By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Voters in the Zeeland Public School district will go to the polls next Tuesday to vote on a non-homestead millage renewal, while Zeeland Township voters will be asked to approve a renewal of the township’s fire compensation levy.
ZPS is asking voters to approve an 18-mill, one-year levy on properties that are not a family’s primary residence. The levy does not affect owner-occupied homes.
"In Michigan, the state expects school districts to levy an 18-mill operating tax on non-homestead properties, such as commercial properties, rental homes, vacation properties, and vacant land,” ZPS
Superintendent Rod Hetherton said. “The state then supplements the remainder through state aid. Whether the millage is renewed or not, that expectation remains in place. Without the revenue generated from those 18 mills, it would be extremely difficult for a district to sustain its general operations and continue providing the level of programming our students rely on.”
If approved, the non-homestead tax would generate about $12,504,064 for ZPS during the 2027-28 school year, representing about 11-12 percent of the district’s expected annual revenue, ZPS Chief Financial Officer Lynn Van Kampen said earlier this year.
Last May, voters approved the non-homestead millage renewal with 3,238 yes votes to 1,924 no votes. The levy is expected to generate more than $11.3 million for ZPS for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Meanwhile, township voters are being asked to renew a 0.9857-mill levy that goes toward paying firefighters through 2029. If approved, the levy would generate $729,533 in its first year, according to the ballot language.
“This is not a new millage, but rather a continuation of the current funding that helps support both full-time and paid-on-call firefighters providing emergency services within the township,” Fire Chief Brock Bruce said. “These funds are used to help maintain consistent staffing levels, support required training and retain qualified personnel to meet the service expectations of the community. As Zeeland Township Fire Department call volume and service demands continue to increase, maintaining a stable and well-trained workforce remains an ongoing priority.”
The township fire department responded to a record 1,003 calls last year, a 20.8 percent increase from 2024, when it received 830 calls, according to thement’s annual report.
Township voters in May 2022 approved increasing the fire compensation millage to one mill, 902-407. The levy has since been rolled back to its current level by the Headlee amendment. The fire compensation millage is separate from the township’s fire operations levy, which was renewed in November 2024.
The board considered seeking a restoration of the original one-mill levy that passed in 2022, but ultimately decided that the township has enough reserves in its fire compensation fund that it could afford to seek a renewal of the present levy.
Zeeland Record
Voters in the Zeeland Public School district will go to the polls next Tuesday to vote on a non-homestead millage renewal, while Zeeland Township voters will be asked to approve a renewal of the township’s fire compensation levy.
ZPS is asking voters to approve an 18-mill, one-year levy on properties that are not a family’s primary residence. The levy does not affect owner-occupied homes.
"In Michigan, the state expects school districts to levy an 18-mill operating tax on non-homestead properties, such as commercial properties, rental homes, vacation properties, and vacant land,” ZPS
Superintendent Rod Hetherton said. “The state then supplements the remainder through state aid. Whether the millage is renewed or not, that expectation remains in place. Without the revenue generated from those 18 mills, it would be extremely difficult for a district to sustain its general operations and continue providing the level of programming our students rely on.”
If approved, the non-homestead tax would generate about $12,504,064 for ZPS during the 2027-28 school year, representing about 11-12 percent of the district’s expected annual revenue, ZPS Chief Financial Officer Lynn Van Kampen said earlier this year.
Last May, voters approved the non-homestead millage renewal with 3,238 yes votes to 1,924 no votes. The levy is expected to generate more than $11.3 million for ZPS for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Meanwhile, township voters are being asked to renew a 0.9857-mill levy that goes toward paying firefighters through 2029. If approved, the levy would generate $729,533 in its first year, according to the ballot language.
“This is not a new millage, but rather a continuation of the current funding that helps support both full-time and paid-on-call firefighters providing emergency services within the township,” Fire Chief Brock Bruce said. “These funds are used to help maintain consistent staffing levels, support required training and retain qualified personnel to meet the service expectations of the community. As Zeeland Township Fire Department call volume and service demands continue to increase, maintaining a stable and well-trained workforce remains an ongoing priority.”
The township fire department responded to a record 1,003 calls last year, a 20.8 percent increase from 2024, when it received 830 calls, according to thement’s annual report.
Township voters in May 2022 approved increasing the fire compensation millage to one mill, 902-407. The levy has since been rolled back to its current level by the Headlee amendment. The fire compensation millage is separate from the township’s fire operations levy, which was renewed in November 2024.
The board considered seeking a restoration of the original one-mill levy that passed in 2022, but ultimately decided that the township has enough reserves in its fire compensation fund that it could afford to seek a renewal of the present levy.
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