Clerk
Am I registered to vote in Coldsprings Township?
When is the next election?
November 5, 2024 is the General Election.
How do I apply for an absentee ballot?
Any person who is registered to vote in Michigan may vote absentee. The quickest and easiest way to sign up for an absentee ballot is to visit the Michigan Voter Information Center. You can also contact the Township Clerk during normal business hours.
How can I volunteer by serving on a board or working an election?
The Township has a variety of boards such as Board of Review, Parks and Recreation, etc. With Michigan’s new election laws requiring nine days of advance voting, we will always need more election workers.
Depending on the position, we pay our volunteers a reasonable hourly rate or on a per meeting basis. If you are interested in serving on a Board, or being an election worker, please contact our Township Clerk at the Township office. We will keep your name on file should an opening come up.
Who is a Michigan Resident?
You are a Michigan Resident if Michigan is your permanent home. Your permanent home is the place you intend to return to whenever you go away. A temporary absence from Michigan, such as spending the winter in another state, does not make you a part-year resident.
Treasurer
Where do I pay my taxes and what types of payments are accepted?
There are multiple options available for you to use when paying your property taxes. Some have fees attached, due to credit/debit card transaction fees that cannot be absorbed by the Township. Here is a brief description of each payment option.
- Cash, check or money order —Pay in person at the Township offices during regular business hours (Mondays and Thursdays 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM), or send by mail to the Township, or leave in our secure drop box located by the front door of the Township office. Please make checks payable to Coldsprings Township and mail to P.O. Box 380, Mancelona, MI 49659.
- Credit Card or Debit Card—Pay with your VISA, MasterCard, Discover Card or American Express Card using one of these methods. A 2.95% convenience fee will be added.
- You can pay with your credit card in person during the Treasurer’s regular office hours.
- You can pay with your credit card via telephone by calling the Township Treasurer’s office during the Treasurer’s regular office hours
- You can pay online through this AllPaid link. In the search field please enter Coldsprings Township.
REMINDER: We accept partial payment of taxes.
Can I look up my property tax information online?
Yes. We use BS&A Online. Look up Coldsprings Township, or use this BS&A Coldspring Township link.
You may need to create a user name and password that will identify you as the owner of the property. One parcel # can be assigned free look ups with each user id. If you want to look at more than one parcel #, additional fees may apply.
What period are summer and winter taxes for?
All taxes billed are for the period of January 1 through December 31. The taxes are collected in two portions (summer and winter) to make it easier on the taxpayer. Different taxing authorities collect at different times. For instance, schools collect their portion of tax dollars on the summer tax bill but are not listed on the winter tax bill. The Fire Department collects its portion of tax dollars on the winter tax bill but are not listed on the summer tax bill
How much am I charged if I pay my summer taxes late?
Summer taxes are due on September 16th. The law requires that one percent interest be charged for every month or portion of a month that taxes are overdue. If you have a bill from an earlier month, that amount will no longer be accurate. A 3% late payment penalty will be added February 15th through February 29th. As of March 1st, taxes become delinquent. You can call our office to find out the amount due in the month that you are paying.
Each year on March 1, any unpaid real (residential) property taxes must be turned over to the Kalkaska County Treasurer for collection, and additional fees are assessed. The county treasurer will eventually begin foreclosure proceedings on properties with unpaid taxes.
How can I get a Duplicate Tax Receipt?
Receipts for property tax payments can be requested at the time taxes are paid by including a note with your check. After that, please contact the Treasurer’s office or complete the “Contact Us” e-mail link on this website.
Assessing
How do I appeal my Taxable Value?
Taxable Values can be appealed annually at the March Board of Review. Property owners are provided a Notice of Assessment, Taxable Valuation and Property Classification every February via first class US Postal service. While the form indicates that “THIS IS NOT A TAX BILL”, it is an important document to review annually, as the information contained may impact your upcoming tax bill. Property owners in Michigan are given an opportunity to appeal their assessments BEFORE their tax bills are even issued for the year.
I don't agree with my assessment. What can I do?
In Coldsprings Township, assessments may be appealed annually at the March Board of Review. Property owners may appeal in person or by letter.
The property owner(s) bears the burden of proof in an appeal to the March Board of Review. Therefore, it is important to have strong supporting documentation to justify a reduction in assessed value. The purchase price, while important, is not sufficient evidence alone to warrant a reduction, as the MI State Tax Commission considers ‘chasing sales’ (i.e. simply setting an assessment at 50% of the sales price) an illegal practice.
If you are interested in making an appeal to the March Board of Review, contact our assessor for assistance. Assessors are an often-underutilized resource. Assessors can provide information that may prove helpful in an appeal and may correct errors if discovered prior to the first Monday in March (potentially eliminating the need to make an appeal to the March Board of Review).
If a property owner is not satisfied with a decision of the March Board of Review, there are further appeal rights before the Michigan Tax Tribunal. Residential and Agricultural appeals to the March Board of Review are required before further appeal may be made to the Tax Tribunal.
I just bought my home. Why isn't my State Equalized Value (SEV) 1/2 of my purchase price?
The SEV represents 50% of the property’s True Cash Value. True Cash Value is a term defined by law and is specifically NOT purchase price. Your sale may be affected by numerous variables that may influence the individual transaction, that have no bearing on the property itself. To minimize the effect of these variables, all sales within a neighborhood (similar characteristics) are reviewed together to determine a usual selling price based on standardized units of comparison.
What are the eligibility requirements for receiving the Homeowner’s Principal Residence Exemption?
You may claim the homeowner’s principal residence exemption if you meet all of the criteria below:
A. You are a resident of the State of Michigan.
B. You own and occupy the home as your principal residence.
C. Neither you, nor your spouse if you file a joint income tax return, receive an exemption, deduction, or credit substantially similar to the Michigan Homeowner’s Principal Residence Exemption on property you own in another state.
D. You have not filed a non-resident Michigan income tax return.
E. You have not filed a tax return as a resident of another state.
The filing deadline for receiving the Principal Residence Exemption in Coldsprings Township is June 1st.
Who is a Michigan Resident?
You are a Michigan Resident if Michigan is your permanent home. Your permanent home is the place you intend to return to whenever you go away. A temporary absence from Michigan, such as spending the winter in another state, does not make you a part-year resident.
What determines Principal Residence?
Michigan Law defines principal residence as the one place where a person has his or her true, fixed, and permanent home to which, whenever absent he or she intends to return and that shall continue as a principal residence until another principal residence is established. In order to verify a person’s claim that a particular property is a principal residence, Treasury will accept various documents that, taken together, establish that the person or persons filing the claim occupy the property as a principal residence. Examples include driver’s license, voter registration card, cancelled checks listing the property address, statements such as medical, bank or charge accounts, income tax records indicating the mailing address and insurance policies. No one of these factors taken alone is controlling over any other factor.
If a residence no longer qualifies for the Homeowner’s Principal Residence Exemption, you must file a Request to Rescind
Multipurpose property is not eligible for a full exemption. The Homeowner’s Principal Residence Exemption only applies to property that you own and occupy as your principal residence. If you operate a business in your home, you are not eligible for a 100% exemption. If you write off portions of your home for income tax purposes, you are not eligible for a 100% exemption. If you own and/or operate a Bed and Breakfast, you are not eligible for a 100% exemption. If you have questions about calculating your reduced exemption percentage, please contact the Assessing Department.
How does new construction impact my taxes?
“Tax Day” is December 31st. Any new construction that is in place as of ‘Tax Day’ will be represented on the following year’s assessment roll. New construction does not “UNCAP” the property. Only the new improvement is added to the roll.
EXAMPLE: An owner decides to build an addition and the true cash value (TCV) of the addition is determined to be $60,000. Half of the TCV is added to the assessment roll.
Therefore, a property receiving the PRE (Principal Residence Exemption) would incur an additional $ 810 tax per year as a result of the new construction ($30,000 (1/2 of TCV ) x 0.027 annual millage rate). Similarly, a property NOT receiving the PRE would incur an additional $1,350 per year as a result of the new construction ($30,000 (1/2 TCV) x 0.045 annual millage rate).
How does the assessor determine the cost of my new construction project? Do I need to provide receipts?
No reporting is necessary. The Michigan State Tax Commission updates the Assessor Manual annually with new construction costs. The assessor is tasked with taking a measurement and inventory of the new construction project and relying upon the costs from the manual. These costs are localized to Kalkaska County.
Planning & Zoning
Who do I contact regarding a land use issue for proper planning and zoning guidance? What about an issue regarding construction codes?
The Township is under the Kalkaska County Zoning Ordinance. Please follow these links for more information:
General
How can I volunteer by serving on a board or working an election?
The Township has a variety of boards such as Board of Review, Parks and Recreation, etc. With Michigan’s new election laws requiring nine days of advance voting, we will always need more election workers.
Depending on the position, we pay our volunteers a reasonable hourly rate or on a per meeting basis. If you are interested in serving on a Board, or being an election worker, please contact our Township Clerk at the Township office. We will keep your name on file should an opening come up.
Roads
Who do I contact for maintenance on my road?
The Kalkaska County Road Commission has the authority and responsibility to maintain our township’s roads. They can be reached at 231-258-2242. Additional information is available at https://www.kalkaskaroad.org/ .
My mailbox was damaged by the Road Commission’s snow plow. Can I get reimbursed?
Click on this link for more information and the Mailbox Claim Form https://www.kalkaskaroad.org/mailbox_claim_form/index.php.
How much in property taxes do we pay for road repairs?
The Township has a millage rate of two mills that was passed in August 2024. This rate will continue for four years. This money is used to make major repairs to our township’s roads and to pay for a second brining of our gravel roads in the summer. The millage is expected to raise about $245,000 in its first year. Kalkaska County has a road millage of one mill that was also passed in August 2024 and will continue for four years.
Does the Kalkaska County Road Commission pay for any of the major repairs to our roads?
Yes, the KCRC is responsible for the roads in our township that are deemed local primary roads. Roads such as CR-612, CR-571, and Twin Lake Road are local primary roads. In addition, the KCRC pays a 20% matching contribution toward any road repairs that our township initiates. For example if a major road repair costs $100,000, the township pays $80,000 and the KCRC pays $20,000.
What is the overall condition of the roads in our township?
In 2023, the KCRC performed a very detailed analysis of all the roads in Kalkaska County. They used a nationally recognized system called the PASER rating. All roads in our township were analyzed from cross-road to cross-road. Each segment of the road is rated using several criteria and then given an overall rating.
Over 60% of our Paved roads were rated “poor”. 35% of our Gravel roads are rated “Poor” with another 32% barely meeting the “Fair” definition. The estimated cost to raise all of our roads to a “Good” condition is well in excess of $6 million, which does not include costs for ditching, culverts, tree removal, signs, etc.
