Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Equalization Report topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Macomb County adopts 2026 equalization report after debate over assessing consistency and Headlee rollback
Summary
The Board of Commissioners adopted the county'wide 2026 Equalization Report and resolution 2026-05 and authorized the L-4024 signature. Discussion during the presentation focused on assessor consistency, a proposed county-level assessing function and differing estimates of projected tax-dollar gains tied to Headlee rollback.
The Macomb County Board of Commissioners on April 27 adopted the county'wide 2026 Equalization Report, approved resolution 2026-05 and authorized signing of the L-4024 personal and real property totals for state submission.
Deb Baller and Nicole Flowers of the county Equalization Department presented the report and supporting schedules, saying the report lists real property values in the $4 billion range and personal property values in the hundreds of millions, with a total equalized value presented as roughly $4.7 billion. The presenters told commissioners that Day Township shows a notable increase this year, which they attributed to large solar-field projects within that township.
The presentation prompted extended discussion among commissioners about assessment consistency across townships and whether the county should consider a county-controlled assessing option. A commissioner asked whether a county assessor or a county-controlled assessing office could provide a stronger check on local assessors; staff responded that Michigan statutes provide for a state-designated fallback assessor and that the county currently uses a designated assessor (named in discussion as Chuck Zemla) when necessary.
Commissioners also raised the potential revenue effects of the Headlee rollback, with different participants citing projected tax-dollar gains of about $3 million and about $4 million for 2026 under different assumptions. Staff said the report would be reviewed in more depth at the board's May 11 meeting and that L-4024 and related L-4029 options would be presented to clarify fiscal impacts.
Vice Chairman Peterson moved to approve the county equalization report, adopt resolution 2026-05 and sign the L-4024 report; the motion was moved and supported and carried by voice vote.
The board scheduled a more detailed review of value trends and operating options for a future meeting. No formal roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript; the motion passed by voice vote.
