Effectively Appeal your Property Taxes Town Hall

The 2013-2014 legislative session began last month with House lawmakers being sworn in and the Governor giving his State of the State address. I am honored and humbled by the responsibility to be your representative in the Michigan House and look forward to the continued challenge.

In my conversations with people at my coffee hours or when people come up to me at the grocery store, I often get questions about property taxes. People have questions about how the tax is calculated, where the tax goes and if/how an individual can appeal their property tax assessments.

To help answer these questions, I will be hosting two town hall meetings dealing with how to effectively appeal your property assessment. I hope that you will be able to join me. The dates, times and locations are included below.

How to Effectively Appeal your property assessment town hall

When: Thursday, February 21
Time:    7-8p.m.
Where: Flushing Township Hall
             6524 N. Seymour Road
             Flushing, MI 48433

When: Tuesday, March 5
Time:   7-8 p.m.
Where: Fenton Township Offices
   12060 Mantawauka Drive
           Fenton, MI 48430

I hope that you will join me at one of these town hall meetings.

I was excited to receive my assignments as to which committees that I will be serving on over the next two years in the House. I will be serving on the following 5 committees:

• Criminal Justice (I will serve as the Majority Vice Chair)
• Health Policy
• Energy and Technology
• Local Government
• Military and Veteran Affairs

I am excited about these assignments and have already begun working on issues that will come through these committees. These committees have started meeting and are looking at ways we can continue Michigan's reinvention.

Over the past year while traveling across my district, I have consistently heard concerns about how the pension tax changes have affected people throughout my district. I did not support the changes to how pensions are taxed and still believe we should revert back to the previous pension tax structure.

Last session I introduced HB 5601 last which would have repealed the pension and while I was not able to get this legislation passed, I remain committed to repealing this tax change. That is why the first bill thing that I did this legislative session was to introduce this legislation again in order to help seniors who have already retired, are on fixed incomes and didn't have a way to plan for this tax change.

The new bill number is House Bill 4130 and you can read the text of the bill at www.legislature.mi.gov

Finally, I welcome the continued dialog and conversation I have with my constituents. If you have an issue with a state government department, have an idea to make our state better or simply want to share your thoughts and opinions on a proposed piece of legislation please do not hesitate to contact me. You can e-mail josephgraves@house.mi.gov, call (866) 989-5151 or follow me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RepJosephGraves