HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2013.02.07 - 20689MISCELLANIOUS RESOLUTION #13029
By: Commissioner Shelley Goodman Taub, District #12
IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS-OPPOSITION TO WITHHOLDING OF DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
FUNDS BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN WAYNE COUNTY
WHEREAS, on August 5, 2008 voters in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties overwhelmingly passed a
zoo tax that was intended specifically to provide long-term sustainable funding to supplement earned
revenue and philanthropic support for the Detroit Zoological Society; and
WHEREAS, published reports indicate that many Wayne County communities have withheld more than
$756,000 of the zoo's revenues to spend on their downtown projects ; and
WHEREAS, tax revenues approved by the voters in Wayne County for the Detroit Zoological Society have
been diverted to downtown development projects such as sidewalks, decorative pavers and streetlights;
WHEREAS, published reports also indicate these Wayne County communities are considering
withholding funds from the newly approved Detroit Institute of Arts tax; and
WHEREAS, two Attorney General advisory opinions have indicated the practice of withholding these
funds from the Detroit Zoological Society is illegal; and
WHEREAS, communities in Oakland and Macomb Counties are not participating in the withholding of
funds from the Detroit Zoological Society; and
WHEREAS, representatives of Oakland and Macomb Counties who administer funds for the Detroit
Zoological Society have expressed their opposition to the withholding of these funds; and
NOW THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby
condemns the practice of local communities withholding tax revenues intended for the Detroit Zoo and
urges all available legal steps be taken to end this practice and require local communities to reimburse
the Zoo Society;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby urges Governor Rick
Snyder and members of Michigan legislature to adopt legislation to expressly ban the withholding of tax
revenues from the voters intended purposes by local governments;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds is requested to forward
copies of this adopted resolution to Governor Rick Snyder. the Oakland County delegation to the
Michigan Legislature, the Michigan Association of Counties; the Detroit Zoological Society, the Oakland
County representatives on the Detroit Institute of Arts Authority, the Wayne County Treasurer, local
governments who are withholding Zoo revenues and the Oakland County legislative lobbyists.
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Chairperson, we move the adoption of the foregoing resolution.
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Resolution #13029 February 7, 2013
The Vice-Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no
objections.