A property tax rate that is used to fund a specific local service, like a library, schools, or parks.
Local governments often use millages to fund services.

Millage comes from “mill,” meaning one-thousandth of a dollar in property tax terms.
A 1-mill tax means $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. 

Formula for individual homeowners/property owners:
Mill rate x taxable property value ÷ 1,000 = amount paid per year for that millage. 

A new 6-year millage at 2.5 mills for library operations and capital expenditures. 2.1 mills for library operations and 0.4 mills for library capital expenditures.

“For continuing to provide current Library services, shall the City of Ishpeming, Marquette County, Michigan be authorized to levy up to an additional 2.1 mills ($2.10 per $1,000.00 taxable value) for Library operations and, concurrently, up to .4 mills ($.40 per $1,000 taxable value) for Library capital expenditures on all property assessed for taxes within the City of Ishpeming for a period of six (6) years (2026-2031, inclusive)? The combined new 2.5 mills will raise approximately $399,527.30 in the first year.”

The current level of operation will continue without changes to staffing, open hours, programming, or material purchasing.

Funding would be dedicated for the library and could not be used for other city purposes.

There will be significant cuts to the library’s operation including the potential closure of the library, reduction in hours or elimination of staff, reduced open hours, minimal to nonexistent programming, reduction or elimination of other library services, and deferral of building maintenance and capital improvements.

The City’s General Fund Revenues are insufficient to fund services provided to residents at current levels, specifically the operation of the Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library. A millage will provide more stable and secure funding for the library.

Finance Director, Grey Getschow, gave a presentation in May on the Fiscal State of the City, available to watch here.

The cost is $2.50 for every $1,000 of taxable value.

To figure this on your own use the following formula.

Mill rate x taxable property value ÷ 1,000 = amount paid per year for that millage. 

The city funds nearly 85% of the library's annual budget, with the remainder comprised of contract fees from surrounding townships for library service, State Aid, penal fines, and other miscellaneous sources.

You can view the city's approved 2026 budget here.

Never! The city has maintained a public library for 150 years and this is the first time a proposal for dedicated funding for the library has been put to the voters.

Yes! The library is seeing increased use in all areas.

In just the last three years:

• 34% of current library card-holders signed up for their card
   
• 97,247 people visited the library (26% of visits were to attend a program)
   
• 980 programs were offered for all ages (25,410 people attended those programs)
   
• 165,536 physical items were checked out (58% were children's items)
   
• 50,407 digital items were checked out

To see how use compares over time (or for a more comprehensive overview), please see our annual reports.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The City of Ishpeming now has one voting precinct located at:

KD Hall – St. Johns Church

325 S. Pine Street

Ishpeming, MI 49849

Vote here on November 3, 2026

Early In-Person Voting Location:

Negaunee Township Community Center

42 East M-35

Negaunee, MI 49866

Vote here Oct. 24 - Nov. 1, 2026

To check your voter registration status or for all other voting information visit the Michigan Secretary of State's Voter Information Center.

The City of Ishpeming contracts with five surrounding townships (Champion, Ely, Humboldt, Ishpeming, and Tilden) to provide library service in exchange for: 

1. A contract fee
2. Penal Fines (from the County of Marquette on behalf of township residents)
3. State Aid (from the State of Michigan on behalf of township residents)

 Any resident of a township that contracts for library service receives the full benefits of a resident library card.

In order to receive Penal Fines and State Aid on behalf of a contracting municipality that municipality must be contributing at least 3/10 mill in library support. Current contract fees do not meet that requirement and the City of Ishpeming has been subsidizing the difference. This is no longer sustainable. For the past year and a half the Sustainability Committee of the Library Board has been researching a more equitable funding policy. 

The City of Ishpeming will be contacting each Township Supervisor with a request to increase their contribution to 3/10 mill over the next 5 years. If a Township Board approves the new contract their residents will continue to receive the full benefits of a resident library card. If a Township Board declines the new contract their residents will no longer be eligible for a resident library card and will, instead, need to purchase a non-resident library card for their household for $90 per year. If a Township Board declines the new contract the library will no longer receive Penal Fines or State Aid on behalf of those township residents.

Library Director, Jesse Shirtz, gave a 10-minute presentation on this topic here (starts at 1:09:10).

Contact information for each Township Board

Champion Township: 

Township Supervisor: Mike Simula

Phone: (906) 339-2920, Email:  champion.township@sbcglobal.net

Ely Township:

Township Supervisor: Jeremy Laakso

Phone: (906) 486-6802, Email: supervisor@elytwp.com 

Humboldt Township:

Township Supervisor: Jeff Ogea

Phone: (906) 339-2927, Email: clerk@humboldt.town

Ishpeming Township:

Township Supervisor: James Nankervis

Phone: (906) 485-5411, Email: supervisor@ishpemingtownship.com

Tilden Township:

Township Supervisor: Fred VanLuven

Phone: (906) 486-6580, Email: tildensupervisor@tildentwp.org 

You may contact the Library Director, Jesse Shirtz, at 906-486-4381 or jshirtz@ishpeminglibrary.info

or

the Ishpeming City Manager, Randy Scholz, at 906-485-1091 ext. 203 or citymanager@ishpemingcity.org