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HB 6160

Property tax: other; locally adopted cap on a local unit’s own authority to levy a property tax millage; prohibit. Amends 1893 PA 206 (MCL 211.1 - 211.155) by adding sec. 34f.

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by Felicia Brabec and 8 co-sponsors

HB 6160 bans local property tax caps that trigger automatic millage cuts, voids existing caps, and restores local governments' ability to collect full property tax revenue.

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
#localgovernment:other #propertytax:other
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Bill Summary · HB 6160

Summary — HB 6160 (General Property Tax Act amendment)

Status: Passed House (given immediate effect 12/13/2024); referred to Committee on Government Operations (12/18/2024); referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary (1/22/2025). Introduced: Nov. 26, 2024. Sponsor: Rep. Amos O’Neal.

Purpose

HB 6160 would prohibit local governments from adopting or enforcing local property‑tax revenue caps that automatically reduce a fixed millage rate when a dollar cap is reached. The bill is designed to remove locally imposed limits on gross dollar revenue from property taxes that force automatic millage reductions, restoring full collection authority for affected millages.

Key provisions

  • Adds section 34f to the General Property Tax Act (MCL 211.1–211.155).
  • Prohibition: A county, city, township, or village may not enact or enforce a “local property tax cap” on the gross dollar amount of revenue levied or raised annually if the cap requires an automatic reduction of a fixed millage rate.
  • Voiding existing caps: Any local cap of this type that exists on or after the bill’s effective date is declared void and unenforceable; the local unit is not required to reduce its millage rate because of such a cap.
  • Definitions:
    • “Local governmental unit” = county, city, township, village.
    • “Local property tax” = ad valorem property tax levied by a local unit under the Act.
    • “Local property tax cap” = a fixed limitation on the gross dollar value of local property tax levied or raised annually imposed by the local unit by charter, ordinance, policy, rule, or otherwise. Excludes limits imposed by the state constitution or other state law.

Who would be affected

  • Local governments (counties, cities, townships, villages) that have independently adopted dollar caps on annual property tax revenue tied to automatic millage reductions. A frequently cited example is the City of Saginaw, which historically had a $3.8 million cap tied to millage limits dating to 1979.
  • Property owners in those jurisdictions could see higher bills if local millages are not reduced to meet prior local caps; local government revenues from existing millages would increase where caps are removed.

Fiscal and legal impact

  • Fiscal: The House Fiscal Agency projects increased revenue for local units that currently enforce such caps because those caps would become unenforceable and millage reductions would no longer be required.
  • Legal limits imposed by the Michigan Constitution (including the Headlee Amendment) or other state law are not affected by this bill.

Procedural timeline

  • Introduced Nov. 26, 2024; passed the Michigan House with immediate effect on Dec. 13, 2024 (56–0); referred to Committee on Government Operations Dec. 18, 2024; referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary Jan. 22, 2025. The bill remains under committee consideration at the time of this summary.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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