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211 W. Main Street P.O. Box 368 Stanton, MI 48888 Phone: 989-831-7492 Fax: 989-831-7427 Office Hours - 8 A.M.- 12 noon, 1:00 P.M.- 5 P.M. Equalization is a process of analyzing sales and appraisal data to support value changes in the free market of real estate. The information gathered by equalization staff members is used to assist the assessors of local units to determine if their assessments are being maintained at a 50% of True Cash Value as required. The results will indicate which direction, up or down, the assessment should be heading for the coming year. Due to the economic situation of Montcalm County some property owners could actually see a reduction in taxable value. This happens when the State Equalized Value, which is half of the market value, falls below the current years taxable value. Poor market conditions and foreclosures happening in your neighborhoods have added to the difficulty and complexity of the process. With fewer sales, market value is more difficult to predict. In Montcalm County lower market prices are similar in most of the local units. Lower sale prices support individual cuts in the County Equalized Values for most of the local units of government. The 2012 C.P.I. for calculating the taxable value was at 1.027. This increased the taxable value by 2.7% which means that Proposal ‘A' Public Act 237 house bill 5345, which requires the taxable value to increase by 5% or the cost price index (CPI) (2.7%) whichever is the lowest, will increase the taxable value even when the state equalized value of your property may have decreased. Looking for Parcel Information? Go here
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