SHELBY - Following a public hearing and discussion at their June 8 council meeting, Shelby Village Council voted to establish the village’s annual tax millage rates, which will go into effect July 1, 2026. Voting in favor were council members Steve Crothers, Curt Trott, Mike Termer, Samantha Gottschalk and Village President John Sutton. Voting in opposition was Dan Zaverl. Crystal Heykoop was absent.
At the request of council members, Oceana County Equalization Director Ed VanderVries attended the meeting virtually and was able to explain the calculation of millage rates and the importance of holding a Truth in Taxation hearing, as well as answer several questions posed by the council.
According to the Oceana County Equalization Department, total taxable property value within the village totaled $46,449,288, an increase of $5,093,155 from 2025 values.
By holding a Truth in Taxation hearing and applying the Headlee Rollback computation of 0.9804, the 2026 operating millage rate will actually be reduced from 14.2658 to 13.9861 (9.9902 rate for Operating and 3.9959 rate for Local Streets).
With the newly set millage rate for 2026, the village should gain $56,460 ($40,328 Operating and $16,132 in Local Streets) in revenue for FY 26-27. That said, Village Administrator Phil Morse told The Oceana Echo in an interview following the June 8 meeting, “After a somewhat lengthy discussion, the goal of the council and myself is to one day get to a place where the village would be able to strategically reduce the millage rate while keeping a safe, well-maintained and appealing village.”
Full meeting minutes are available at www.shelbyvillage.org under the Government tab, then Meeting Packets, Minutes and Documents.
