Roscommon County Commissioners approved a three-year lake level special assessment for property owners in the established lake level special assessment district around Houghton Lake, and a $1.275M project during a special board meeting on June 17. Commissioners voted unanimously in support of the lake level special assessment roll and computation of costs that the County’s Delegated Authority, Chase Schepke, recommended to the board.
The special assessment will pay for interim repairs to Houghton Lake’s lake level control structure. The assessment will last three years (2024-2026) with the first assessment appearing on property owners’ winter 2024 tax bill. The assessment will be levied against approximately 4,487 parcels. The average waterfront property on Houghton Lake has a total assessment of $303.28 and the average backlot or indirect access property has an assessment of $151.64.
The lake level special assessment will pay for the following: cost of developing and confirming the special assessment district boundaries, temporary maintenance and repairs for weir gates, a plate and the concrete pier, engineering for a long-term project, costs of the Delegated Authority, inspections, monitoring, and contingency. A lake level special assessment is not a tax or a use fee but a special assessment to a property with private legal access to the lake.
Property owners have until July 2nd to file an appeal of the lake level special assessment in circuit court. If there are no appeals, the county will proceed with securing a bond to finance the project.
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