LANSING, Mich., May 21, 2026 — State Rep. Mike McFall (D-Hazel Park) issued the following statement explaining his vote against the property tax legislative package passed by the House last night:
“Every single day, I hear from constituents across our district who are feeling stretched to the limit by high property taxes and the rising cost of living. Working families, young homeowners, and seniors are telling me how difficult it is to keep up. They deserve real, meaningful relief, and I am fully committed to pushing for it.
“But there is a right way and a wrong way to lower taxes. Passing a sweeping package that gambles with the stability of our communities and puts vital local services at risk is the wrong way.
“This legislation goes far beyond a simple tax cut. It completely restructures how property values are calculated when homes change hands, eliminates long-standing personal property tax rules, and creates an entirely new 6 percent tax on everyday services to fill the funding gap. This isn’t straight relief — it is an unpredictable tax experiment.
“Before coming to Lansing, I served on the Hazel Park City Council. I know exactly how tight municipal budgets are, and I know what happens when the state makes big promises but leaves local communities to deal with the fallout. Property taxes directly fund the things our families rely on every single day: police officers on our streets, firefighters, EMS response times, local road repairs, senior centers, and public libraries.
“If this new, untested services tax fund doesn’t bring in the revenue Lansing thinks it will, our hometowns are the ones left holding the bag. That isn’t a reliable safety net for our neighborhoods. It’s an unnecessary gamble with public safety, schools, and local operations.
“We also cannot ignore the compounding, long-term damage this reimbursement structure causes by permanently capping principal residences when they are sold. Over the next five, ten, and twenty years, as neighborhoods turn over, our cities and townships will face a massive, irreversible loss in revenue that a temporary state fund simply won’t cover.
“I am more than ready to vote on responsible property tax relief that actually puts money back in people’s pockets. But I will not support a plan that trades a short-term headline today for a local budget crisis tomorrow, leaving our first responders and communities to pay the price.”
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