Detroit/Wayne County Property Taxes for 2016 - Plan Now to Save Later

By Richard C. Clement 

    Many Detroit Residents received certified letters from the Wayne County Treasurer in December of 2015 regarding their property taxes.  This letter is giving you fair warning that your will lose your home if you don’t pay the amount stated.  If you have contacted the Wayne County Treasurer and have a payment agreement then you are fine. If you own property in Detroit then you have an opportunity to redress your grievance about your property tax if you feel that the amount is not right.

     You have three opportunities to save your home, and lower your property taxes. December and January are the months to make the plan to appeal your assessment. On the first 15 days of February, the Board of Assessors allows a homeowner to apply to appeal their assessed tax amount. (ClickHere) for the details to appeal a City of Detroit Tax Assessment. To be successful at a hearing, you must do the following:

1. Get a current appraisal of your home/property
2. Keep up with your payment paperwork like receipts for payment and other maintenance work
3. Find 3 homes that are comparable in size to your home and the selling price. If the homes sold for less than yours is appraised, then your taxes will be lowered.
4. File an appeal before Feb 15^th with the City of Detroit
5. Get a hearing date from the assessor’s office
6. A decision is rendered by the Board of Assessors
7. If you are satisfied then you are done with it and the process ends here.
8. If you are not satisfied with the decision you can appeal to the Board of Review in writing on or before the second Monday in March which is March 14,2016 to get an appointment.
9. If you are not satisfied with the Board of Review's decision, then to protect your property rights, you must file an appeal with the  State of MichiganTax Tribunal

   Please be aware that some cases like buying a home dirt cheap in an auction, your property taxes may go up. Property taxes are driven from values in property surrounding your home in the neighborhood. Otherwise, there were many smiles from homeowners who left the 8th floor of the Coleman Young Municipal Center because of their savings.

     The second and third opportunities involve the certified letter from the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office.  When you turn the letter over to the back, you have two opportunities to save your home and, dispute the amount owed. The show cause hearing will give a home owner a right to dispute the amount owed or make arrangements to pay the balance. If you lose your appeal in this hearing, the next one is the notice of foreclosure hearing that will lay the groundwork for total loss of the home by March 31^st, 2016.

     However, if you make contact with someone right now, it will never get to this desperate situation of losing a home and becoming homeless. If you need help paying your property taxes (click here) for detailed information on what can be done.

For housing assistance these are some contact agencies that can help:

Wayne County Department of Human Services – DHS (formerly Family Independence Agency) can be contacted at (313) 456-1000. This is a general number from which you can obtain the phone number and address of your local DHS office. You can also simply go to your local office and apply for State Emergency Relief (SER). Offices are located throughout Wayne County.

Michigan Veterans Trust Fund, Wayne County Office, (313) 899-1162. If you are a veteran with at least 6 months of wartime duty, you may qualify for financial assistance.

Wayne County Veteran Affairs (Soldiers and Sailors Relief Fund), (313) 224-1862. If you are a veteran with any wartime service and an honorable discharge, you may qualify.

Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) – (313) 842-7010, Help is available to those who qualify and is not limited to those of Arabic ethnicity.

City of Detroit Human Services Department, Central Operations Division – (313) 852-5634. (Detroit Homeowners only.)

Field Report 11/16 - Marijuana Laws in Detroit at the NWAC

by Richard C. Clement 

     Medical Marijuana Cardholder and Aide to Councilmember Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr.

                On Thursday November 16, 2015 at the Northwest Activities Center, the Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform held a meeting to address the proposed Detroit ordinances for Marijuana business in Detroit. CSCR members consist of the general public, marijuana patients, business owners, and government officials that support sensible and responsible Marijuana Laws.  Audience members were notified that if the ordinance is enacted into law as written, a ballot referendum will be initiated preventing it from being enforced will be filed. This ordinance was written to benefit a very small number of current store locations at the expense of other locations. If enough valid voter signatures are attained, then implementation of the ordinance will be suspended until the next general election in 2016.

While some in the audience chose to be very disrespectful of the speakers, the message was made very clear. Citizens will be given the opportunity to implement an ordinance that is sensible and, will treat Marijuana business like any other business in Detroit with only a 1000 buffer from a school.  All other provisions and proposals in the ordinances #21 and #64 will be repealed and made sensible. The citizens feel that they were being lied to by their government when provisions for a 1000 foot buffer around a religious institution was placed back into the ordinance after being removed by the City Planning Commission.  This was done after everyone spoke at public comment and left for the evening.

No other business in the City of Detroit or anywhere else gives a Church a 1000 buffer to do business, no other business is required to be 1000 feet from each other, and no other business is required stop operations at certain hours.  The felony provisions that prevent convicted felons from being a caregiver is another form of discrimination that creates joblessness.  Felons who have served their debt to society and have no intentions whatsoever to return to the system need to get some respect. Just look at Martha Stewart, Sam Riddle, Charlie Beckam, they are doing fine after being given a second chance and doing extremely well.

The issues of working hours, and drive through service shall be decided by the voters instead of a vocal minority that took the time to file a petition with the city clerk. We truly appreciate the service to the people by Councilmember James Tate. This is part of the job of an elected official and he is doing it very well. However, a decision of this magnitude that involves the survival of businesses, especially the African American owned ones like native Detroiter Melanie Faison of Miles Green Acers on Woodward and 7 mile, belongs with the people.

                 

Proactive Action for 2016 in Education, Property Taxes, and Veterans Assistance in Detroit

By Richard C. Clement

NOW IS THE TIME TO:

Make plans to appeal your  property taxes in December by assembling all of your receipts and  appearing before the City Assessors in February. This is  the primary method on lowering and getting affair  rate on your property.  Property taxes are determined by the aggregate value of property in your neighborhood. In some cases your taxes may increase even  though you purchased the property in a auction of foreclosure.  Regardless of that, we strongly encourage you to purchase property in our district.

Give a shout out to Rachel Orange our District 2 Public Relations Educational Liaison for utilizing her resources to personally help gain a partnership with Bagley Elementary School and the Wayne State Athletic Department. The Athletic Department provided school shoes to the entire first through fourth grade classes.  For more information contact Ms. Orange at  OrangeR@DetroitMI.Gov

Support the Black Out on the Avenue on the Friday after Thanksgiving and, Support the Fiber Art on the Avenue Campaign from  now until November 30th. Make your check payable to Detroit Fiberworks 19359 Livernois, Detroit MI 48221.

Thank a Veteran and, if know one that needs some help, Please contact 

John Gardner (jgardner@waynecounty.com) at  313 224-5659 with the Wayne County Veterans Services at 28 W. Adams, Suite 1710 Detroit, MI 48226. 

Programs like the MI Veterans Trust Fund, Soldiers and Sailors Relief,  and  Wayne County Burial Reimbursement help are available.  Emergency Grants are available to honorable war time veterans and their spouses and their dependent children

PSA Today: Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Period starts Now Until Dec 15th 2015.

This is a Public Service Message from Councilmember Pro-Tem George Cushingberry Jr.


From now until December 16, 2015,  you are strongly encouraged to sigh up for health care coverage through the  www.healthcare.gov website.  Don’t believe the crap you hear in the news about  the Act because it works.  If you think we are trying to pull some bull on you, just ask the legendary Bass Master of Detroit and District 2 constituent  Edward “T-Money” Green who recently went to the hospital for a life threatening growth on his leg. From a simple scratch and by being a diabetic, his leg swelled up as big as the size of two footballs. After life saving surgery at Henry Ford Hospital, the bill was entirely covered. He sincerely thanks President Barack Obama for doing the right thing when he said that every American will have health insurance like other nations do for their people.  If you need assistance with enrolling into the plan, please call our office because we have a dedicated staff member, Sheree McLaughlin who is a navigator and has valuable information on how to get assistance in getting health insurance. To make an appointment with her please call our office at 313 224-4535. 

[News For You From District 2] Notice of Public Meeting Cannabis Reform ...

[News For You From District 2] Notice of Public Meeting Cannabis Reform ...

Notice of Public Meeting 11/16/15 - Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform

by Richard C. Clement

An informational meeting regarding the City of Detroit’s new Marijuana laws will be held on November 16, 2015 at 7pm at the Northwest Activities Center. This meeting is sponsored by Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform to address the provisions of the new ordinance that are totally contrary to the will of people.   If no action is taken, this Ordinance will be implemented with immediate effect.  All owners will be served a notice to cease and desist from doing business and, be given 30 days to shut down. However, if a people inspired ballot initiative to repeal the objections in the ordinance is signed by 5000 people, the ordinance will be suspended until a vote of the citizens is taken in the next general election.  This process will also enable you to add things you want as a citizen with the ballot language.

We invite you to come to this meeting to be informed and enlightened about the many benefits of licensing and managing products from the Cannabis plant that will create jobs.  On WHCB1200AM Detroit, with Midred Gaddis, a caller said that Churches don’t create jobs.  This is not true because a lot of the Churches do a lot of excellent work in rebuilding homes.  With the removal of the 1000ft barrier, material like drywall, concrete and, an entire home can built with the plant.  This includes the buildings that are occupied by cannabis entrepreneurs who pay property taxes and pay utility bills.  

We want new business owners to respect the new neighbors by doing a community benefits agreements with the neighborhoods to UPGRADE the quality of life in the City of Detroit.  Urban gardening would benefit young and old alike because would learn how to grow food, medicine, and agriculture properly. Detroit Citizens are some of the best urban gardeners in the world who made the City much better because they take the time to do it right!

So if you want to have your voice truly heard regarding sensible Cannabis laws, please make plans to attend this meeting.

Field Report: The Protest on Livernois and Outer Drive on Thursday October 22, 2015 @ 9PM

by Richard C. Clement

The protest by the New Era Detroit organization on Livernois and Outer Drive that blocked traffic was handled by the wisdom of the elders in the crowd and the presence of  officers from the Detroit Police 12^th precinct. We are extremely glad that things turned out well.  Shout out to Keith Williams, and State Rep Latoya Garrett who appeared and listened to the protesters.  While the message of supporting black businesses  was valid, blocking the street preventing customers from getting to the businesses that the black people own hurt their cause. Places like Kuzzos and Baker Keyboard lost customers because of their street blockage and was counter to the message that they wanted to send. Order was restored when the protesters started to sit down and talk instead of cursing and aggressiveness. 

We hope that some of them changed their mind on the importance of voting and how to deal with the problem of gerrymandering.  It is the gerrymandering of districts that create the voter disenfranchisement and, gives the young an illusion that their vote does not count.  By selecting large tracts of land  a political party winning an election in a Census year can draw new district lines and shape policies for the next 10 years.  The result of this effect is a gridlock situation where nothing gets done and the neighborhoods are not represented fairly in Lansing and Washington. You get laws passed that will only benefit the few at the expense of the majority of the people.

Making a law referendum proof by preventing the voters from deciding what the people want is a form of voter fraud at the legislative level.  Legislative Voter Fraud takes your takes your voice away from making changes in the process against the majority of the people. To change that you have to register to vote, sign a petition, and vote the change into law.  Laws like a declaring a misdemeanor for making a  referendum proof law against the will of the people can be handled by a ballot initiative signed by registered voters asking for their voice with their vote.

In a football game ever play run does not go for an instant touchdown. Therefore this is going to be a ground game all the way to 2020 of voting in every election. You also have to support the ballot initiative for a non-partisan commission to pick the districts at the Congressional, State, Local, and County level to get a true representation of a community.  By voting this into law, you will end the gridlock that goes on in Lansing and Washington and get a true representation of your neighborhood at the State and US Capitol.

Change is coming but it takes time.  Vote anyway.