Alpena County is now scrambling after voters nixed a proposed tax hike that would have helped fill much of an expected more than $1 million budget gap.

The tax was complicated, essentially asking voters to override a section of the state constitution known as the Headlee Amendment that automatically lowers local government tax rates if property tax revenue growth exceeds the rate of inflation. County officials called it a “Headlee rollup.” Yet the word “Headlee” didn’t appear anywhere in the ballot language.

The tax hike had no expiration date.

After Tuesday’s vote, county officials wondered if the language was too unclear for voters, or if voters were turned off by the indefinite tax hike, or if voters were angry with the county board for its decision to oust the entire county library board over controversial books at the library.

We think it was probably a mix of those things coupled with the county’s failure to get out into the community and adequately explain the tax, including what the county would do with the money if it passed and what would happen if it failed. County officials had promised to develop two budgets — one that included money from the tax hike and one without — but that never materialized, and voters were only left to ponder vague references to layoffs should the tax fail.

The county has until Tuesday to get the proposal on the November ballot if officials want to try again, but county officials are talking about reworking the language to make it clearer or adding an expiration date. That’s complex maneuvering that the county should’ve been prepared for sooner.

If the county decides to go again, we urge officials to do more to give voters concrete information — who will get laid off if it fails, and what services will be cut — on which to base their decisions.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)