Kingsley voters considered school millage as $40 million golf expansion advanced

KINGSLEY, Mich. — Kingsley-area voters faced a school funding decision on Aug. 4 as Kingsley Area Schools placed a non-homestead operating-millage proposal on the ballot. The vote came as the Kingsley Club announced a separate $40 million golf-course and clubhouse expansion in the Kingsley community.

The school proposal affects property other than principal residences, including businesses, rental properties and second homes. If approved, the millage would be collected from 2027 through 2031. The district’s existing operating millage was scheduled to expire in 2026.

The approved source material does not include the result of the Aug. 4 election. It also does not provide the millage rate or projected annual revenue, so the financial effect on individual properties cannot be calculated from the available information.

What the school proposal would do

For Kingsley Area Schools, the proposal was a request to continue collecting operating revenue from non-homestead property after the current millage expires. That means the direct tax question is tied to businesses, rental properties and second homes rather than principal residences.

The 2027-31 collection period described by the district is conditional: it would apply only if voters approved the proposal. The available sources do not establish whether that condition was met.

Separate golf expansion announced

On June 29, the Kingsley Club announced plans for a $40 million expansion involving its golf course and clubhouse. Club leaders said they expect the project to create jobs, boost tourism and strengthen the area’s golf industry.

The announcement does not specify a construction schedule, a final job count or how the $40 million would be divided between the golf course and clubhouse. Those details remain unavailable in the approved reporting.

The golf project and the school millage are separate developments. The source material does not indicate that they are financially connected. The expansion could bring construction and hospitality activity, along with potential jobs, to the Kingsley area, but the available report does not quantify those effects.

Broader development context

In a separate May 2026 economic-development milestone, the Village of Kingsley received Michigan Redevelopment Ready Communities certification. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation said the certification recognizes municipal work intended to attract private investment and build municipal assets.

Together, the school ballot proposal, the private golf-club announcement and the village certification mark three distinct developments for Kingsley: a voter decision about future school operating revenue, a proposed private investment and a municipal effort to improve readiness for additional investment. The next confirmed point for the millage is its 2027-31 collection period if approved; an election result and further project details were not provided in the approved sources.