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ROGERS CITY – Voters in the Rogers City Area Ambulance Service Authority district approved a new 0.25-mill property tax on Tuesday to fund ambulance and emergency medical services operations for four years.
Unofficial results from the Aug. 4 primary election showed the measure passing with 1,711 yes votes to 673 no votes, for a total of 2,384 ballots cast. The proposal authorizes the Rogers City Area Ambulance Service Authority to levy a new ad valorem tax of not more than 0.25 mill -- equivalent to 25 cents per $1,000 of taxable value -- beginning with the Dec. 1, 2026, tax levy and continuing through the Dec. 1, 2029, levy.
It is estimated the millage will generate $177,171 in its first year. The revenue is earmarked exclusively for the operation, maintenance and support of ambulance and emergency medical services within the authority's boundaries. Permitted uses include the purchase, lease, replacement, maintenance and equipping of ambulances, emergency vehicles and mobile medical equipment, as well as administrative, personnel, training and operational expenses necessary to provide emergency medical response and transport services.
The proposal appeared on ballots for voters within the Rogers City Area Ambulance Service Authority, which covers Rogers City and surrounding areas in Presque Isle County. Election officials reported steady turnout at polling places throughout the day as residents cast ballots in the statewide primary, which also featured contests for governor, U.S. Senate and numerous local offices and proposals.
Under Michigan tax capture laws, the Rogers City Downtown Development Authority will receive a portion of the millage collected from properties located solely within the Downtown Development Authority district. Authority officials estimated the captured amount at $1,133 in the first year of the levy. The capture applies only to the growth in taxable value within the DDA district boundaries and has no effect on properties outside those boundaries. The ambulance authority continues to receive taxes based on the original taxable value of affected properties.
Supporters of the measure had emphasized the need for stable funding to replace aging equipment and sustain response capabilities in a rural region where ambulance services often face long travel distances and limited reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. Opponents raised concerns about the cumulative impact of multiple local millages on property owners, though no organized opposition campaign gained significant traction in the final weeks before the election.
The authority operates separately from the Rogers City Area Fire Department Authority, which sought its own capital millage on the same ballot for fleet and equipment replacement. The two entities coordinate on emergency responses but maintain distinct funding streams and governance structures.
With the millage approved by a margin of more than 1,000 votes, authority board members are expected to begin budgeting for the new revenue stream in the coming months. The first collections will appear on December 2026 tax bills. Officials said the four-year term will provide a window to evaluate long-term operational needs and determine whether a renewal or adjustment will be sought in a future election.