Interurban and library seek millage renewals

By Wendy Colsen

The Interurban Transit Authority and Saugatuck-Douglas District Library will both seek millage renewals for the upcoming August 4 election. As of last week, early ballots have been mailed to those who requested them.
Among the Interurban and library millage renewals, the tri-community ballots consist of state gubernatorial, US congressional, state legislative and delegate voting. They also include the senior citizen services millage renewal. Saugatuck Township’s ballot will include a cemetery millage renewal and restoration proposal as well.
Voter-approved property taxes, known as millages, are used to fund services in local communities. Two such services are the Interurban Transit Authority and the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library.
In addition to the millage renewal, both the Interurban and the library will be asking for an increase for a 10-year period.
“The Interurban has been here for 45 years. In the first 5 years, we were at 1 mill and when we went out for vote after the first 5 years, it was dropped to half a mill,” said Becky Carten-Crandell, Interurban Executive Director. “It’s been at a half a mill for 40 years even though our ridership and costs have both skyrocketed.”
“With federal and state funding decreasing, I worry that we won’t be able to meet the demand if we don’t increase the millage,” said Carten-Crandell. “We went from 10,000 riders years ago and steadily increased to it 95,000 riders.”
With the millage increase, the Interurban would be able to expand hours, increase their fleet size from 10 to 14 buses; purchase a low-floor bus with a ramp entry instead of stairs; hire more employees; and expand services to Holland providing trips to Meijer, Family Fare, Evergreen Commons and the Aquatic Center.
Fennville, which is now a part of the Interurban Transit Authority, is also voting on the millage increase. If passed, the Interurban will expand their current 3-stop service to door-to-door service for the 1.11 square mile area of Fennville.
The Interurban is proposing an increase to 1.0 mill. The proposed millage would replace the 0.5 mill, previously approved by voters, which expires with the 2026 tax levy. It would cost each taxpayer $1.00 for each $1,000 of the taxable value of the house. In dollars, for a $600,000 home, the approved renewal rate would amount to an annual amount of $300.00 on the taxable value.
“You may not ride the Interurban right now, but there may be a time when you have to. We take so many people to physical therapy,” said Carten-Crandell. “We have people that move into our service area, so they’ll have the service if they need it as they age.”
For the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library, they are asking for an annual millage “in an amount not to exceed .30 mills, of which .2352 mill is a renewal of the previously authorized millage rate that expired in 2025, and .0648 mill is a new additional millage.” For a $600,000 home, the approved renewal rate would amount to an annual amount of $90.00 on the taxable value of the home.
The library has seen significant growth in programming and attendance, as well as an increased demand for electronic resources.
“We’re currently open 7 days a week and we’re well used during that time,” said Library Director Ingrid Boyer.
With the millage increase, the library will be able to meet the expanding need for programming, services and materials.
They can purchase more print books, acquire usage rights to more e-books and audio books; buy more e-book and audio book per-use licenses to increase circulation and make books more accessible for the widest range of people; and also increase the quality and number of programs they offer.
If the millage does not pass, the library will lose 53% of its operating budget and will have to ask for the increase on the November ballot. Since there would be a delay in when the millage would be added to the tax bill, the library would have to operate for 12 months on a reduced income and borrow from their reserves.
Even though other funding sources exist for public libraries and transit, state and federal funding can fluctuate or be tied to local matches. Some funding sources are one-time options or grant-based funding and do not support ongoing operational needs.
Millages provide steady funding sources for operation and maintenance on an ongoing basis. Without support from the community, services would be greatly reduced.
Close to 90% of public library funding comes from property taxes, municipal budgets or millages alone. This portion funds operational costs such as salaries, utilities, books and maintenance.
Additional state and federal aid are generally put towards regional resource sharing, technology upgrades, workforce development and early literacy programs.
Libraries also seek funding from private donors, grants and foundations, corporate sponsorships and Friends of the Library programs.
Transit systems are also dependent on fluctuating income; therefore, millages create a steady reliable source of funding.
According to the Michigan Public Transit Authority, “Transit systems receive funding from local, state, federal and fare revenue. State and federal programs often require a local funding match to be accessed. Some state and federal transportation funds come from fuel taxes, vehicle feed, or other sources.”
Furthermore, “Their funds are not automatically distributed to every community – they generally require a local match. A community without a locally funded transit operation may not be eligible to receive certain state or federal transit dollars.”
The election will be held Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Check with your municipality for polling locations. Ballots include a back side, so please remember to flip it over for complete voting.