Campaign-finance initiative (utilities and government contractors)
An initiated law on the November ballot (official designation: Michigan Utility and Government Contractor Campaign Finance Regulations Initiative). It would prohibit regulated electric and gas utilities, contractors with over $250,000 annually in government contracts, and people and organizations with substantial connections to them from making campaign contributions to officeholders who impact them, and expand donor-disclosure rules for political communications. Signatures certified July 2026; ballot language approved August 2026.
Southeast Michigan Public Historical Museum Authority millage (Wayne & Oakland counties)
A 0.2-mill property tax (20 cents per $1,000 of taxable value) for ten years, 2026 through 2035. About $30 per year on a home with a $300,000 market value. Estimated 2026 collections, per the official ballot text published by the county clerks: about $17,733,800 in Oakland County and about $12,219,200 in Wayne County. The Authority's Articles of Incorporation — adopted by both county commissions in July 2026 — lock in the revenue split: 15% of each county's collections, after Authority administrative expenses, goes to that county for other public historical museums there (though either county may redirect its share to the two main museums); of the remainder, 60% to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and 40% to the Detroit Historical Museum and Dossin Great Lakes Museum. No millage revenue may pay for maintenance deferred before the Articles were adopted. The Authority must meet under the Open Meetings Act, comply with FOIA, and obtain an annual audit under government auditing standards; its museum contracts must include free general admission for county residents, free tours, programming and transportation for schools and seniors, and teacher curriculum support. If voters in either county reject the millage, the Authority dissolves. Official ballot question (Wayne County wording; Oakland County identical except county name and revenue figure): “Shall a 0.2 mill tax on all taxable property located within Wayne County be imposed by the Authority for a period of ten (10) years, being years 2026 through 2035, inclusive, to provide historical museum services for the benefit of the residents of the Counties?”
Supporters say
The campaign, Yes to Our Story (a ballot question committee registered with the Wayne County Clerk, funded by the two museums), says the millage delivers ten years of stable funding, free access for residents, students, and seniors, and support for dozens of smaller local history museums.
Recorded opposition
No organized Vote No committee found. The recorded opposition: State Reps. Mike Harris, Donni Steele, and Tom Kuhn (all R) spoke against the 2024 enabling bill — Harris called it a tax on Oakland homeowners “to subsidize museums in Detroit that they may not ever visit”; Steele said people who don't visit museums shouldn't have to pay; Kuhn's transparency amendments (Open Meetings Act, FOIA, annual audits) were rejected before the bill passed 56-53. Note: the Authority's adopted Articles now bind it to the Open Meetings Act, FOIA, and annual government-standard audits. The Oakland County Board approved the Articles 11-6 on July 16, 2026 (no votes: Commissioners Hoffman, Joliat, Long, Smiley, Spisz, Weipert).
Zoological Authority millage renewal — Detroit Zoo (Wayne, Oakland & Macomb counties)
A renewal, voted separately in each county, of the 0.1-mill property tax (10 cents per $1,000 of taxable value) that funds zoological services through each county's Zoological Authority — first approved in 2008 and renewed in 2016 under Public Act 49 of 2008. It is not a tax increase: each county's proposal renews the millage at a slightly reduced rate and restores the small remainder that was reduced due to required rollback, for a total authorized rate of 0.10 mill for ten years, 2028 through 2037 (Wayne County: 0.0982 mill renewed and 0.0018 restored; Oakland County: 0.0927 and 0.0073; Macomb County: 0.0922 and 0.0078). About $10 per year on a home with a $200,000 market value, per the renewal campaign. Estimated first-year collections, per the official ballot text published by the county clerks: about $8,831,012 in Oakland County, about $6,145,462 in Wayne County, and about $3,845,426 in Macomb County. Funds are disbursed to the county Zoological Authority and transferred to the Detroit Zoo — supporting animal care for more than 2,000 animals and 200 species, educational and senior programs, and facility maintenance — and all funds are subject to annual independent audits. The Zoological Authority also funds the Belle Isle Nature Center. MLive put the millage at 30% of the Detroit Zoo's operating budget (October 16, 2026). Official ballot question (Wayne County wording; Oakland and Macomb counties identical except the county name): “Do you approve the renewal and restoration of the levy of 0.10 mill on all taxable property in Wayne County for a period of ten (10) years, from 2028 through 2037?”
Supporters say
The Renew Your Zoo campaign (renewyourzoo.com) says the renewal continues a stable source of funding for expert animal care, educational opportunities for children, and engaging experiences for seniors, families and visitors, at the same rate homeowners pay today. According to the Zoological Authority, the zoo welcomes more than 1.3 million guests a year and the tri-county area receives a $190 million combined annual economic impact; residents of the three counties receive a $10 discount on zoo memberships, and seniors from all three counties are admitted free on Senior Day (FOX 2).
Recorded opposition
No organized Vote No committee and no recorded opposition to the 2026 renewal found as of October 17, 2026. Recorded opposition from the previous renewal cycle: the Oxford Leader editorialized against the millage on July 27, 2016, calling the zoo “a luxury, pure and simple” and arguing it should be funded strictly by admission fees, memberships, donations, grants and fund-raising campaigns rather than by taxpayers; it urged Oxford and Addison residents to vote no. Note: that editorial concerned the 2016 renewal, which voters approved in all three counties (Oakland 74%, Wayne 73%, Macomb 58% — WCSX).
Ballot language above is summarized from reporting, except the Museum Authority millage question and the Zoological Authority millage question, which are quoted verbatim from the official ballot language published by the county clerks — verify the official wording on your sample ballot before voting. What's on the ballot — Detroit Free Press
