Rebuilding Local Government Without Property Taxes: AxMITax

Why It Doesn’t Mean More State Control—It Means Real Local Control

What AxMITax does is simple: it severs the government’s power to take your home just because you didn’t pay them for the “privilege” of living in it. That’s not governance—it’s extortion.

But critics say, “If we remove property taxes, how will we fund local services?”

The answer: the same way every other legitimate service in a free society is funded—voluntarily.

Counties and townships already have the tools to govern without property taxes. They can charge fees for actual services, use special assessments with voter approval, run enterprise-based utilities, rent or lease public assets, partner with other governments through contracts, and tap into grant funding. None of this requires seizing private property.

AxMITax doesn’t destroy local government—it forces it to return to its proper, constitutional role: serving people, not ruling over them.

It’s time to end the lie that taxation equals local control. Real local control means the people—not bureaucrats—decide how their money is spent. And when that money is earned voluntarily, not taken by force, government finally becomes what it was meant to be: a servant, not a master.

Eliminating property taxes isn’t about weakening local government—it’s about redeeming it, by ending the perverse idea that the government owns your land and you’re just renting it. It’s about forcing a return to constitutional principles—limited government, individual liberty, local accountability, and voluntary cooperation. And it’s entirely possible.

Let’s break down the fearmongering and show how local governments—not just cities, but counties and townships in Michigan—can pay their bills without using the threat of eviction against homeowners, and without losing one ounce of true “local control.”

The Myth: “No Property Taxes = More State Power”

This argument is deeply flawed and rooted in a false premise: that the only way to fund local government is through coercion. When property taxes are eliminated, some argue that local governments will “have to go begging to Lansing.”

But here’s the truth: the state already controls much of your local funding. From revenue sharing, to education funding formulas, to statutory grants—local governments are already tangled in strings and dependency. So the question isn’t whether the state has influence—it’s how much more local control we can reclaim by changing the way we fund local government altogether.

Ending property taxes doesn’t shift control to Lansing. It forces local governments to innovate, to operate transparently, to justify every dollar they spend, and to find voluntary, value-driven ways to fund services.

In fact, it does something even more important: it returns control to the people who live and work in each township and county.

The Conservative Vision: Government Without Coercion

What would a local government look like if it couldn’t take your home for non-payment? If it couldn’t rely on a guaranteed stream of money whether it earned your trust or not?

It would have to:

• Provide real value to its citizens.
• Run lean and efficient, instead of bloated and redundant.
• Charge only for services actually used, not for mere existence.
• Ask permission before spending, not seize funding up front.
• Treat taxpayers like customers, not subjects.

This is how local government should work.

How to Fund Local Government Without Property Taxes

The truth is, counties and townships already have the tools to fund themselves without threatening to take someone’s land. Here’s how:

1. User Fees for Services Rendered

If you use it, you pay for it. If you don’t, you don’t. Simple.

Local governments can fund operations through service fees that are directly tied to actual usage. This includes:

• Building permits
• Zoning requests
• Dog licenses
• Ambulance runs
• Vital records (birth, marriage, death)
• Park use or boat launch fees
• Recreation programs
• FOIA and document processing

These are voluntary and specific—not blanket taxes.

When governments charge only for what’s used, they’re forced to stay accountable, improve efficiency, and respect the limits of their authority.

2. Special Assessments—Voluntary and Targeted, YES, Hillsdale City did it wrong, shocking…

Instead of taxing everyone to fix one road, let the people on that road decide.

Special Assessment Districts (SADs) allow neighbors to petition for improvements and vote to fund them—only for those directly benefitting. Examples:

• Road resurfacing
• Sidewalks or street lighting
• Fire or police protection enhancements
• Drainage and water control

This isn’t socialism. It’s voluntary investment—neighbors choosing to improve their own communities without the force of government.

3. Enterprise-Based Government

Local governments can operate services as self-sufficient businesses, not entitlement programs. When done right, these services fund themselves without taxes:

• Water/sewer utilities
• Broadband infrastructure
• County parks and RV campgrounds
• Local transit systems
• Event centers, fairgrounds, or public markets

Just like private enterprise, they must operate efficiently or go under. That’s real accountability.

. Government Contracting & Fee-for-Service Models

Counties and townships can sign agreements with other governments to provide services—for a fee. This includes:

• Sheriff’s departments covering townships
• Joint emergency services
• Shared building/zoning departments
• Regional planning services
• Shared court or jail operations

This turns government into a service provider, not a coercive tax collector. It also reduces duplication and cuts overhead.

5. Rentals, Licensing, and Public Assets

Local governments sit on millions in land and facilities. Time to make them work:

• Rent out unused buildings or land
• Lease space for solar, farming, or events
• Charge vendor fees at local fairs
• Offer licenses and permits for special uses
• Launch county-branded merchandise or media campaigns

This uses existing assets to fund future needs—without stealing from the people.

6. Grants and Philanthropy

Yes, grants are sometimes tied to federal or state programs—but they’re voluntary. Local governments can:

• Compete for infrastructure or emergency grants
• Accept charitable donations
• Build local endowments
• Create naming opportunities or legacy projects

Imagine a senior center built not by tax dollars, but by a local foundation and proud community members.

7. Voluntary Memberships and Sponsorships

If public radio can do it, so can government services.

Imagine fire departments or emergency responders funded by voluntary subscription, not taxes. Citizens get access, priority, and recognition—just like donors to a nonprofit.

It’s not crazy. It’s already happening in rural areas where millages failed but people still care.

8. Tourism and Economic Development

Some local governments will need to earn outside dollars to replace lost taxes. That’s a good thing.

• Fairs, parades, and festivals
• Historical tours, hiking trails
• Public markets or farmers’ exchanges
• Destination events like rodeos or county expos

These bring in outside money, energize local businesses, and create pride—not resentment.

Accountability Through Scarcity

The greatest benefit of ending property taxes isn’t the money saved—it’s the accountability restored.

When government has to ask for funding—through contracts, votes, or voluntary support—it becomes humble, responsive, and just. When it can seize your property for nonpayment, it becomes arrogant, distant, and cruel.

By removing the guaranteed pipeline of property taxes, we force our governments to:

• Make the case
• Cut the waste
• Offer real value
• Obey the Constitution

That’s not less local control. That’s real, earned local trust.

A New Chapter in Local Self-Governance

For too long, we’ve tolerated a lie—that local government needs coercion to survive. That your home must be held hostage so your township can patch potholes. That basic services require taxation by threat.

It’s time to reject that lie.

Conservatives believe in limited government, private property, and voluntary cooperation. We don’t need bureaucrats to rule us—we need public servants who serve only when invited and paid.

Eliminating property taxes won’t destroy local government, nor give the State government more control. It will force it to become what it should have been all along: lean, honest, accountable, and free.

Because in the end, no government that depends on force to fund itself deserves to call itself local, or American.

Want to get involved and help?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/axmitax

In liberty,
Lance Lashaway, V.C.