Voters have overwhelming supported transit millages and proposals in Michigan during the 2010 election cycle. In many cases, the ballot proposals passed with a greater than 2/3 majority. Here is a listing of ballot proposals compiled by Transportation for America:

Bay County – Type: Property tax
Bay County voters were asked to approve a five-year, 0.75-mill renewal for operations of the Bay Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The renewal is expected to generate about $2.2 million a year. The rate has not increased since it was first approved by voters in 1981. The revenue is used to match state and federal grants, which all totaled fund Bay Metro’s $7 million annual budget.

August 3, 2010
Approved
64%-36%

Bennington Township – Type: Property tax
Voters are being asked to approve a 0.15-mil levy, which will run for four years, for the purpose of providing public transportation within Bennington Township from SATA at a reduced cost. If approved, the millage would raise an estimated $14,400 in its first year.

November 2, 2010
Approved
66%-34%

Branch County – Type: Property tax
Voters were asked to approve a 0.35 millage renewal to support the operation of the Branch Area Transit Authority (BATA) bus service. Local voters have always approved renewals. The tax will continue until 2014, and is expected to raise about $464,770 in its first year.

August 3, 2010
Approved
70%-30%

Clare County – Type: Property tax
Voters were asked to approve a five-year millage renewal for Clare County Transit Corportation. The total request was for 0.3 mills, with 0.2953 mills being renewed and 0.0047 mills being restored. The tax was originally approved in the 1980s. It is estimated to generate $312,068.00 the first year. Clare County Transit has an annual operating budget of approximately $1.2 million. Funding comes from the local millage, fares and state and federal grants.

August 3, 2010
Approved
61%-39%

Caro – Type: Property tax
Voters in Almer Charter and Indianfields townships and the City of Caro were asked for 1 mill for three years for the Caro Transit Authority to operate Thumbody Express. The measure is expected to generate $231,000 annually.

November 2, 2010
Approved
62%-38%

Eaton County – Type: Property tax
Voters in Eaton County were asked to increase the millage for EATRAN to 0.5 mill to allow service expansion and some fixed-route service.

August 3, 2010
Failed
45%-55%

Eaton County – Type: Property tax
A measure identical to the failed August 3 measure. The proposal would replace the 0.2469 mill levy with an 0.75 mill tax levy for five years, from 2012 through 2016. The county Board of Commissioners voted to put this measure back on the ballot two weeks after the disappointing August election.

November 2, 2010
Failed
40%-60%

Genesee County – Type: Property tax
On the ballot was a five-year renewal measure for a 0.4 mill tax to support the Mass Transportation Authority’s countywide bus system. In its first year, the tax is expected to generate about $4.5 million. Countywide property taxes have been approved for MTA everytime they have been on the ballot since 1996.

August 3, 2010
Approved
63%-37%

 

Ingham County – Type: Property tax
The proposal would combine and reauthorize two levies approved by voters in 2004 and 2006 for public transportation services elderly and disabled. The 0.48 mill would raise approximately $3.641 million a year.

August 3, 2010
Approved
67%-33%

 

Ingham County – Type: Property tax
This measure for the Capital Area Transportation Authority would replace replace two existing levies with a single renewal and an increase totalling 3 mills. This rate was approved by voters in 2004, but was subsequently reduced by a change in a constitutional provision. The millage is expected to generate approximately $18,001,980 in its first year.

August 3, 2010
Approved
63%-37%

 Lapeer County – Type: Property tax
This proposal asks voters to renew the 0.25 operating fund millage for the Greater Lapeer Transportation Authority. It was approved by voters in 2006 and was set to expire in 2010. It will be applicable in the townships of Deerfield, Elba, Lapeer, Mayfield, and Oregon and the City of Lapeer, for a period of five years, from 2011 to 2015. It is estimated to raise $290,000 in its first year.

August 3, 2010
Approved
67%-33%

 

Ludington, Mason County- Type: Property tax
This proposal asked voters to renew the 1 mill operating fund millage for the Ludington Mass Transportation Authority that was approved in 2006 for four years. The tax would be extended for five years, from 2011-2015 in the city of Ludington. In its first year it is estimated to generate $262,945.

August 3, 2010
Approved 

Scottsville, Mason County – Type: Property tax
This proposal asked voters to renew the 1 mill operating fund millage for the Ludington Mass Transportation Authority that was approved for 2 years in 2008. The millage would be levied for five years, from 2011-2015 in the city of Scottsville. In its first year it is expected to generate $23,460.

August 3, 2010
Approved 

City of Saginaw – Type: Property tax
The measure asked voters to approve a 3-mill, five-year renewal of the levy for the Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services. The measure is necessary to maintain operations in preparation for a potential countywide measure in 2015.

August 3, 2010
Approved
65%-35%

 

Shiawassee County – Type: Property tax  

August 3, 2010
Approved 

Spring Lake – Type: Property tax
Voters will consider a two-year renewal of 0.9898 mills to pay for the village’s participation in the Harbor Transit transportation system. The levy would be within the village’s authorized operating tax, and would not involve a change in its millage rate. It is expected to generate $84,786 annually.

November 2, 2010
Approved
80%-20%

 

St. Joseph County – Type: Property tax
St. Joseph County voters in August will get a request to renew for four years a 0.33-mill property tax originally approved in 2007. The tax generates $583,000, about 45 percent of the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority’s $1.3 million budget. It is set to expire next year.

August 3, 2010
Approved
61%-37%

 

Van Buren – Type: Property tax
Request to renew  0.2480 mill for public transportation services for seniors and disabled people for 5 years, from 2011-2015.. The levy is expected to bring in $734,431 in the first year.

August 3, 2010
Approved
68%-32%

 

Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties – Type: Property tax
Voters in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties voted on a two-year millage renewal to fund local SMART bus service in their communities. The 0.59-mill property tax funds bus service in the 23 suburban communities that have chosen to “opt in” to the system by voting on the tax. SMART gets about half its revenue from property taxes, and has recently trimmed $11 million from its budget — $7 million through cuts and $4 million through a fare increase that took effect Dec. 1.

August 3, 2010
Approved
Oakland- 78%
Wayne- 74%
Macomb-72%

Wexford – Type: Property tax
This proposal asked voters countywide to consider a 0.6 mill levy to support operations for the Cadillac/ Wexford Transit Authority. The levy would be renewed for four years. The CWTA had $2 million in total expenses in 2009. This operating millage is expected to generate $591,285.

August 3, 2010
Approved
61%-39%

 

Ypsilanti – Type: Property tax 
City of Ypsilanti voters were asked to approve a charter amendment to levy an additional 0.9789 mills specifically for public transit, restoring the original 20 mills that had been reduced. With the amendment in place, Ypsilanti would secure an additional $281,429 in revenue in 2011 for bus transportation through the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority.

November 2, 2010
Approved
72%-28%