Today, both the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press both reported that nine Wayne County communities were asking for a declaratory judgment to clarify whether they can and/or should be capturing revenues from the Detroit Zoo 0.1 mill tax levy.
A CRC paper released last week explains that the controversy stems from conflicting directions in state laws that a) direct tax increment financing authorities (DDAs, LDFAs, brownfield redevelopment authorities, etc.) to capture revenues from all taxes levied on properties within their districts and b) say that revenues that will be captured must be enumerated in the ballot question that seeks voter authorization to levy a tax.
The CRC paper is available at www.crcmich.org/PUBLICAT/2010s/2013/note201301.html