Wayne and Oakland voters approve 10-year museum tax
The new 0.2 mill levy will generate roughly $30 million to fund three major Detroit museums and local historical societies.
By Samir Doyle ·
Voters in Wayne and Oakland Counties approved a new property tax on Tuesday to support the Southeast Michigan Public Historical Museum Authority for the next decade.
The measure carries a 0.2 mill levy, which translates to 20 cents per $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. Wayne County residents backed the proposal by a 66 percent margin, while Oakland County voters approved it by approximately 53 percent.
The tax is projected to yield $12.2 million annually from Wayne County and $17.7 million from Oakland County. Because approval in both jurisdictions was required, a rejection in either county would have defeated the measure entirely. Unlike the recent Detroit Zoo ballot, this question did not appear on Macomb County ballots.
Direct funding will support the Detroit Historical Museum, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Smaller local museums and historical societies are slated to receive 15 percent of the total tax revenue.
The new budget aims to preserve more than 300,000 publicly owned artifacts. Museum officials stated the funds will prevent staff layoffs and reduce operating hours. In exchange for the tax, residents in both counties will receive free admission to the three major institutions, along with free school field trips and transportation for students and older adults.
