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Wixom places 2.5‑mill road millage replacement on Nov. 5 ballot
Summary
City officials said the measure would replace an expiring 1.15‑mill levy with a new levy of up to 2.5 mills for 10 years to fund local and major road maintenance; staff estimate the first‑year cost to the average homeowner at about $288.
A city staff member said the City of Wixom will ask voters on Nov. 5, 2024 to approve a replacement local roads millage of up to 2.5 mills for 10 years to pay for routine and major road maintenance and repairs. “The city of Wixom will be administering the presidential election on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024,” the staff member said.
If approved, the proposal would terminate the city’s current 1.15‑mill local roads levy, which staff said was first authorized in 1996 and is set to expire in 2025. City staff told listeners that rising pavement deterioration has outpaced available funding and that more revenue is needed to keep roads in a timely state of repair.
The presentation cited the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) system, saying roughly 74% of local roads and 46% of major roads in Wixom are rated 4 or lower, which the city classifies as poor. City staff also pointed to construction cost inflation: Bridge Michigan, citing a study by the Citizens Research Council, reported construction costs in Michigan rose about 26.4% on average between 2020 and 2023, with larger increases in metro areas.
City staff said the proposed 2.5‑mill rate would cost taxpayers about $2.50 per $1,000 of taxable value. Using the city’s stated average taxable value of $12,597.28, staff estimated the average homeowner would pay roughly $288 more in the first year than under the existing millage. The city said the additional funding would allow more local and major road projects and could improve average PASER ratings.
Officials said that, if the replacement is approved, Wixom’s total local millage levy would rise to about 13.25 mills, placing the city ninth lowest among the 31 cities in Oakland County by that measure. The city directed residents to wixomgov.org for details, including the schedule of road projects the city would complete if the levy passes, and encouraged voters to contact city staff or elected officials with questions.
“The city of Wixom values your opinion and encourages you to vote on November 5th,” the staff member said.
