The property tax figure on a Flushing listing shows what the current owner pays. Under Michigan's Proposal A, the year after you buy, the home's taxable value resets toward its state equalized value. In the area that sends students to Flushing Community Schools, that reset hits hardest inside the City of Flushing. The city has the widest gap between the two values of any unit in the district, and it also levies the highest rate.
The timing catches people off guard first. A transfer of ownership causes taxable value to uncap "in the calendar year following the year of the transfer of ownership," according to the Michigan Department of Treasury. On that rule, a closing in December 2026 uncaps in 2027, and a closing a few weeks later, in January 2027, uncaps in 2028. The house and the price can be the same, and the new tax base still starts in a different year.
A cap that only protects whoever owns the house now
Proposal A passed on March 15, 1994. It made taxable value the basis for property taxes starting in 1995 and capped its yearly growth at 5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. When a property sells, taxable value goes back to SEV, as Treasury's Proposal A retrospective explains.
The cap has been tight lately. The State Tax Commission set the inflation rate multiplier at 1.031 for 2025 and 1.027 for 2026. That means a 3.1% ceiling and then a 2.7% ceiling on how much an owner's taxable value could grow. As of late October 2026, the commission's archive lists no multiplier for 2027 yet.
When SEV rises faster than the cap, the difference builds up year after year for an owner who stays put. The seller never pays tax on that difference. The buyer starts paying on it the year after the sale.
How big the gap is in each part of the Flushing schools footprint
Genesee County's Equalization Department publishes both numbers for every city and township. The 2026 taxable value schedule and SEV schedule break out residential property by unit. Comparing them shows how much assessed value is sitting above the cap in each place.
The rate in the last columns comes from Treasury's 2025 Total Property Tax Rates report, using each unit's Flushing Community Schools line. That's the latest year available, because Treasury says 2026 rates "will be posted in spring 2027."
| Unit, Flushing Community Schools portion | 2026 residential taxable value as share of SEV | 2025 principal residence rate | Yearly cost of each $10,000 of uncapped gap, principal residence | Same, non-homestead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Flushing | 67.0% | 41.1483 mills | $411.48 | $591.48 |
| Flint Township | 69.4% | 38.3684 mills | $383.68 | $563.68 |
| Clayton Township | 68.7% | 34.7356 mills | $347.36 | $527.36 |
| Flushing Township | 73.9% | 32.7981 mills | $327.98 | $507.98 |
In the city, 2026 residential taxable value totaled $233,443,336 against $348,507,100 in SEV. That puts SEV about 49% above taxable value. In Flushing Township, the figures were $380,146,651 and $514,649,410, so SEV sits about 35% above.
The two columns point the same way. The city has the most value held below SEV, and it also charges the most per dollar once that value is released. Flushing Township ranks lowest on both. Flint Township and Clayton Township, which also have Flushing Community Schools sections, fall in between.
These are unit-wide residential totals. They describe the average home in each place, not any one parcel. A house owned by the same person since well before the last run-up in values will usually have a wider gap than a house that sold three years ago, wherever it sits.
One house on either side of the city line
To see what the table means for a single bill, take a hypothetical home with a 2026 SEV of $100,000. Give it the average taxable value ratio for each unit and the 2025 principal residence rate. This is only an illustration: it uses millage alone and leaves out special assessments and other charges.
- City of Flushing. At 67% of SEV, the seller's taxable value is $67,000, and the millage bill is about $2,757. If taxable value uncaps to $100,000, the bill becomes about $4,115, an increase of about $1,358.
- Flushing Township. At 73.9% of SEV, the seller's taxable value is $73,900, and the bill is about $2,424. After uncapping to $100,000, the bill is about $3,280, an increase of about $856.
Both houses have the same SEV and the same school district. The year-two increase in the city comes out roughly $500 larger than in the township. About half of that comes from the city's wider gap and the rest from its higher rate. After uncapping, the new taxable value goes back under the cap. Under the 2026 formula, a buyer's taxable value can grow by no more than the 1.027 multiplier, plus any additions to the property.
The rates themselves moved in 2026
The table uses 2025 rates because those are the latest Treasury has published. Several 2026 votes will show up in later bills.
On May 5, 2026, Flushing Township voters approved a 10-year police operating millage renewal and increase that restores the voter-authorized rate to 3.4114 mills. MLive reported the passage, and the official county canvass shows 799 yes votes and 487 no.
In the August 4, 2026 primary, county voters approved all four of the countywide proposals below, according to the final Genesee County results. The millage amounts come from MLive's preview of the 11 ballot proposals:
- An EMS renewal at 0.4689 mills
- An arts and cultural enrichment renewal at 0.9312 mills
- A Mass Transportation Authority proposal that replaces a 1.2158-mill tax with 1.5158 mills, an increase of 0.30 mills
- A Genesee District Library renewal at 0.9578 mills
The countywide items apply on both sides of the city line, so the city-versus-township comparison mostly holds. The township police increase works the other way and narrows the rate gap a little.
The 18-mill line between owner-occupants and investors
The last two columns of the table are 18 mills apart for a reason. Treasury explains that the Principal Residence Exemption exempts an owner's principal residence from local school operating millage, up to 18 mills. To qualify, the owner has to occupy the home as a principal residence and file a PRE affidavit with the city or township assessor.
For an investor buying a rental, the uncapped gap is taxed at the non-homestead rate. That makes each $10,000 of gap cost $591.48 a year in the city, compared with $507.98 in Flushing Township, using 2025 rates. When a rental's numbers are built on the seller's tax bill, the error shows up in year two.
FAQ
Does every change in ownership uncap taxable value? No. On its change of ownership page, Treasury explains that Section 211.27a(6) of the General Property Tax Act defines what counts as a transfer of ownership and that Section 211.27a(7) lists transfers that don't uncap taxable value.
Is the Principal Residence Exemption the same as the Homestead Property Tax Credit? No. Treasury describes the PRE as separate from the income tax credit with a similar name.
Where can I find a specific home's SEV and taxable value? The assessor for the city or township where the home sits keeps the parcel figures. That's the only reliable starting point for estimating one house's uncapping.
This post is general information, not tax, legal, or financial advice. Please confirm how these rules apply to a specific property with the local assessor or a qualified tax professional.
If you're comparing homes in Flushing, Flushing Township, or the Clayton and Flint Township sections of the district, Jackie Stratton can pull the SEV and taxable value for each one so you see the year-two tax bill alongside the asking price. If you're thinking about selling, start with Get Your Instant Home Valuation, and we can talk through how your tax history will look to a buyer.
