Voters across Wayne and Oakland counties have expressed support for a millage proposal intended to financially sustain two prominent Detroit cultural institutions dedicated to preserving Black and regional history, as BridgeDetroit reported.
Based on unofficial vote tallies, the tax initiative known as the "Yes to Our Story" campaign secured passage in both counties. The campaign, organized by the Detroit Historical Society and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, sought approval for a 10-year, 0.2-mill property tax levy designed to support ongoing operational costs.
With all votes counted in Wayne County, 68% of participating voters supported the measure. In Oakland County, the proposal received 53% backing from voters, according to the unofficial count.
The initial plan for the millage was unveiled in August. At that time, Detroit Historical Society President and CEO Elana Rugh explained that the proposal would help bring stability to the finances of both institutions. She noted that the funding allows the organizations to focus on their core mission of preserving local and Black history, while making sure that members of the public are able to experience those collections.
For a home with an average market value of $300,000, the property tax will cost the owner $30 per year. The revenue collected from the levy will directly support operational expenses for the two participating museums.
The ballot initiative was placed before voters by the Southeast Michigan Public Historical Museum Authority. According to information from the "Yes to Our Story" website, this body is a joint public authority that Wayne and Oakland counties established together in July.
Addressing the initiative, Charles H. Wright Museum President and CEO Neil Barclay told BridgeDetroit that the approval gives both organizations a path toward a more prosperous future while supplying necessary funding to cover operational expenditures.
Beyond funding operations, the voter-approved proposal includes specific public access benefits. It establishes free transportation to both institutions for students and senior citizens. Furthermore, the millage guarantees that residents living in Wayne and Oakland counties will receive free admission to the Wright Museum as well as facilities managed by the Detroit Historical Society. Those facilities include the Detroit Historical Museum located in Midtown and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum situated on Belle Isle. Prior to the approval of this measure, free entry was limited primarily to museum members and small children.
In addition to the museum proposal, voters in the region evaluated a separate tax measure to support another long-standing regional institution. The Detroit Zoo requested that residents in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties renew an existing 10-year, 0.1-mill levy through its "Renew Your Zoo" initiative.
Unofficial election returns across the tri-county area revealed widespread support for the zoo tax renewal. The proposal passed with 75% approval in Wayne County, 71% support in Oakland County, and 69% backing in Macomb County.
The renewed property tax will enable the zoo to maintain ongoing care for more than 2,000 animals representing 200 different species. For a resident owning a home valued at $200,000, the tax rate will remain steady at about $10 per year, according to Hayley Murphy, executive director and CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society.
The Detroit Zoological Society operates both the Detroit Zoo and the Belle Isle Nature Center, both of which receive funding through the millage. Speaking on the significance of the vote, Murphy told BridgeDetroit that the tax provides a stable source of funding that accounts for roughly one-third of the organization's total revenue, helping pay for operational needs and animal care across both locations.
Taxpayers across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties previously approved the property tax levy for the zoo in 2008 and again in 2016.
