2019 Millage Renewal FAQs

The residents of the OCC District (almost all of Oakland County and parts of Lapeer, Livingston, and Washtenaw) will be asked to renew their property tax commitment of 0.7545 mills for ten years, commencing in 2022, to support Oakland Community College operations.

The tax rate will not increase. This is a renewal, not a new tax or tax increase.

For a home with a taxable value of $100,000, the cost for the millage renewal would be less than $76 a year.

The millage renewal proposal is for 0.7545 mills. The remaining mills are not expiring.

OCC will share the ballot with municipal elections and other proposals in most voting precincts in Oakland County. Among many factors for our decision, the two most important are we can better educate voters in a non-Presidential election year and we can plan ahead to meet the changing needs of our students and the community. We believe this November is the best opportunity to reach voters with information about the proposed millage renewal.

The millage will be for ten years, from 2022 to 2031 inclusive.

The millage will generate approximately $45 million annually beginning in 2022.

The renewal of the millage will allow OCC to continue as a leader in the region's economy by providing high-quality education to everyone.

For most of its 54 years, OCC received 1.4 mills for operations and debt service. The passage of Proposal A in 1994 reduced that amount to 0.8522. Recognizing that the College could not operate with this reduction, voters approved a special millage of 0.8 mill in 1995 and renewed the millage in 2002 and 2010. Over the years, the Headlee Rollback has reduced the millage rate to its current 0.7545 mills.

In fiscal year 2018-19, 53% of OCC's operating revenue came from property taxes, 19% from tuition and fees, and 15% from state appropriations. With relative declines in state appropriations and limits on tuition increases, we project that the 0.7545 mills in the renewal proposal will generate approximately 27% of the College's operating revenue when the millage renewal goes into effect.

OCC District residents exclusively enjoy the benefits of a high-quality, affordable college education in exchange for their tax support. Low tuition makes college education and career training accessible to residents who otherwise could not afford higher education. This benefits the student, families, and the whole community. For example, OCC trains the 911 dispatchers, police officers, fire fighters, EMS technicians, nurses, and health professionals who keep our community safe and healthy. We train students for high-demand positions in auto repair, cybersecurity, robotics, welding and others that keep the region's economy growing. A significant jump in tuition would have a negative impact on the entire community.

OCC is fiscally conservative and a careful steward of public funds. We continually assess and streamline operations to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness. There is no way to reduce operating expenses enough to offset the loss of millage revenue and still be able to deliver the quality, affordable and accessible education mandated by the community.

The funds will be used to develop and enhance instructional programs so OCC graduates are academically prepared to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the competitive job market as highly-skilled workers. Funds will be used to maintain and improve the College's extensive physical plant, which is located throughout Oakland County. Renewal dollars will also be used to support student scholarships, academic programs and technology advances.

The College has kept the promises it made to the voters each time the special millage has been approved. Since the last renewal in 2010, the College used the funds to offer up-to-date, relevant training and retraining programs for its students; provide state-of-the-art instructional equipment; keep tuition affordable; offer additional scholarship support; upgrade and expand the information technology infrastructure, and restore and improve facilities.

Contact: Janet Roberts, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, (248) 341-2121, jerobert@oaklandcc.edu