Lakeview to Fix Tax Bills

Residents in the will receive a reduced summer tax bill in 2012 following a clerical error which caused taxpayers to pay an extra 1 mill this past summer.

This year the Lakeview Public Schools' Board of Education approved the next fiscal year tax levy for district debt payments. These tax levies are included in the summer tax bills.

This year the Lakeview Business Office submitted forms to the city with one additional mill that was supposed to be only a fraction of a mill. 

"We admit we made a mistake, caught it ourselves, and have sought legal advice and taken measures to appropriately correct the error for our taxpayers," Lakeview superintendent Karl Paulson said in a release.

About 9,600 taxpayers in the Lakeview paid an additional $50 in their summer 2011 taxes due to the error.  

Tasha McIntyre, Lakeview director of business services, discovered the error and informed the city and county of the error. Lakeview offered to pay for new bills to be sent with the correction and an explanation. 

After consultation with legal counsel, the district decided to provide a credit on the next tax bill with a notation with explanation.

"That was an error made by Lakeview Public Schools," said Ben Hughes, St. Clair Shores city manager. 

He added that the city will "closely monitor the situation."

If taxpayers are planning to sell their property before the 2012 tax levy, they are asked to contact the Lakeview Public Schools Business Office.