Marquette Township granted Tax Tribunal appeal funds

Marquette Township was granted thousands of dollars in aid to continue to its appeal of the Michigan’s Tax Tribunal decision regarding taxation of big box stores in Marquette Township.

The Marquette County Board of Commissioners approved $12,000 for the appeal.

Lowe’s, along with other big box stores in the township, have recently had their property taxes lowered, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue for the township.

County Board Chairman Gerry Corkin said this issue affects not only Marquette County, but the state as well.

“It’s an important case for all of Michigan because treating these active filled stores as dark stores just doesn’t make any sense,” Corkin said.

“Tax revenue is important not only to Marquette Township, but to the schools in Marquette and the intermediate school district as well, and the county.  So we all have a stake in the tax base and it’s important that we fight to maintain it.”

The Commission is also planning on writing a letter to Governor Snyder opposing his appointments to the Tax Tribunal.

They say the appointees have been using assessments from stores in the southeastern part of the state that have had hard economic times, and not the vastly different assessments from stores in areas like Marquette County where vacancy is not an issue.