Voters will decide renewal of Washtenaw County tax for police, mental health [Video]

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – Seven years after it first passed by a strong margin, a property tax sending millions to police and mental health services in Washtenaw County will be back before voters on Nov. 5.

County leaders voted 8-1 in the wee hours of Thursday, June 6, to place an eight-year renewal of the 1-mill mental health and public safety preservation millage on the general election ballot, giving tens of thousands of voters who also will turn out for the high-stakes presidential race a chance to decide its fate.

The decision capped roughly three months of public debate over the tax, set to expire at the end of 2025.

Originally pitched as a way to tackle dual funding challenges — the rising cost of policing contracts for areas served by the county sheriff’s office and state budget cuts for mental health services provided through Washtenaw County Community Mental Health, county leaders say the tax dollars have made a key difference.

The funding has greatly expandedthe population offered psychological, …