Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The City of Brighton is hosting an open house this weekend about a streets millage that will greet voters at the ballot box this November.

Residents, businesses, and other stakeholders are encouraged to attend.

The 2025 Streets Millage Headlee Override Renewal requests 2.5-mills for 10 years, and restores funding lost due to the Headlee Amendment.

An initial streets millage was approved by voters in 2019 that generated roughly $10 (m) million during its seven-year collection period. Those funds have now been fully utilized.

Saturday’s open house for public engagement will be the final open house on the topic. It’s designed to give residents an opportunity to learn more about the proposed millage, ask questions, and engage directly with City Council and staff.

The City has extensive information on the proposal and completed work on its website. That link is provided.

It states “the Northwest Neighborhood project - a comprehensive curb, gutter, roadway, and sidewalk reconstruction—accounted for nearly half of those funds and represented the last large-scale project needed within the city”. Looking ahead, the City said if the current millage proposal is approved, it anticipates being able to complete a significantly greater number of projects.

At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Manager Gretchen Gomolka stated that the open house was moved from the Community Center to City Hall and will run from 9am to noon Saturday. She noted that all residents should have also received a mailer from the City regarding the upcoming election. If someone didn’t receive one or wants one, there are extras at City Hall.


The following is the exact language that will appear on the ballot:

City of Brighton Headlee Override Street Millage

Should the City of Brighton be authorized to levy a tax of 2.5 mills ($2.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) for 10 years, from 2026 to 2035, to fund the improvement, replacement, resurfacing, reconstruction, and construction of public streets, sidewalks, curbs, drainage systems, and necessary rights-of-way upgrades for the City of Brighton? This tax is part of a partial restoration of the original 20-mill Charter millage, which was reduced to 15.1819 mills due to the Headlee Amendment (MCL 211.34) after the current street improvement millage expires in 2025. The 2.5 mills represents a renewal of a 2.5-mill tax approved by voters in 2019, which has been reduced to 2.4053 mills due to the Headlee Amendment and new additional millage of 0.0947 mills. The proposal is expected to generate about $1,650,500 when first levied in July 2026.

Photos: City of Brighton