The proposal is a renewal of a current millage that voters in Kent County have already approved once before in 2014.
It calls for homeowners to pay a .05-mill tax through 2029 supporting veteran services and resources in the county, including several programs that assist Kent County veterans with health, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Paul Ryan is a representative from the Citizens Supporting Kent County Veterans group.
“The core mission of Kent County Veterans Services which is funded by the millage, is to enable Kent County Veterans to access the Federal benefits that they earned through their military service,” Ryan said. “That can be a tricky and complicated process.”
Ryan says, the millage has enabled Kent County to hire more counselors to assist those who have served in the Armed Forces with accessing those benefits, and the new hired staff, since 2017 has been able to deliver $27 million in benefits to Kent County veterans.
According to the Kent County Clerk’s office, if approved, the millage would generate about $1.32 million in the first full calendar year. For a homeowner with a home valued at $200,000, the annual tax equates to about $5 a year.