Novi: Your bills keep going up.
We are organizing concerned residents to educate their neighbors, improve public policy at the local level, and lessen our tax burden. Are you in?
Novi's economic uncertainties by the numbers
Novi's economic challenges are real and persistent. Here is the data behind the local failures.
The median annual property tax bill for a Novi homeowner with a mortgage, nearly three times the national median and among the highest of any city in Michigan, paid by you.
The size of the bond Novi voters were asked to approve in August 2025 to rebuild police and fire facilities. For a home with a taxable value of $200,000, that is an extra $200 added to the annual property tax bill every year for the next 25 years
In May 2026, the City of Novi increased the library tax on residents' bills under a state law that allows municipalities to raise certain levies without going to voters. The increase was approved by the City Council alone. Novi homeowners had absolutely no direct say.
That is how much of a Novi homeowner's total property tax bill goes to schools, the county, the zoo, community colleges, and other outside agencies, but not the city itself. Only about 29 cents of every dollar actually funds Novi's own roads, police, and fire.
What's Driving It
Policy Failures
Law That Lets Government Tax Without Asking
Michigan law allows local governments to raise certain levies, including library taxes, without putting them to a public vote. In May 2026, Novi used this authority to increase the library fund levy on residents' tax bills, bypassing the ballot entirely. Whatever the merits of library funding, the principle matters: a government that can raise taxes without asking its residents has less incentive to spend carefully.
Infrastructure Deferred Until Disaster
Novi's police station and three of its fire stations were built between 1978 and 1981, when the city had about 22,000 residents. Today Novi has nearly 68,000. The city did not meaningfully address the gap until it became a $120 million emergency, financed over 25 years and added directly to every homeowner's tax bill. Long-term planning and proactive stewardship of public facilities could have spread this cost more responsibly over time.
Most of Your Tax Bill Goes Elsewhere
The vast majority of what Novi homeowners pay in property taxes, roughly 70 cents of every dollar, does not go to Novi at all. It goes to school districts, Oakland County, the Detroit Zoo, community colleges, and other agencies. Yet when residents see their bill go up, the city gets the call. The complexity of Michigan's layered property tax system makes it nearly impossible for the average homeowner to know who is spending their money, on what, and whether it is working. That opacity benefits the spenders, not the taxpayers.
We Need Leaders Like You
Communities like yours need leaders to change children's outcomes. They're protected by driven residents who show up, speak out, and take action.
Education
Learn how the local government functions, how to speak at community events and to board members directly.
Connection
Connect with a growing network of neighbors who share your concerns and are ready to stand together and demand change.
Action
Get practical tools to participate in school board and other city government meetings, submit public comments, and hold local officials accountable.
Support
Ongoing help from experienced community advocates who've successfully driven change across Novi and other parts of Michigan.
Are You In?
Submit your information and our team will personally reach out to you.
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