Millage disparity questioned by Sumpter Township trustees
Members of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees and Supervisor Tim Bowman expressed their criticism of the current inequity in public safety millage payments by mobile home parks during a meeting last month.
The discussion followed Clerk Don LaPorte’s comment that calls for medical assistance from the Sumpter Township Fire Department had increased to 133 incidents during the past 31 days. Fire Chief Jamie Goode supported LaPorte’s report, telling the board members that from 2020 to 2025 the department saw a 58 percent increase in calls.
LaPorte cautioned the board members that currently Goode is the only full-time member of the fire department, something LaPorte suggested may have to be considered as calls for aid increase.
The reported increases in service calls and subsequent service cost increases prompted Trustee Matthew Oddy to comment on the disparity in tax structure between residential public safety tax rates and those paid by mobile home parks. Oddy explained that while the population density in mobile home parks is higher than other residential property, the tax rate for public safety is much less than other property owners pay.
He told the board members that currently 30 percent of township residents live in mobile home parks and those residents should be paying for public safety services at a tax rate commensurate with other township residents. He noted that the same costs for fire services exist whether the emergency calls are to a home, business or mobile home park. The fire and police millage rates should be equally applicable to mobile home parks, he said.
Township attorney Rob Young noted that currently the manufactured housing community has legislative lobbyists encouraging state officials to maintain the status quo. Currently, according to Young, mobile homes pay $3 per month per unit or $36 per year. Young said at some point the state Legislature should reexamine the current tax rate.
“We can’t discriminate against the manufactured housing community,” Young stated.
Bowman said he has witnessed township police officers writing tickets in the mobile home parks and he was aware that the parks are considered private property. He said he could recall when the mobile home parks were privately patrolled by pickup trucks with “Security” painted on the doors.
Currently, Bowman said, township police are policing private property by patrolling in the mobile home parks.
Young explained that emergency calls could not be ignored and that first responders could not discriminate between apartments, trailer parks and other residences. He reiterated that the inequity in taxing could only change at the state level.
Public Safety Director/Police Chief Eric Luke noted that while 30 to 35 percent of the township population resides in the mobile home parks, these residents pay only about 2 percent of the current public safety millage amount.
The discrepancy, however, is not the responsibility of the mobile home residents, Luke said, and officers continue to enforce the 15-mph speed limit in the parks and stop sign violations along with school bus safety laws.
Bowman continued his criticism of the inequity and current situation.
“I can’t get over it. We are patrolling private property,” Bowman said.
