.png)
LUDINGTON — The Ludington City Council will consider moving forward Monday evening with two citywide special assessments that would collect a combined $633,525 annually for police and fire protection and street lighting.
The proposals are part of an effort by the city to address a projected 2027 General Fund deficit. The council will hold public hearings on both assessments before considering resolutions establishing the special assessment districts.
The larger of the two proposals is a $489,075 public safety special assessment. The city estimates police and fire protection will cost $3,073,266 in 2027. The proposed assessment would cover 15.91% of that amount, with the balance continuing to be paid through the General Fund and other city revenues.
The public safety assessment would apply to taxable real and personal property throughout the city. The amount charged to each property would be based on its taxable value, effectively creating an ad valorem assessment rate.
The proposed district would remain in effect for 10 years beginning when the assessment roll is confirmed. The council could redetermine the cost every two years. If an incremental increase exceeded the estimated cost by 10% or more, affected property owners would be entitled to notice and another hearing.
The second proposal would establish a street lighting special assessment totaling $144,450 annually.
The city estimates it will spend $160,500 annually to install, maintain and operate street lights, including electricity. Under the proposal, 90% of that cost would be paid through the special assessment.
Unlike the public safety assessment, the street lighting assessment would not be based on taxable value. The council’s proposed resolution states that the benefit of street lighting is shared equally among properties and calls for the amount to be divided equally among taxable parcels within the city.
That assessment district also would remain in place for 10 years. Costs could be redetermined every two years during that period.
Both proposals have been moving through an eight-step special assessment process.
At its Sept. 14 meeting, the council unanimously approved resolutions tentatively declaring its intent to establish the assessments and scheduled Monday’s public hearings.
At that meeting, city officials said the city currently pays about $160,500 annually for street lighting and was considering shifting $144,450 of that expense from the General Fund to the special assessment. Officials said the assessment would be reviewed based on actual Consumers Energy bills and was not intended to permanently remain at $144,450.
The projected police and fire costs total about $3.07 million. The proposed $489,075 public safety assessment would supplement rather than replace the city’s General Fund contribution toward those services.
The proposals have raised questions about how the assessments fit into the city’s larger effort to address its projected General Fund deficit.
During the Sept. 14 meeting, Ludington resident Daniel Jensen told council members that city reports showed a projected $523,800 General Fund operating deficit for 2027. He noted that the two proposed assessments total $633,525 — $109,725 more than the projected deficit.
Jensen asked the city to provide a reconciliation showing how the assessments, potential expenditure reductions, new revenue sources and other budget changes affect the projected deficit without counting any item more than once.
If the council approves the next resolutions Monday, the city assessor would be directed to prepare the assessment rolls by Oct. 12 showing how much individual properties would be assessed.
A second public hearing, this time on the actual assessment rolls and amounts charged to individual properties, is scheduled for Oct. 26 under the proposed resolutions.
Property owners who want to preserve their right to challenge the necessity or boundaries of the assessments before the Michigan Tax Tribunal must protest during the applicable public hearing process, either in person or in writing.
The Ludington City Council meets at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at Ludington City Hall, 400 S. Harrison St.
________________
Please Support Local News Coverage
For generations, local newspapers were supported by subscriptions. Today, while Mason County Press and Oceana County Press remain free to everyone, the cost of producing quality local journalism continues to rise.
If you value independent local news coverage, we invite you to help sustain it by subscribing to the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing for $12 a month — about 40 cents a day — or $120 a year.
Your subscription helps support the reporters, photographers and editors who cover local government, schools, community events, sports, breaking news and the stories that matter most to Mason and Oceana counties. In return, you’ll receive the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing each morning with the day’s headlines, along with occasional breaking news and special email editions.
Monthly subscriptions are available for $12 per month.
Click here to subscribe monthly.
Annual subscriptions are available for $120 per year.
Click here to subscribe annually.
If you prefer to pay by check, mail your $120 annual payment to:
Media Group 31, LLC
P.O. Box 21
Scottville, MI 49454
Please include your name, mailing address, email address and telephone number so we can activate your subscription.
Subscription payments must be received before service is activated.
Whether you choose to subscribe or continue enjoying our free content, thank you for reading Mason County Press and Oceana County Press. Your readership—and your support—helps ensure that independent local journalism remains available to everyone in our communities.
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026 by Media Group 31, LLC, P.O. Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. All rights reserved. No portion of this story or its images may be reproduced in any form, including print, broadcast or electronic media, without the express written permission of Media Group 31, LLC.
As a news organization, Media Group 31 maintains published content as part of the public and historical record. Accordingly, stories are not removed after publication. At the editor’s discretion, stories may be updated or corrected as new information becomes available. Updates may be made by revising the original story or by publishing a follow-up story. Media Group 31, LLC reserves the right to modify this policy at any time. Please refer to our Use Policy for additional information.
.jpg)
