Pontiac voters will find a pair of familiar tax questions waiting on the Aug. 4 primary ballot, both aimed at keeping senior centers open and youth recreation programs running. One proposal would renew a roughly 0.482-mill levy to support services for residents 60 and older, while the other would renew about a 1.44-mill levy dedicated to youth-only recreation centers. Each measure is written as a 10-year levy covering tax years 2027 through 2036, replacing existing millages that are set to expire at the end of 2026.
What’s on the ballot
According to the official ballot language, the senior-services proposal is a 0.482-mill assessment for “planning, coordinating and maintenance” of programs for people 60 and older. The companion youth measure appears as a 1.44-mill renewal for recreation centers that are open exclusively to people under 21. Both are listed as renewals of millages Pontiac voters first approved in 2016, with no increase in the stated rates. As reported by The Oakland Press.
How much the levies would raise
The ballot estimates that, in the first year, the senior millage would generate roughly $684,108, while the youth recreation millage would bring in about $2,053,032. Those projected revenues are drawn directly from the ballot text and the city’s election filings. As reproduced by Oakland County Times.
Which programs the money would cover
The renewed millages are intended to cover maintenance, staffing and programming at Pontiac’s senior centers, as well as youth recreation centers and activities designed to reduce juvenile delinquency. City council documents and the ballot language specifically list the Robert W. Bowens and Ruth Peterson senior centers as named beneficiaries and spell out how the funds can be used. As outlined by City of Pontiac.
Background and local stakes
Supporters frame the millages as a way to keep core neighborhood services intact, from nutrition programs and transportation for older adults to supervised after-school options for kids and teens. The youth proposal is explicitly described in the ballot text as funding centers “open exclusively to youths under 21” with the goal of curbing juvenile delinquency, language that local election coverage has repeatedly highlighted. See Oakland County Times.
How to vote
Primary Election Day is Aug. 4, but Pontiac’s election information notes that residents have early voting and absentee options as well. Early voting is scheduled from July 27 through Aug. 4, and official absentee ballot drop boxes are located at city facilities including the senior centers and City Hall. For sample ballots, precinct locations and detailed election rules, voters are directed to the Oakland County clerk’s election website, with additional local guidance available in the city’s election packet. See City of Pontiac.
Why it matters
City leaders describe the proposals as a continuity check: a way to keep long-running services from hitting a funding cliff. Council President Mike McGuinness told reporters that the senior millage helps Pontiac fund and operate activities for older residents, while the youth tax supports local programs for families. Voters will decide on Aug. 4 whether to keep those dedicated funding streams in place for another decade. As reported by The Oakland Press.
