Staff

Assessor

Janet Maki, MAAO

Forms

Responsibilities

The Township Assessing Department is responsible for updating property record card information, updating ownership changes and legal descriptions as per recorded deeds at the county clerks office, processing Principal Resident changes, updating address changes and providing site inspections to 20% of the township’s parcels annually updating any changes to the property not currently included on the record card to include photos, sketches for all classes of property to include Agricultural, Commercial , Industrial and Residential Classes within the unit.

Our department is primarily responsible for performing & maintaining property assessments for equitable distribution of property tax burden, per the current Michigan General Property Tax Laws.

The Assessing Department complies the annual assessment role on which taxes will be levied, maintains property tax descriptions & maps, processes personal property statements and conducts a personal property canvas annually. The assessing department conducts field audits on both real and personal property to ensure all new and lost are accounted for, which include new construction and new businesses that may come into the township.

The Assessing department is also responsible for processing property exemptions of all types of parcels in both the real & personal property class to including Veterans Exemptions, Principle Resident exemptions, Qualified Forest Exemptions, Poverty Exemptions, Small Business Tax Payers Exemptions & Commercial Forest filings.

All of our information is the basis provided to the township and county treasurer to set up and create the tax bills.

Frequently Asked Quesions

What is Assessed Value?

Assessed Value shall not exceed 50% of True Cash Value of the property. Assessors use mass appraisal techniques to determine the true cash value of each property every year and sets the Assessed Value at 50% of the True Cash Value.

What is Capped Value?

Capped Value is a calculation of the previous year's taxable value multiplied by the inflation rate multiplier and adjusted for any physical changes in the property. The inflation rate multiplier is based on a two year average of the Consumer Price Index CPI.

What is Taxable Value?

Taxable Value is determined by the lower of the assessed value or the capped value. Properties that transferred ownership in the previous year will have the taxable value set to the current value. Taxable value if the basis of property tax in Michigan and is multiplied by the millage rate to determine the tax amount each year.

What is State Equalized Value?

State Equalized Value (SEV) is the final assessed value after the county and state complete their equalization processes and certify the assessed and taxable values. Typically, the SEV is the same as the assessed value.