Q. The U-M is always growing, and when it purchases property in the city, it is removed from the city’s tax rolls. Does the U-M make any payments to the city for services such as police and fire protection, road maintenance, etc.?
A. “The university has made payments of more than $21 million to the City of Ann Arbor during fiscal year 2022 for services, including water, sewer, property taxes, parking leases, fire and police protection and more,” spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen emails. “U-M also frequently contributes substantially for the repair of streets adjacent to campus.”
The university has its own police force but pays the city for some additional police services, such as assistance on football game days, and when hosting prominent visitors.
The city receives about $1 million a year from the state to assist in providing fire protection services to U-M facilities. While that’s less than it should be under the state’s own formula, the university also maintains the North Campus Fire Station for the use of the Ann Arbor Fire Department.
According to a U-M website, tax-exempt U-M property makes up 9.4 percent of the land within the City of Ann Arbor. The share of university property in other college towns varies widely. Eastern Michigan University owns 29 percent of Ypsilanti’s land, while the University of Wisconsin-Madison occupies just 1.4 percent of its host city.
Got a question? Email question@aaobserver.com.
