Photo by Caroline Miller
The Chelsea City Council meets in a work session with Mayor Cody Sumners at Chelsea City Hall on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
The Chelsea City Council is considering implementing a property tax for the city to help pay for forming its own Police Department.
Running a Police Department likely would cost $4 million to $4.5 million a year, Mayor Cody Sumners said.
The city probably would be looking at a 5-mill city property tax, Sumners said. A 5-mill property tax would be expected to bring in about $1.5 million a year, which would amount to an increase of $207 a year for the average single-family home in Chelsea or $233 for the average parcel in the city, according to information shared at a City Council work session Tuesday night.
The City Council could pass a 5-mill property tax on its own without a citywide vote of residents, but if the council were to seek more than 5 mills, it would require a citywide vote.
A 10-mill property tax likely would bring in $3 million a year — which would mean an increase of $414 per year for the average single-family home or $465 for the average parcel in the city, according to information provided by city officials.
The council would have a public hearing before passing a property tax, but no public hearings have been set yet, Sumners said.
Councilwoman Johnna Barnes said everyone in the city won’t be happy about a new property tax, “but they’re not going to be happy either if we don’t have a police force, if that is necessary which it seems to be.
Chelsea currently pays the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office to provide 13 deputies dedicated to the city of Chelsea, but that cost continues to increase, and Shelby County officials are debating whether they can continue to provide deputies dedicated to certain municipalities.
“Whether the county decides to stay with us and let us pay them or whatever, the cost is going to keep rising,” Barnes said. “So it would be beneficial to the city to have our own police force, and if a property tax is the only thing that gets us there reasonably, then because we’ve listened to the (public opinion about a) gas tax and the education tax, this seems like the more appropriate way to make that happen.”
Barnes emphasized her focus on protection for the city of Chelsea.
“I think it’s kind of ironic that I’ve had some people say to me when we’re talking about property tax that they are totally against a property tax, but they would be willing to pay $200 or $300 a year for police protection,” she said. “It’s all the same aspect. I know some people’s property tax may go higher than that, but still, it’s the same thing. But I’m all for protecting the city and whatever we have to do to make that happen.”
Sumners said an estimated start date for a fully staffed police department would be in October of 2029.
“We’ve really figured out that we’ve got to start planning for the future because one day, whenever that is, we are going to have to form our own Police Department,” he said. “It’s just going to be more feasible to be on our own than to continue contracting and having fewer deputies at a higher and higher rate.”
Chelsea officials also have discussed passing a gasoline tax for the city and using that money to help pay for road and bridge projects that previously have been funded with other local revenues from the general fund. That would free up money in the general fund to help with the Police Department.
A 3-cent gas tax would bring in about $350,000 a year, Sumners said.
Council President Scott Weygand said a property tax alone will not cover the expenses of a Police Department, so city officials need to consider one or two other options.
The council previously discussed the possibility of splitting revenue from the city's education tax to help fund a Police Department, but that idea previously did not gain much support.
Sumners said the city already uses its education tax money to pay for school resource officers and their vehicles, and that would not change because those officers are in the schools.
