Muskegon County asks voters for a new half-mill parks and trails tax that would end the $7 park entry fee. Here is what it would cost you

MUSKEGON, Mich. — Muskegon County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to pay a new countywide property tax for parks and trails, a 10-year levy that county officials say would give the park system its first dedicated tax money and end vehicle entry fees at county parks.

What the ballot says. The proposal asks for a new, additional levy of up to 0.5 mill, or 50 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, from 2026 through 2035. The ballot language estimates first-year revenue at about $3,625,000. Up to 30% could go to cities, villages and townships for their own parks. About $132,000 in the first year could be captured by downtown, tax increment and brownfield authorities in places including Muskegon, Norton Shores, Whitehall and Montague, the ballot text says.

What it would cost you. Taxable value is roughly half of market value. According to the county, a home with a $150,000 market value and $75,000 taxable value would pay $37.50 a year; a $200,000 home, $50; and a $250,000 home, $62.50. The county puts annual collections at about $3.68 million if fully levied starting in 2027, and county officials estimate about $37 million over the 10 years, MLive reported.

The trade-off for park users: if the millage passes, the county intends to drop its $7 daily and $25 annual vehicle permits at designated county parks starting with the 2027 season. Our math: any homeowner with a taxable value above $50,000 would pay more in the new tax than the $25 annual pass costs, while renters and visitors from outside the county would get in free without paying the levy directly. Households that never buy a pass would pay the tax either way.

Why the county says it needs the money. County parks have no ongoing dedicated county funding today and run on camping fees, vehicle permits, rentals and grants, according to the county’s millage page. The county lists possible uses including restrooms, campgrounds, beach access, trail links, playgrounds, kayak launches and improvements at the county fairgrounds and Heritage Landing, plus local matches for state and federal grants. Specific projects would be decided later through planning and annual budgets. If the tax fails, the county says parks keep operating, but parking and camping fees could rise and projects could be delayed.

“It’s factual to say that there’s public demand for more stuff,” Aaron Bodbyl-Mast, chair of the Muskegon County Parks Commission, told MLive. “We’re just asking the voters if they feel that strongly that they want to make that investment with their tax dollars.”

Also on Muskegon County ballots. Blue Lake Township asks for 0.75 mill for fire department buildings and grounds, Casnovia Township for up to 1 mill for fire service and Dalton Township to renew 0.7109 mill for fire equipment. Grand Haven Area Public Schools, which reaches into Muskegon County, seeks a $98.55 million bond.

How to vote. Michigan’s deadline to register online or by mail was Oct. 19; residents can still register in person at their local clerk’s office with proof of residency through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Early in-person voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1. 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. Sample ballots and polling places are at the Michigan Voter Information Center.

More from the lakeshore is on our Muskegon page.

Sources:
Muskegon County, November 3, 2026 General Election proposals (ballot language for the parks millage and township and school proposals), via WGVU, https://dc79r36mj3c9w.cloudfront.net/prod/filer_public/wgvu-bento-live-pbs/Vote%20of%20Confidence/County%20Proposals/General%20Election/cf80eb8f7b_Muskegon%20County%202026%20General%20Election%20Proposals.pdf
Muskegon County Parks, “2026 Parks and Trails Millage Proposal” (cost examples, fee elimination, uses, current funding), https://muskegoncountyparks.org/millage/
MLive, “Muskegon County voters to decide on parks, trails millage in November election,” Oct. 2026 (10-year estimate, Bodbyl-Mast quote), https://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/2026/10/muskegon-county-voters-to-decide-on-parks-trails-millage-in-november-election.html
WZZM 13, “What to know about the Muskegon County Parks and Recreation Millage Proposal,” Oct. 21, 2026, https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/what-to-know-muskegon-county-parks-and-recreation-millage-proposal/69-3ea94af3-2188-4450-bb98-f920952132d5
Michigan Voter Information Center, https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/
Photo: Darwin Smith Jr., “LakeMichiganMuskegonShoreline.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LakeMichiganMuskegonShoreline.jpg

Muskegon · Election 2026 coverage

Tags: Muskegon · Election 2026 · Parks Millage · Property Taxes · Muskegon County · Trails