I received my winter tax statement a few weeks ago. There is nothing on that statement about any tax dollars going to the DDA even though I am in the DDA tax capture area. I filed a FOIA request with Orion Township and the Village of Lake Orion to find out where my tax dollars go.
The response from the Village of Lake Orion was that “Orion Township is responsible for the assessment, billing, collection and settlement of Village of Lake Orion taxes.”
The response from Orion Township showed that for my property, the DDA receives 99.8% of the following taxes versus the money going where it is listed: Oakland Community College, Oakland County, village operating, village police and Headlee Override, Oakland County Parks, Metro Parks, Orion Township General Fund and fire, Safety Path and Parks & Recreation funds, and Oakland County Transit.
What is funded in accordance with my tax statement is only four items: local schools, the Detroit Zoo, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Orion Township Public Library – 99.8% of everything else goes to the DDA.
At the Nov. 7, 2023 vote, something the Village of Lake Orion and DDA tried to stop by going to court, 18% of the registered Village of Lake Orion voters were able to decide that this funding for the DDA will remain in place and our tax dollars will continue to go to the DDA versus what is shown on our tax statement.
The village and DDA are still in court, now requesting that this cannot be voted on again.
I thought the public should know where our tax dollars go since it is not revealed on our tax statements and not indicated on the ballot when we vote on tax millages.
As the DDA likes to say, “Get the Facts.”

Cory Johnston
Village of Lake Orion