2026 DATA Millage Facts

Voters in Delta County will decide on Aug. 4 whether to authorize a countywide transit millage.

What is the Millage Request?

Voters will be asked whether to authorize a new countywide millage of up to 0.689 mills for eight years, 2026 through 2033, to fund Delta Area Transit Authority (DATA) services. If authorized, the millage would replace the existing city and township transit millages with a single shared rate that funds service for all of Delta County.

Senior with wheelcahir being loaded with ramp into DATA vehicle.

What Would the Millage Fund?

If authorized by Delta County voters, the millage would:

  • Provide countywide coverage, including access to DATA services in the seven townships that currently have none.
  • Expand service hours, including:
    • Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
    • Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
  • Replace the existing city and township millages with a single, countywide rate. This would open eligibility for additional state and federal transit funding, which requires a local match and will bring approximately $1 in outside funding for every $1 raised locally.

FAQs

How Does a Public Transit Millage Work?

A millage for public transit is a localized property tax approved by voters to fund local transportation systems like DATA. It acts as a dedicated revenue stream to bridge the gap between passenger fares and operating costs.

Is This a New Millage?

Yes. The proposal would authorize a new countywide millage of 0.689 mills. Currently, DATA is funded through a patchwork of local millages: 0.6 mills in Escanaba and Gladstone, and 0.5 mills in seven participating townships (Bay de Noc, Bark River, Brampton, Ensign, Ford River, Masonville and Rapid River). Seven other Delta County townships (Wells, Garden, Nahma, Maple Ridge, Baldwin, Cornell and Fairbanks) currently have no DATA service because no local transit millage funding is in place there. If the countywide millage is authorized, it would replace the existing city and township transit millages with a single shared rate that funds service for all of Delta County.

How Much Would the Millage Cost a Homeowner?

The cost of 0.689 mills for a home with a taxable value of $100,000 is $68.90 per year. The millage is applied to the home’s taxable value, which is 50 percent of the market value. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value.

How Does Public Transportation Serve Delta County?

DATA has provided demand-response, door-to-door service to Delta County since 1989. DATA is a non-profit public transportation authority, audited annually, with executive leadership and staff shared with Schoolcraft County Transit Authority to keep administrative overhead low. In the 2025 fiscal year, DATA operated 265 service days and traveled 450,539 vehicle miles with a fleet of 18 vehicles and 29 full- and part-time employees.

More than half of DATA trips (54%) are working-age adults, often commuting to jobs at employers like the casino, Walmart, Elmer’s and Meijer. The service also reaches Delta County’s rising senior population, veterans, students, individuals with disabilities and residents without vehicles and provides emergency transportation for nursing homes, housing complexes and warming centers.

Riders and Delta County residents told DATA what they wanted through a series of rider surveys and listening sessions. They asked for weekend hours, early-morning rides and evening service. DATA used those answers to plan the new schedule being proposed with this millage.

What Has Changed Since the Last Countywide Millage Was Proposed?

The last countywide transit millage proposal in Delta County was on the ballot in 2002.

Since then:

  • Delta County's senior population has grown to 27.5%, compared to 18% statewide, and is projected to reach 32% by 2040.
  • The State of Michigan's share of rural transit operating costs has dropped from roughly 60% to about 33% today, increasing the importance of local funding.
  • Five other Upper Peninsula counties (Alger, Gogebic, Marquette, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft) have authorized countywide transit millages.

How is DATA Funded?

DATA is a non-profit public transportation authority funded through a combination of local millage revenue, state Local Bus Operating (LBO) funds, federal transit dollars and rider fares. 

Map of Delta County with the showing the areas DATA service is available

Current DATA Services

  • Service to seven townships and two cities in Delta County, funded by a patchwork of local millages
  • Service hours:

    • Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Closed Saturday and Sunday
  • Limited state and federal funding to public transportation in Delta County
Delta County Map with all the areas in blue.

DATA Services if Voters Approve the Millage

  • Service to all of Delta County, funded by a single countywide millage of 0.689 mills
  • Expanded service hours:

    • Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
    • Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
  • Eligibility for additional state and federal transit funding of approximately $1 in outside funding for every $1 raised locally

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