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U.P. officials testify in support of ‘Dark Store’ bill, against tax tribunal appointee

Michigan Senator Ed McBroom

LANSING, MI--   Escanaba City Manager Patrick Jordan testified before the state Senate Finance Committee Wednesday in support of Senator Ed McBroom’s bill to close the “dark store” tax loophole.

The legislation would revise the way property taxes are assessed on vacant “big box” stores. It would end the process of placing deed restrictions on closed stores – a move used to lower a building’s market value.

The bill remains before the committee for further consideration.

On Thursday McBroom, Representative Sara Cambensy and former Marquette Township Manager Randy Girard testified before the Senate Advice and Consent Committee in opposition to the governor’s recent appointment of Victoria Enyart to the Michigan Tax Tribunal.

McBroom said Enyart has a history of supporting the dark store loophole and rules in favor of multinational corporations over local governments trying to offer public services with dwindling resources.

He introduced a motion during the committee hearing to disapprove Enyart’s nomination, but the motion did not pass.

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.