There are education and township items on the ballot for voters in Charlevoix County in the Tuesday, May 5 election.
Here’s what you need to know:
Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District
Funding for career and technical education (CTE) programs within the Char-Em ISD will be on the ballot for voters across its service area on Tuesday. The CTE millage asks to return the levy to the level previously approved by voters.
The ballot language reads: “Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes in Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District, Michigan, for area career and technical education programs be increased by 1 mill ($1 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of four years, 2026 to 2029, inclusive; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2026 is approximately $8,178,239 from local property taxes authorized herein (this is a replacement of millage that expired with the 2025 tax levy)?”
Charlevoix Township
Charlevoix Township voters will consider a 2 mill proposal to fund projects such as water system improvements, fire services and road repairs.
The ballot language reads: “Shall the tax limitation on all taxable property within Charlevoix Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan, be increased and the township be authorized to levy annually a millage in an amount not to exceed 2 mills ($2 per each $1,000 of taxable value), of which 1.9262 mills is a renewal of the millage rate that expired in 2025 and .0738 mill is new additional millage, for five years, 2026 through 2030 inclusive, for all township purposes authorized by law, including sewer work, water system improvements, road repairs and maintenance, fires service, and additional township operating costs as allowed by law. The estimate of the revenue the township will collect in the first year of levy (2026) if the millage is approved and levied by the township is approximately $445,000. By law, a portion of the millage may be subject to capture by the Charlevoix County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.”
Eveline Township
There are two ballot proposals on the Tuesday ballot for voters in Eveline Township.
The first is a fire and ambulance millage that asks for 1.5 mill for a period of three years.
The ballot language reads: “Shall the limitation on the amount of ad valorem taxes which may be levied by the Township of Eveline, Charlevoix County, Michigan, against taxable property in the township be increased by up to 1.5 mill ($1.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of three years, 2026 through 2028, inclusive, for the purpose of providing funds for fire protection and ambulance services, and shall the township levy such millage for these purposes? If approved and levied in its entirety, this millage would raise an estimated $609,421 for the township in 2026.”
The second proposal asks for a renewal of a 1-mill road millage that expired after the December 2025 levy.
The ballot language reads: “Shall the limitation on the amount of ad valorem taxes which may be levied by the Township of Eveline, Charlevoix County, Michigan, against taxable property in the township be increased by up to 1 mill ($1 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of three years, 2026 through 2028, inclusive, for the purpose of providing funds for road construction, improvements and maintenance, and shall the township levy such millage for these purposes? If approved and levied in its entirety, this millage would raise an estimated $406,280 for the township in 2026.”
Wilson Township
Voters in Wilson Township will also see a fire and ambulance millage as well as a road millage in the May election.
The fire and ambulance millage asks for 1.5 mill for a four-year period.
The ballot language reads: “Shall the limitation on the amount of ad valorem taxes which may be levied by the Township of Wilson, Charlevoix County, Michigan, against taxable property in the township be increased by up to 1.5 mill ($1.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of four years, 2026 through 2029, inclusive, for the purpose of providing funds for fire protection and ambulance services, and shall the township levy such millage for these purposes? If approved and levied in its entirety, this millage would raise an estimated $161,757 for the township in 2026.”
The road millage asks to renew the 2-mill rate that expired after the December 2025 levy.
The ballot language reads: “Shall the limitation on the amount of ad valorem taxes which may be levied by the Township of Wilson, Charlevoix County, Michigan, against taxable property in the township be increased by up to 2 mill ($2 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of four years, 2026 through 2029, inclusive, for the purpose of providing funds for road construction, improvements and maintenance, and shall the township levy such millage for these purposes? If approved and levied in its entirety, this millage would raise an estimated $215,676 for the township in 2026.”
Jordan Valley EMS Authority
The Jordan Valley EMS Authority is asking voters in its service area, which includes East Jordan, South Arm, Jordan, Echo, Banks and portions of Wilson and Eveline townships, to consider a .75 millage that would allow them to gain the funding needed to fully staff a second 24-hour, seven-day-a-week ambulance.
The ballot language reads: “Shall the Jordan Valley EMS Authority, counties of Antrim and Charlevoix, Michigan, be authorized to levy annually a new additional millage in an amount not to exceed .75 mill ($0.75 per each $1,000 of taxable value) against all taxable property within the limits of the Jordan Valley EMS Authority for a period of three years, 2026 through 2028, inclusive, for the purpose of providing funds for operating and maintaining ambulance services within the limits of the authority and all other ambulance and emergency service purposes authorized by law? The estimate of the revenue the Jordan Valley EMS Authority will collect if the millage is approved and levied by the Jordan Valley EMS Authority in the first year of levy (2026) is approximately $353,000.”
Ellsworth Community School
Voters in the Ellsworth Community School district will have an operating millage proposal on their ballots on Tuesday.
The proposal would allow the district to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the district to receive its per pupil foundation allowance.
The ballot language reads: “Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in Ellsworth Community School, Antrim and Charlevoix counties, Michigan, be increased by 2 mills ($2 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of four years, 2026 to 2029, inclusive, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2026 is approximately $32,145 (this millage is to restore millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and will be levied only to the extent necessary to restore that reduction)?”
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: What’s on the ballot in Charlevoix County? Previewing the May 5 election
Reporting by Jillian Fellows, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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