Finance & Assessing

The Finance Director/Treasurer works under the general supervision of the City Manager.  The Director plans and directs the treasury, accounting, financial reporting and investment functions of the City.  Responsibilities include management of the accounting staff, budget preparation and presentation, maintenance of accounting and financial records, and coordination of the annual audit.

The City office finance staff consists of a customer service representative and two account clerks.  The finance staff has the direct responsibility of handling all daily transactions.  This includes the collection of taxes and fees, issuance of permits, and generation and collection of water bills.

Financial Report with Supplements 06/30/2018
2019 Audit Report
2019 Audit Presentation
State CVTRS Reports and Dashboard

For further information on the budget process, to view graphs and more - visit the Reports and Dashboard Page.

Budget Information
2019 Capital Improvement Plan

TAX PAYMENT INFORMATION - Tax and water bill payments can be by mail or in person at city hall. Tax payments can also be made online with a credit card. Payments made this way will also be charged a courtesy fee of 3%. Taxes are billed twice a year - Summer (July) and Winter (December).                             

Click here to pay your taxes online.    Due dates for taxes are August 10 and February 14.
Click here to search for tax, assessing and water billing records and information.
Click here to have your utility bills emailed to you.

Total 2018 millage rates - PRE (homestead) properties is 51.5729 and for Non-PRE properties (non-homestead) is 63.4786

Water usage is billed 6 times per year.

 
Assessing

The 2020 March Board of Review meeting is scheduled as follows:

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
March 16, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

 APPEAL HEARINGS
March 16, 2020 @ 1:30 PM to 9:00 PM
March 17, 2020 @ 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

For hearing and meeting details, click here.


The Assessing Office’s primary purpose is to establish the Assessed Value for all real and personal property in the City of Grosse Pointe which is not expressly exempt by law.

On March 15, 1994, the voters of the State of Michigan approved Proposal A which included significant changes to Section 3 of Article IX of the State Constitution.   This law limits the value used to compute property taxes.  The following definitions may be helpful in understanding the assessment process.

  1. Assessed Value – Value determined by the local assessor which is equal to 50% of true cash value.
  2. Capped Value – The prior year’s taxable value minus any losses (demolition of a structure, etc.) multiplied by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the current  year, plus any additions (new construction, etc.).  The maximum increase in any one year is limited to 5% plus any construction changes.  The Capped value is a mathematical calculation which is mandated by the State of Michigan, and no one on the local level has the authority to change it.
  3. Taxable Value – The value on which property taxes will be computed.  This is either the assessed value or capped value formula, whichever is less.
  4. Market Value – This is the usual selling price of property on the open market with no stress or unusual conditions placed on the sale, not the actual selling price.

The following is a historical list of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) multiplier.

 1995 1.026   2001  1.032   2007 1.037   2013 1.024
 1996  1.028   2002 1.032   2008 1.023   2014 1.016
 1997  1.028   2003 1.015   2009 1.044   2015 1.016
 1998  1.027   2004 1.023   2010 0.997   2016 1.003
 1999  1.026   2005 1.023   2011 1.017   2017 1.009
 2000  1.019   2006 1.033   2012 1.027   2018 1.021


If there was a transfer of ownership on your property last year, your taxable value for the current year will be the same as your state equalized value.  Within 45 days of the property transfer, it is the buyer’s responsibility to file a Property Transfer Affidavit with the Assessor under authority of P.A. 415 of 1994.  The information must include the parties to the transfer, the date of the transfer, the actual consideration for the transfer, and the property’s identification number or legal description.

Homeowners may also want to claim an exemption for property they own and occupy as their principal residence by completing the Homeowner's Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit and filing it with the Assessor’s office before Nov. 1st.  If you are moving from one homestead to another, you may also need to file a Request to Rescind Homeowner's Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit for your former residence.  You may claim only one residence as your homestead.  These forms are usually provided at a real estate closing.  However, copies of these forms may be obtained from the Assessor’s office or on-line through the Michigan Department of Treasury at http://www.michigan.gov/treasury.

An annual “Notice of Assessment and Taxable Valuation” is mailed to each property owner in late February each year.  The notice includes the property classification, along with a comparison of the current year and prior year taxable, assessed, and state equalized values.  The notice will also list the percentage of the property which is claimed as a Homestead, and whether or not a transfer of ownership occurred in the previous year.  Property owners should review all the information carefully, as this information becomes the basis on which taxes are levied.

Assessments may be appealed to the March Board of Review.  Dates and times of board meetings are included on the assessment notice, and also published in the Grosse Pointe News as required by law.  Petitions will be available the day of your scheduled appointment.  Please arrive ten (10) minutes prior to your appointment to fill out the petition form.  Non-residents may also appeal by letter, provided the letter is received before the last scheduled meeting date.  If an agent is acting as the property owner’s representative, they must submit a letter of authorization with an original signature and current date at the time of the appeal.

So how do I appeal my assessment and taxable value?
Call the City Office at 313-885-5800 to schedule an appointment.  You must be prepared to provide evidence to the Board of Review to support your contention that the assessed value exceeds 50% of the True Cash Value of the property.  “My taxes are too high,” is not considered a valid argument.  Your appointment is limited to 10 minutes.  

The March Board of Review will listen to all reasons for objecting to the assessment and determine the final value.  Petitioners will be notified by letter of the Board’s decision by to June 1st.  Property owners may wish to appeal further to the Michigan Tax Tribunal.  The address will be provided in the Board of Review’s response.  Please remember, the March Board of Review may only review the current year’s assessment, and they do not establish the tax rate.  The March Board of Review may raise, lower, or affirm an assessment.

Most records in the Assessor’s office, including the assessment roll, field sheets, appraisal reports, legal descriptions, sales data, and lot and building sizes, are available to the public for inspection.