LANSING, Mich., June 3, 2026 — Yesterday, the Sterling Heights City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the recent House Republican property tax package, which would gut local revenue without providing meaningful savings for families or homeowners. During the council meeting, Sterling Heights’ finance and budget director warned the elimination of the personal property tax could cost the city $4.3 million in annual revenue — revenue that supports schools, road improvements, and local emergency services. House Republicans have no plan to backfill the revenue at this time.
After the vote, state Rep. Denise Mentzer (D-Mt. Clemens), who represents portions of Sterling Heights, released the following statement:
“The House Republican property tax proposal would be disastrous for local towns and cities, as it decimates a critical revenue stream while only providing minimal, one-time savings for the majority of impacted households. We all want meaningful tax relief, especially when costs are rising for every person across our community. But when you’re talking about cutting essential public services like schools, fire and police departments, libraries and infrastructure upgrades, to pay for this so-called tax break, you’re not providing relief, you’re just robbing Peter to pay Paul.
“The Sterling Heights City Council is standing up for our people in rejecting the Republican proposal, and I stand with them. I don’t care about gimmicks or silly slogans, I care about results, and the Republican plan wouldn’t deliver them. It’s time for them to either go back to the drawing board, or get out of the way and let those of us who want to lower costs for working families without defunding police and schools, get the job done.”
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