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Lansing council advances ordinance to publish semiannual tax-and-debt dashboard
Summary
Councilmember Carter introduced an ordinance to add a public tax-and-debt dashboard to the city code, requiring a millage and debt breakdown and semiannual updates; council referred the item to Ways and Means for review.
Councilmember Carter introduced an ordinance to amend chapter 218 of the city code to require Lansing to publish a tax-and-debt dashboard on a public web page and moved the ordinance for referral. "The dashboard would include a breakdown of every millage the city levies ... and then a breakdown of every city debt instrument, bonds, revenue bonds, special assessments with principal, interest rate, and payment schedules," Carter said, and set an anticipated go-live date of August 1, 2026 with semiannual updates.
The proposal implements a charter mandate the council recently adopted, Carter said, and would require the city to post both millage rates and dollar amounts as well as details on each debt instrument and its payment schedule. The council referred the ordinance to the Ways and Means Committee for committee review and recommendations on implementation and timing.
Supporters in public comment urged more transparent financial reporting generally; resident Frederick McLaughlin told the council the city should adopt Governmental Accounting Standards Board recommended practices to make the annual comprehensive financial report more actionable for policy decisions.
Next steps: the ordinance will be considered by the Ways and Means Committee for more detailed review and drafting before returning to the council for a vote.
