Local tax revenues increase to $3.48 million

At the Monday, Feb. 16, Tecumseh City Council meeting, City Assessor Amanda Lacelle presented the assessing department’s annual report.Local tax revenue for the city was $3,427,648 for 2014 and is projected to be $3,488,952 in 2015 — an increase of $61,304. City revenue peaked in 2008 at $4,142,413, according to Lacelle. “We’ve lost about $700,000 in revenue for the city,” she said. The assessor’s report noted 185 home sales in 2014, with foreclosures down to 34 in 2014. There were 47 foreclosures in 2013 and 55 in 2012. “We’re heading in the right direction,” said Lacelle. “There’s less and less foreclosures.”In terms of home sales, 26 homes sold for under $50,000, while 66 homes valued between $51,000 and $100,000 were sold. Twelve homes over $200,000 were sold. “Those numbers were a lot better seven years ago,” Lacelle added, “but still heading in the right direction in the fact that we have 66 in that median range, so it’s improvement.”She added that in the previous three years there were no sales of homes over $200,000.“2014 was a year of a lot of changes,” said Lacelle, adding the State of Michigan changed certificate requirements for level two, three and four assessors. Lacelle said that assessors are in high demand, noting Columbia Township has been searching for a new assessor for four years. “It’s been a very difficult year for finding an assessor if you need one,” she said. Lacelle said going forward, the industrial personal tax will be fazed out in 2016 and replaced with the essential services tax. She said she has heard legislators are still working on the new tax, but added, “it will be a loss for the city of Tecumseh.”