Detroit voters last week approved an eight-year renewal of property tax millage, which is expected to generate $565 million for the city's public school system.
The measure passed despite a recent Michigan law that wipes out 6 billion of property tax revenues for elementary and secondary schools across the state beginning July 1, 1994.
The millage was approved in a 102,128-to-56,305 vote Sept. 14, according to Walter Jones, deputy superintendent of the Detroit public school system.
Jones said school officials proceeded with the vote because of questions surrounding the legality of the law. He said the officials view the passage of the millage as an "insurance policy" just in case the state Legislature reverses the law or if the law is ever declared illegal.
In August, Gov. John Engler signed Senate Bill 1 into law to force state lawmakers to come up with an alternative funding source for schools. The Republican governor and state Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, who introduced the bill, have called on the Legislature to devise a plan to fund schools by the end of December.
Though the law will eliminate $6 billion of annual property tax revenues for school operating budgets, it does not affect levies for debt service on unlimited general tax general obligation bonds.
The Michigan Federation of Teachers and School Related Personnel filed a lawsuit last month to make the state draft an immediate plan to replace the lost revenues.
