Michigan voters took to the polls Tuesday as residents in 72 of 83 counties voted on mayoral races, ballot proposals, smaller local seats and more. Voters in Washtenaw County approved a millage proposed by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District to maintain and expand local career and technical education programs.
The proposal, which 54% of voters voted in favor of, will impose an annual property tax of one mill, or $1 for every $1,000 of taxable valuation, to support the programs. The tax will last for 10 years, from 2026 to 2035, and collect an estimated $25 million in its first year. Groups such as Huron Valley Area Labor Federation and the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce endorsed the proposal.
Some residents, such as members of the Citizens Against Regressive Taxes coalition, opposed the millage. A statement on the coalition’s website argues that the millage is wasteful and will place an undue burden on taxpayers.
“The coalition believes that the proposed 1-mil tax represents an undue burden for Washtenaw County residents, particularly those on fixed incomes and middle-class families,” the website reads. “WISD’s request for new millage funding is an example of “mission creep” and would lead to a wasteful duplication of services that are currently being funded.”
WISD currently offers more than 70 high school CTE programs that aim to connect students to college and career pathways through integrating academic knowledge with technical and transferable skills. Available programs include accounting, computer programming, health science, culinary arts and more.
WISD’s website states that enrollment in CTE programs in the county has grown by 69% over the past four years, with more than 300 students still on waitlists during the 2024-2025 school year.
In a press release, WISD superintendent Naomi Norman said the millage will help alleviate financial burdens on CTE programs across Washtenaw County.
“This millage will eliminate barriers and expand access to purposeful, hands-on, applied and experiential learning in every school district across Washtenaw County, and I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to voters on behalf of our schools and students,” Norman said. “We are extremely grateful for the trust our community has placed in us. We look forward to continued collaboration with our partners in this work to build a transparent, countywide framework that benefits PreK-12 students in all districts and strengthens our region’s talent pipeline.”
Daily News Editor Christina Zhang can be reached at zchristi@umich.edu.
