Tag Archives: Water Street debt reduction millage

My thoughts on International Village

By Mark | September 20, 2017

Yesterday, someone on Twitter called me out for being silent on the subject of International Village, the $350+ million dollar retail and housing development being proposed for Ypsilanti’s 36-acre Water Street property. According to this person, who was posting under a pseudonym, my silence on the matter was “deafening.” It’s something I’ve heard several times […]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Architecture, Corporate Crime, Economics, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged affordable housing, Amanda Edmonds, Beijing, Brian Robb, brownfield, Brownfield Redevelopment Tax Credits, China, Chinese investment, condominiums, corruption, County Farm Park, Dan Vogt, Eastside Recreation Center, EB-5, economic development, economic segregation, environmental injustice, gentrification, International Village, luxury housing, money laundering, native plants, public health air quality, real estate, remediation, respirators, seed bombing, SHIFT, silence, student housing, tax credits, Troy, Veridian, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation, Water Street, Water Street Commons, Water Street Sculpture Park, xenophobia, Ypsilanti City Council, Ypsilanti real estate | 62 Comments

The Water Street Millage… back on the ballot August 8

By Mark | April 6, 2017

This past August, by an incredibly slim, 39 vote margin, Ypsilantians decided not to pass a 2.3 mill tax that would have raised approximately $10,006,548 over 14 years in order to pay down debt related to the City’s purchase almost two decades ago of 38 acres of riverfront property, referred to collectively as Water Street. […]

Posted in Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Adam Gainsley, millage, SCIT, Stop City Income Tax, taxes, Water Street, Ypsi taxes | 18 Comments

Just how high are the taxes in Ypsilanti anyway?

By Mark | August 17, 2016

As several people have pointed out over the past few weeks in relation to the Water Street debt reduction millage which was recently defeated at the polls, the people of Ypsilanti already pay a much higher tax rate than those who live elsewhere in the region. In hopes of finding out why that is, I […]

Posted in Michigan, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Beth Ernat, Brian Robb, Eastern Michigan University, economic development, EMU, Headlee, Headlee Amendment, Headlee Override, millage, Murph, pensions, Proposition A, public pension crisis, revenue sharing, Richard Murphy, tax policy, taxes, Water Street, Ypsi taxes, Ypsilanti City Council, Ypsilanti Fire Department, Ypsilanti police department | 42 Comments

Ypsi City Council considers giving Water Street debt reduction millage second shot in November

By Mark | August 10, 2016

As readers of this site know, the Water Street debt reduction millage failed at this polls earlier this month by a mere 30-some votes in large part because of ballots cast in Ypsilanti’s first ward, where folks on the anti-tax side of the debate concentrated their “vote no” efforts. [First ward voters cast their ballots […]

Posted in Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged 1st ward, Amanda Edmonds, Emergency Manager, Lois Richardson, millage, receivership, Ypsilanti City Council | 68 Comments

Water Street debt reduction millage loses by just 39 votes. Now what?

By Mark | August 3, 2016

According to the poll results posted by Washtenaw County, the Water Street debt reduction millage lost by just 39 votes today, thanks in large part to an overwhelmingly negative response in the first precinct of Ward 1, where voters cast their ballots against the initiative 160 to 29. Given how close the race was otherwise, […]