Mount Pleasant City Commission takes stance against Proposal 5

The City of Mount Pleasant joined a growing list of those opposed to Proposal 5 at Monday’s City Commission meeting.

City commissioners approved a resolution supporting a “no” vote on Proposal 5, a constitutional amendment on the ballot in Michigan this November.

The proposal, sponsored by the Michigan Alliance for Prosperity, would require any tax laws be approved by either a two-thirds majority in the Legislature, or by a statewide vote.

“It is worded in such a way that a mere 13 senators could stop any proposal on enacting, increasing or changing the base rate of any tax proposal,” said City Manager Kathie Grinzinger.

Grinzinger said the Michigan Municipal League and several other organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Michigan’s County and Township Associations, AARP, the Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Farm Bureau, the Business Leaders for Michigan and others have taken a stance against the proposal.

Before voting on the resolution, Vice Mayor Kathy Ling offered her support for voting “no” on Proposal 5 and asked the commission to take the same stance.

Numerous organizations with varied interests coming together to oppose the measure is something to note, because the groups do not come together often, Ling said.

“That’s a pretty broad range of groups,” she said. “When you have the education groups, the Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Municipal League and some other groups all saying, ‘Hey, this is a bad idea,’ I think that sends a message this is bad for the state.”

Ling said the proposal could have a negative impact on Mount Pleasant and other small, local governments.

In many of the states where similar legislation has passed, the tax burden has been shifted down to the local level, Ling said.

Commissioners Jon Joslin and Sharon Tillman also spoke in support of defeating Proposal 5.

“Just to put it in the bluntest terms, I don’t like these proposals that would tinker with the Constitution, and I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Tillman said.

Defend Michigan Democracy, a group formed to oppose Proposal 5, includes a list on its website of those also opposed to the proposal. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville and more than 20 organizations are on the list.