06 Aug Voters Will Decide If TART Trails Millage Becomes Reality

The Grand Traverse County Commissioners recently voted to include the Grand Traverse County Trails Millage on the Nov. 3 ballot.

County voters will have the opportunity to support this 0.3 mill levy (30 cents per $1,000) of all taxable property value. Estimates put the annual revenue for recreation and transportation trails at about $2.6 million.

According to TART Trails, which is seeking this millage, the money would be used for things like land acquisition, planning, construction and improvement of trails, but also to leverage county funds for the development and long-term maintenance of the regional non-motorized trail network.

Commissioners debated whether millages are good at raising money. Yet, in a 5-2 vote, they approved putting the millage on the November ballot.

TART Trails CEO Julie Clark said the commissioners’ vote marked a historic moment for the community.

“For more than 30 years,” she said, “we’ve built an extraordinary trail network through partnerships, grants, volunteers, and generous community support. This proposal adds a critical piece that’s been missing: a reliable local funding source to help care for the trails we have, invest in the connections we still need, and leverage even more outside funding in the years ahead.”