BLISSFIELD — Voters in two local school districts are being asked to renew operating millages on the presidential primary ballot on Tuesday.

Blissfield Community Schools and the Columbia School District are seeking renewals of their 18-mill, nonhomestead operating millages. Blissfield’s proposal asks to renew its operating millage through 2028, and Columbia is asking to renew its millage through 2029.

These are the only proposals on the ballot in Lenawee County for this election, according to information from the Lenawee County Clerk’s Office.

The 18 mills are levied on businesses, rental properties and second homes, not on homeowners’ primary residences. The owner of property with a taxable value of $100,000 would pay $1,800 in taxes. The operating millages account for about 10% of school districts’ revenue and are used for expenses such as salaries, textbooks and utility bills.

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The operating millage was created in the 1990s when Proposal A was passed in Michigan. Proposal A transferred most school funding to the sales tax in order to provide tax relief to property owners, but established the operating millage to go toward the full, per-pupil funding amount set each year by the state legislature.

Election Day is Tuesday, Feb. 27, but early voting is taking place through Sunday, Feb. 25. Voters from either school district who live in Lenawee County may vote early at the Human Services Building at 1040 S. Winter St. in Adrian. The polling site is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, voters should go to their usual polling place, open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A list of polling locations is available online at electionlenawee.com. Absentee ballots can be returned by 8 p.m. to the voter’s township or city clerk.

— Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Blissfield, Columbia schools seek operating millage renewals