Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Poverty Exemptions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Greenville council adopts 2023 poverty-exemption guidelines
Summary
The Greenville City Council unanimously approved Resolution No. 23-06 establishing the city's 2023 poverty exemption guidelines under Michigan law, specifying income and asset tests and directing the assessor and Board of Review to apply the standards.
The Greenville City Council on March 7 unanimously adopted Resolution No. 23-06, setting the city's poverty-exemption guidelines for 2023 as required by Public Act 390 of 1994 (MCL 211.7u). Councilperson Lehman moved the resolution; Councilperson Barrus seconded. The measure passed 6-0 (Ayes: Lehman, Scoby, Barrus, Moss, Cunliffe, Linton).
The resolution requires claimants to own and occupy the property as their principal residence and to file a claim with the assessor or the Board of Review accompanied by federal and state income tax returns for all household members, or a signed State Tax Commission Form 4988 (Poverty Exemption Affidavit). It directs the Board of Review to evaluate combined household assets using the stated asset test.
The council spelled out specific asset limits included in the policy: one motor vehicle per licensed driver with a value cap of $15,000 per vehicle; one recreational vehicle or boat per property not to exceed $10,000; no second residence or additional real estate ownership; no ownership interest in buildings other than the residence; and checking and savings (exclusive of investments and IRAs) not to exceed $8,000. The Board of Review may consider additional valuable assets when determining a full or partial exemption and may request identification and ownership documentation such as deeds or land contracts.
The resolution incorporates the 2023 federal poverty income guidelines for household size (for example, $13,590 for a one-person household and $27,750 for a four-person household) and specifies that the application must be filed after Jan. 1 and before the last day of the December Board of Review. It also notes that the assessor and Board of Review should follow these guidelines unless there are substantial and compelling written reasons to deviate.
Under state law cited in the resolution, the Board of Review implements exemptions; residents who meet the guidelines and submit the required documentation may receive whole or partial relief from property taxation. The council did not discuss any amendments to the asset thresholds at the March 7 meeting; the adopted text will guide Board of Review decisions for 2023.
