No. 4307, which spreads downtown parking-assessment costs across the assessment district.
The Jackson Board of Review on Nov. 26 confirmed Special Assessment No. 4307, a downtown parking assessment, despite objections from several property owners who said the charges were unfair and insufficiently transparent.
Property owner Patrick Colligan of The Foundry told the council his assessment jumped sharply from prior years and that his business uses the lot only part time. “I would like to see a detailed report of every dollar spent from that parking lot fund,” Colligan said, asking that business owners receive annual itemized statements. Another commenter, John C. King, urged the council to prioritize basic services such as sidewalk and lot maintenance over politically driven spending.
City staff and the assessor explained that the assessment is calculated from owner questionnaires and zoning-based formulas that determine a property’s net need for parking spaces; the office applies a per-space rate and reduces occasional-use spaces by a 33% factor. Staff also said changes in large contributors — such as the Michigan Theatre regaining reserved spaces this year — can shift the distribution and increase individual property shares.
After public comment and staff responses, the board closed the hearing and approved the resolution confirming Special Assessment No. 4307 by a 5–2 vote. The clerk displayed the tally; the record did not capture a full itemized roll-call vote in the public transcript. The council did not commit to an immediate audit of the parking fund but staff said they would provide information about the methodology and spending on request.
The board’s action affirms the assessment for the current year. Council members acknowledged businesses’ concerns and discussed staff follow-up to improve transparency about how assessment revenues are allocated.
