Novi families who own homes in Oakland County will decide on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026 whether to approve a 1.5-mill property tax increase that would direct money to local school districts for the next six years.

The Oakland County Regional Enhancement Millage would cost $150 per year for a home with $100,000 in taxable value. The levy would raise an estimated $125.7 million in its first year and distribute funds to nearly 30 school districts, including Novi Community School District, at a rate of about $781 per pupil annually, according to the Oakland Schools Intermediate School District.

Districts could spend the money on staff retention, school security, mental health counseling and expanded programming. Each district would decide its own priorities.

Supporters say it offsets inflation

West Bloomfield School District Superintendent Dania Bazzi said the millage would bring her district an additional $3.2 million per year. She said the funds would go toward programming, safety and security, and retaining staff.

"Ultimately, the will of the voters is our will," Bazzi told C & G Newspapers on July 25.

Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Kelly Coffin said the money would help her district invest in after-school tutoring, manageable class sizes, career and technical education, and teacher professional development for literacy programs.

According to materials published by the Oakland Schools Intermediate School District, school costs have outpaced state funding due to inflation since Proposal A was first approved in 1994, and bonds and sinking funds have restricted uses that don't cover day-to-day operations.

Novi Community School District has not publicly stated how it would allocate the funds if the millage passes.

Critics call smaller districts 'donor districts'

Not everyone is on board.

Madison District Public Schools Trustee Mark Kimble called the proposal "completely unnecessary" and said residents on fixed incomes and new homeowners are already stretched thin. He argued that any millage funding used to cover salaries would be a stopgap measure districts can't guarantee long-term.

Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver questioned the fairness of distributing funds on a per-pupil basis. Because larger districts with higher enrollment receive more money, smaller districts effectively subsidize them.

"It is very certain that Southfield's tax base will increase in value and Southfield's enrollment will decrease in the years ahead," Siver said in a statement reported by C & G Newspapers. "Thus, more tax dollars will leave the city, and the Southfield Public Schools will receive a smaller share of the pie while we pay more."

Lathrup Village Mayor Bruce Kantor said at a recent town hall meeting that about 52% of funds collected in his community would go to other school districts. He called Lathrup Village a "donor district."

How to vote

Residents can check their taxable home value and estimate their personal cost using the calculator at oaklandenhancementmillage.com, which links to the Oakland County Property Gateway. Voters in Novi can confirm their polling location through the Michigan Secretary of State's voter information page. Polls are open Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026.