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The DTE Training and Development Center off Cherry Hill Road. (Photo: JOHN HEIDER | hometownlife.com)

In government, taxes make the world go round.

Last year, the City of Westland collected$93,879,944in taxes between the summer and winter collections. Over $7.5 million of that came from just 10 businesses. These businesses employ, house, power and receive business from residents of the city and its surrounding communities.

Taxes bring in money that help fundcities, schools, librariesand more. It's up to elected officials to decide how that money is spent.

"In Michigan, it's generally around 60 to 70 percent of their operating budget," said Tim Hodge, a professor of economics at Oakland University."Property taxes make up the lion's share."

In Westland, those big payers include DTE Energy, the Westland Mall, Consumers Energy and a number of apartment complexes.

Westland Shopping Center off Warren Road.(Photo: JOHN HEIDER | hometownlife.com)

A property's tax billis determined by its taxable value;which is determined by things likelongevity of the owner, inflationandmarket value;multiplied by the various millage rates landowners pay.

"Whatever the millage rates are for the city, the schools, the county, the community colleges, all of those are put on there and calculated based on the taxable value of the property," Steve Smith, Westland's finance director, said.

Because ownership longevity is a factor, two properties that serve the same function might have two very different tax bills.

"You can't compare a taxable value on a property from one to the other even if they're the exact same structure," Jennifer Stamper, Westland's city assessor, said."They may have been sold at different times, which is going to affect the taxable value, one may have added a small addition to it that changes the value."

Westland's Westwood Village appartments. (Photo: JOHN HEIDER | hometownlife.com)

Businesses can appeal their state equalized value with their state, which, if lowered, can lower their taxable value and therefore their tax bill. But according to Stamper, exemptions are few and far between.

According to the state department of treasury, none of Westland's top 10 taxpayers were approved for any of Michigan's major exemptions during either collection in 2019.

"There are certain exemptions under state law, but they are very few," Stamper said."We as a city cannot just decide that we're going to give an exemption on a certain property because we feel like we want to help them out."

Stamper and Smith said the city cannot decide how much a landowner pays in property taxes, no matter how much business certain properties may bring to the city.

"We can't arbitrarily decide what to charge them for taxes," Smith said."It's all based on formulas and laws."

Contact reporterShelby Tankersley at stankersle@hometownlife.com or 248-305-0448. Follow her on Twitter@shelby_tankk.

Read or Share this story: https://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/westland/2020/08/11/westlands-highest-property-tax-payers-contribute-thousands-city/4952357002/

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Show me the money: Here's who pays the most property taxes in Westland - Hometown Life

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