Volume 7 July 2007

SPOTLIGHT

160 E Division St, Sparta MI 49345 www.sparta-township.com

Phone (616) 887-8863 Fax (616) 887-3823 bonnie@sparta-township.com

Township Board Members

Dale Bergman, Supervisor Bonnie Robinson, Clerk Pat Fynewever, Treasurer Cliff Anderson, Trustee Tom Antor, Trustee Bill Goodfellow, Trustee Rob Steffens, Trustee

Monthly Board Meetings

Township Board – 2^nd Thursday 7:00 pm

Planning Commission – 2^nd Tuesday 7:00 pm

Zoning Board of Appeals - 2^nd Wednesday 7:30 pm

Contact the Township for:

Passport Applications

Dog Licenses

Maps, Plat Books

Assessment Information

Voter registration

Building & related Permits

Burning Permits

Non-village Ordinance

Enforcement

Contact the Village of Sparta (887-8251) for:

Water & Sewer concerns

Village parks & streets

Sidewalks

Village Leaf/Brush Pick-up

Village Ordinance

Enforcement

Sparta Library

Hours of operation:

Mon/Tues- 9am to 8 pm

Wed/Fri- 9am to 5pm

Sat- 9am to 12 noon

Closed Thur & Sunday

Visit the library - 80 N. Union St. or call 887-9937 for information.

Myers School Historical Museum

See the Historical Commission Newsletter enclosed with this one!

Town & Country Days

Our Hometown Fair!

July 11 – 15, 2007

Parades, Fireworks,

Apple Run 5K Race,

Country Music Concert,

Scottville Clown Band,

Crafts, Cars, Horses

and much more!

www.spartafair.com

Passports

Will soon be needed for travel to Canada and Mexico. You may apply for one at our office; it then takes as long as 12 weeks to receive it from the Dept of State; plan ahead!

Supervisor - Dale Bergman

Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act of 2007

The Sparta Township Board, at its May 10, 2007 meeting, passed a resolution supporting the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2007.

Agriculture in Sparta Township is an essential industry and over one half of the Township is prime agricultural land. Labor-intensive crops such as apples, cherries, peaches and vegetables require a stable work force, mostly workers from Mexico. Sparta Township farmers are dependent on these workers and without them would have trouble harvesting their crops.

The resolution was sent to Michigan legislators at the state and federal level, Governor Granholm, and President Bush.

Clerk - Bonnie Robinson

Election August 7, 2007

Voters in Kent County will go to the polls on August 7 to vote on a Grand Rapids Community College millage request. Typically, voter turnout is low for summer elections. Absentee applications are available to all who are over 60 years of age, physically challenged, or planning to be away the day of the election. If you are not already on our permanent absentee mailing list, please call or visit the township office to request an application. After filling out and returning the application, a ballot will be issued to you. Most eligible absentee voters enjoy being able to vote at home, avoiding long lines and bad weather.

Treasurer - Pat Fynewever

Enclosed is your 2007 Sparta Township summer tax bill. Your summer bill includes the last one-third of the County tax millage shifted from the winter to the summer bill, as mandated by state law.

Summer taxes are due in our office by September 14. Postmarks and credit card payments are not accepted.

If you have any questions about your tax bill, please call our office.

Assessor – Cliff Turner

A summary of residential real estate sales activity is presented in the following table:

Year	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007*
Volume	$11,549,904	$8,535,830	$8,409,467	$10,739,000	$3,879,250
Transactions	97	69	63	82	33
Average Price	$119,071	$123,708	$133,484	$130,963	$117,553

* 2007 activity represents the first quarter of the year.

As evident, the past year was very stable in price and stronger in the number of sales. More definitive statistics for 2007 will be available by the end of the year.

A couple of reminders: first, for all types of property tax forms, please visit the State Tax Commission website at www.michigan.gov/treasury. The forms are available in text or portable document formats and most can accept live data and will automatically perform any mathematical operations. Also, there is a Property Tax Estimator function that allows you to calculate property taxes based on your taxable value and school district.

Second, for those with the need for property information, visit Sparta Township’s website at www.sparta-township.com and access “LINKS” and then “Kent County”. Select “Online Services” then “Property/Parcel Lookup.” Available is ownership, property type, sales history, land size, taxes, aerial mapping, and other property features and attributes.

On behalf of the Assessors Office, have a safe and enjoyable summer.