Challenge Your Assessment Dates and Other Township Information

Hi All,
Have you received your 2012 Assessment for your property?  Mine went up.  Taxes went up.  Again.
If you feel that your assessed value is incorrect, you must make an appointment and go to the Board of Review.  Interesting...this announcement is NOT on the home page of the township website. 

2012 MARCH BOARD OF REVIEW MEETING
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF BLOOMFIELD

THE BOARD OF REVIEW FOR THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF BLOOMFIELD WILL MEET BY APPOINTMENT AT THE TOWNSHIP OFFICE, 4200 TELEGRAPH RD., BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48302.

MONDAY,
MARCH 12, 2012
9:00 AM - 12:00 NOON
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

TUESDAY,
MARCH 13, 2012
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 14, 2012
9:30 AM – 3:30 PM

THURSDAY,
MARCH 15, 2012
9:00 AM - 12:00 NOON
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

For the purpose of reviewing the 2012 Tax Assessment Rolls.

Please call the Assessing Department at 248. 433.7710 to schedule an appointment.

TOWNSHIP HOME PAGE ANNOUNCEMENTS  

Planning Commission and ZBA Meetings Rescheduled
Healthy Lawn Workshop
Electronics, Medication Disposal and Paper Shredding Event
Clean Sweep
Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Day
Proposed Budget
Proposed Budget Presentation
2012 Rouge River Frog and Toad Survey Workshops
Change of Address For Rizzo Bill Payments
Citizens’ Guide and Dashboard
Board of Trustees Meeting Videos
Bloomfield Township Receives AAA Bond Rating

Election Info
Unofficial election results

The Design Review Board met today @ 2pm.
 (Do not confuse this with Board of Review and assessing. )
The agenda was SIGNS in the township. I did not attend, but these sign requests were on the agenda:
A. Signs:
1. Sandalwood Subdivision – Ground Sign
2. 42967 Woodward Ave. – Qdoba Mexican Grill – Wall Sign
3. 2145 S. Telegraph Rd. – Five Below – Wall Sign
4. 2053 Telegraph Rd. – Better Health Market – Wall Sign
5. 6420 Telegraph Rd. – LA Fitness – Wall Sign
6. 1611 Opdyke Rd. – Dr. Barry P. August – Wall Sign

The township website announced a change in the next Design Review Board meeting date: Wednesday,  March 14 @ 2 pm.  March 21 is cancelled.  Mark your calendars.

Assessing Seminar at Township Library; Reservation Required

Hi All,

Sign Up for Assessing Seminar

The Township assessor's office will be presenting a property assessment seminar at the Township LIBRARY on January 19, 2012, from 7 pm to 9 pm.  Seating is limited and a reservation is required to attend. To obtain a seat please call 248-433-7710 or 248-433-7793.  The above link takes you to a PDF file that gives a lot of information about the seminar...don't miss clicking on it.

Township offers same class to City of Sylvan Lake
FYI:  The City of Sylvan Lake has contracted with Bloomfield Township for Assessing for a "fee" of $19,100 per year paid to the Township. The Township assessing budget is:  $758,000.

The Township is offering this exact same seminar to the residents of the City of Sylvan Lake.  That city has the seminar advertised on it's website. Therefore, the limited seats are available to two communities.   If you want a seat, call today.

Township Website Offers More Information
The Township website has an entire section dedicated to the assessing department.  I suggest you read each (6) link associated with this department as it will help you understand assessing in general and the power point presentation on January 19. The information will also help you formulate your own questions concerning your property.

Seminar at Library on Jan. 19, 2012 from 7 pm to 9 pm
Bill Griffin, Director of Assessing, has allotted time that evening for his entire staff to help individuals with their specific questions. You may bring your assessment notification letter from last year (2012 notices arrive in your mailbox the middle of February).   However, if you have done some research already, bring what you found, ie: comparable houses sold in your area.  The assessing staff could perhaps tell you if those are good examples, or if not, why not, and what you should look for instead.

The assessing staff is available at the Township offices throughout the year for any questions or concerns.  Keep in mind, there are deadlines and procedures to follow concerning appealing your assessment.

Board of Review meets in March 2012
If you decide that you need to contest your assessed value, then it will be important to schedule an appointment with the Board of Review.  Those appointments are in March of each year.  The Board of Review gives you only 5 minutes to present your evidence.   At the Jan. 19 seminar, the Township assessor's office will discuss when those appointments are scheduled and how the Board of Review operates and what you can expect.

I recommend attending this seminar.  I attended the Nov. 29 seminar at the Senior Center.  Sign up soon and remember to mark your calendar.

Property Assessment Seminar to be held at the  Bloomfield Township Public Library
January 19th
7:00-9:00

The real cost of sharing services

I am concerned with the costs to the taxpayers for "services we all want and expect" as Bloomfield Township leaders like to tell us.

Earlier in August the board approved township personnel to do all inspection services for the city of Sylvan Lake for a "fee" working as "independent contractors." Then the township approved a two-year deal to do all of the assessing for Sylvan Lake for $19,000 a year, again a "fee" working as "independent contractors."

There are about 1,000 properties to assess in the city of Sylvan Lake, residential and commercial.

The township budget for assessing is $750,000. The costs for the building rent, utilities, computers, insurance, motor pool cars, gas and maintenance, etc. are not included as expenses in that budget.

The township claimed that no more personnel were needed, nor any other items (computers,etc.), and that the existing department could easily absorb this work in their daily routine.

The Board of Review will also be involved but those scheduled meetings will need to be performed on different days at the city of Sylvan Lake. The Board of Review has expenses as well. Other departments, such as building and planning, may be needed in order to complete the data and reports required. What costs are there?

The township is responsible for about 20,000 (my guesstimate) residential and commercial properties in the township. Those 20,000, plus 1000 for Sylvan Lake, properties make 21,000 properties divided into that $750,000 assessing budget, for a per parcel cost of $35.71. Doesn't sound like it costs much per property.

However, multiply $35.71 by the number of properties needing assessing in Sylvan Lake and I think the township should actually be charging at least $35,710, not $19,000 per year.

Our tax dollars are subsidizing another community that pays zero in millages...just "fees." Our township employees are "independent contractors" to the city of Sylvan Lake. That means Sylvan Lake is not responsible for wages, health and insurance benefits or pensions. The township is responsible for all of those costs. The township is responsible for all the legacy costs and all the costs associated with the job...vehicles, computers, building to do business from, etc.

The city of Sylvan Lake has also considered a proposal by the township to have police and dispatch performed by our township employees. What will that "fee" be? How much will the township taxpayers be subsidizing for those services?

Beware of future millage requests. What is your money paying for? Services for you, or them?