News · Sault Ste. Marie
Chippewa County voters decide Nov. 3 whether to renew the 8-mill limit that funds county, township and ISD operations
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — Every Chippewa County voter will see a tax-limitation renewal on the Nov. 3 ballot that underpins the basic operating levies of the county, its townships and the intermediate school district.
What it says. The question asks whether to renew “separate tax limitations” for four years, 2027 through 2030, totaling no more than 8 mills: 6.15 mills for Chippewa County, 1.65 mills for the townships and 0.20 mill for the intermediate school district, according to the official ballot language compiled by The Gist.
Why it’s there. Michigan’s constitution caps the operating property taxes that counties, townships and school districts can levy without voter approval at a combined 15 mills, unless voters set separate limits for each. Chippewa County is one of the counties that uses voter-approved separate limits. A yes vote keeps the current split in place through 2030. A no vote rejects the renewal.
What it isn’t. The question renews existing limits. It does not on its own raise taxes; the amounts each unit levies within its limit are set separately. Voters who want to know the effect on their bill should ask the county equalization office what each unit actually levies now.
The ballot also includes a partial-term county treasurer race and a probate judge seat. Check your sample ballot at the Michigan Voter Information Center, michigan.gov/vote.
Sources:
The Gist, “Chippewa County: operating millage renewal (separate tax limitations),” 2026 General Election (ballot text, plain-language explanation, other county races), https://thegist.vote/question/2026-general-mi/chippewa-chippewa-county-operating-millage-renewal
Michigan Constitution, Article IX, Section 6 (15-mill limit and separate tax limitations)
Photo: Antony-22, “Chippewa County Courthouse 2025a.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chippewa_County_Courthouse_2025a.jpg
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