Assessments on the rise
Affordable housing communities like Ecorse, River Rouge jump; some Grosse Pointes decrease.
Darren A. Nichols / The Detroit News
Affordable housing communities like Ecorse, River Rouge jump; some Grosse Pointes decrease.
Darren A. Nichols / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- Wayne County released tax assessment projections Thursday, showing an increase in 18 of 43 communities.
The figures follow a Metro Detroit trend of increasing assessments despite a drop in home market values.
The assessments, which usually arrive in the mail by March, show the increase in part because the figures are based on a survey of sales from April 2004 to March 2006, a period largely before the market collapsed, said Gary Evanko, director of county assessing and equalization.
"The papers weren't full of news of foreclosures every day then," he said.
The basis for property taxes, assessments will rise an average of 2.56 percent, according to records released Thursday.
Even so, Michigan law prohibits property taxes from exceeding the 3.7 percent rate of inflation.
In Wayne County, areas with affordable housing such as Detroit, Ecorse, River Rouge and Highland Park saw increases from 6 percent to 7 percent.
But the wealthier Grosse Pointes decreased -- nearly 3 percent on average in Grosse Pointe Shores and almost 1 percent in the city of Grosse Pointe. Results from the other Pointes, like many other areas, were flat.
"It will be able to turn around," said Maria Little, an agent with Coldwell Banker in Grosse Pointe Farms. "We've kind of hit rock bottom. Homes are staying on the market a little longer and there are a lot more homes for sale, but it's starting to get busy again."
Assessments rose in 68 of 94 communities in Oakland, Macomb and Livingston counties.
In the city of Plymouth, assessments are going up about 5.15 percent, which worries Debra Madonna.
"What taxes do, they pick away, especially when people don't have jobs and don't know the future of the jobs," said Madonna, whose oldest son is getting married in a few months.
"It piles on after a while It's one more reason to run kids out of the state."
The figures follow a Metro Detroit trend of increasing assessments despite a drop in home market values.
The assessments, which usually arrive in the mail by March, show the increase in part because the figures are based on a survey of sales from April 2004 to March 2006, a period largely before the market collapsed, said Gary Evanko, director of county assessing and equalization.
"The papers weren't full of news of foreclosures every day then," he said.
The basis for property taxes, assessments will rise an average of 2.56 percent, according to records released Thursday.
Even so, Michigan law prohibits property taxes from exceeding the 3.7 percent rate of inflation.
In Wayne County, areas with affordable housing such as Detroit, Ecorse, River Rouge and Highland Park saw increases from 6 percent to 7 percent.
But the wealthier Grosse Pointes decreased -- nearly 3 percent on average in Grosse Pointe Shores and almost 1 percent in the city of Grosse Pointe. Results from the other Pointes, like many other areas, were flat.
"It will be able to turn around," said Maria Little, an agent with Coldwell Banker in Grosse Pointe Farms. "We've kind of hit rock bottom. Homes are staying on the market a little longer and there are a lot more homes for sale, but it's starting to get busy again."
Assessments rose in 68 of 94 communities in Oakland, Macomb and Livingston counties.
In the city of Plymouth, assessments are going up about 5.15 percent, which worries Debra Madonna.
"What taxes do, they pick away, especially when people don't have jobs and don't know the future of the jobs," said Madonna, whose oldest son is getting married in a few months.
"It piles on after a while It's one more reason to run kids out of the state."
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