Saline-area voters weigh a 2.98-mill fire authority tax that would raise $6.5 million a year, which the department calls about a mill above today’s funding

SALINE — Voters in the city of Saline and Lodi, Saline and York townships will decide Nov. 3 whether to give their shared fire department its own property tax: 2.98 mills a year for 10 years, 2026 through 2036, which Washtenaw County’s official proposal list says would raise an estimated $6,520,112 in the first year.

The money could be spent only on fire and rescue service: operating the department, maintaining, upgrading and buying equipment, and hiring, training and paying firefighters, according to the ballot language.

What taxpayers would pay. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value. At the full rate, a home with a $250,000 taxable value, which might sell for about $500,000, would pay up to $745 a year, or about $62 a month, the Sun Times News reported. Dean Girbach, a City of Saline representative on the fire authority board, told the paper the authority may not need to levy the full 2.98 mills every year.

How the department is paid for today. The Saline Area Fire Authority now gets yearly contributions from its four member governments, set by a formula based on adjusted taxable values. Those payments add up to roughly 2 mills overall, though the share varies by community, and each must pass through the city’s or township’s own budget, according to the department and the Sun Times News.

The taxpayer question. In a written explainer, the fire department says the 2.98-mill request “is not the equivalent of adding an entirely new 2.98 mills” but represents “approximately 0.98 mills above the current funding level.” That comparison rests on the four governments no longer paying for fire service out of their general funds. The explainer does not say whether the city or the townships would lower their own tax rates once those payments stop, a question some residents raised in comments on the Saline Post’s version of the explainer.

Why the authority says it needs the money. The department covers about 109 square miles from one station with four firefighters on duty each day. Recent risk assessments and an operational study by an outside consultant found staffing below recommended levels, some vehicles past their intended service life, rising call demand and a funding system that has not kept up with growth, the department says. Equipment replacement and capital projects have been put off. Even if the tax passes, the department says, it will not reach every staffing and facility goal right away.

The data center factor. The proposed rate was set with expected tax revenue from the planned Saline Township data center and other growth in mind, which helped keep it under 3 mills, according to the department. Under the current system, that new revenue would go to the member governments, not straight to the fire authority.

A new structure. Earlier this year, the four communities turned their interlocal agreement into a formal authority, which can collect voter-approved taxes directly and may qualify for more state and federal grants, the department says. Each community keeps a seat on the authority’s board.

See for yourself. The department is holding an open house from 3 to 7 p.m. today, Oct. 19, at the fire station, with station tours and a look at its equipment. More information is posted at SalineFire.com.

Other fire questions in Washtenaw County. Northfield Township voters will decide whether to renew 2.5 mills (2.4206 after Headlee rollbacks) for fire service and medical rescue for five years, an estimated $1.34 million when first levied in December 2027. Manchester Township is asking to renew a 0.6444-mill fire protection levy for 2028 through 2032, estimated at $131,000 in 2028, according to the county’s proposal list.

How to vote. Monday, Oct. 19, was the last day to register to vote online or by mail. After that, residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency, through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Statewide early in-person voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1; check with your city or township clerk for early voting sites and hours. Absentee ballot applications are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 30 by mail or online, or by 4 p.m. Nov. 2 in person at the clerk’s office. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. County canvasses must finish by Nov. 17, and the Board of State Canvassers certifies statewide results by Nov. 23. Voters can check their registration and see their sample ballot at Michigan.gov/Vote.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026: The Oct. 19 deadline to register to vote online or by mail has passed, so the voting details now say so. Residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Sources:
Washtenaw County Clerk, “November 3, 2026 General Election — Official List of Proposals” (Saline Area Fire Authority, Northfield Township and Manchester Township proposals), https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/b994f93c-638c-454d-8273-cc326a19fd01
Saline Area Fire Department, “Saline Area Fire Authority Millage Explained,” The Saline Post, Sept. 9, 2026, https://thesalinepost.com/g/saline-mi/n/387122/safd-saline-area-fire-authority-millage-explained
The Sun Times News, “In Plain English: Saline Area Fire Authority Millage,” Aug. 12, 2026, https://thesuntimesnews.com/in-plain-english-saline-area-fire-authority-millage/
The Sun Times News, “Saline Area Fire Authority Outlines Needs Behind Millage,” Sept. 15, 2026, https://thesuntimesnews.com/saline-area-fire-authority-outlines-needs-behind-millage/
Michigan Department of State, “Absentee voting” and election calendar (registration, early voting and absentee deadlines), https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/absentee-voting
Photo: Michael Barera, “Saline May 2015 15 (Saline Fire Station).jpg,” May 30, 2015, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped and color-adjusted; derivative shared under the same license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saline_May_2015_15_(Saline_Fire_Station).jpg

Ann Arbor · Election 2026 coverage

Tags: Ann Arbor · Election 2026 · Saline · Fire Millage · Property Taxes · Washtenaw County