Plymouth and Canton residents are heading to the polls Tuesday, August 4, to vote on a Wayne County transit millage that would add a new property tax to local homeowners' bills for the first time.

The millage is the key local question on the primary ballot. If approved, it would levy up to 0.9831 mills (about $0.98 per $1,000 of taxable value) for 10 years, starting with the 2026 tax levy and running through 2035. For a home with a taxable value of about $100,000 (roughly $200,000 in market value), that works out to about $8 per month, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find their polling location and view a sample ballot at mi.gov/vote. A photo ID is required. Unofficial results will be posted after 8 p.m. Tuesday on Canton Township's results page.

What the millage means locally

Plymouth and Canton have historically opted out of the SMART bus system. Neither community has fixed-route transit service. A 2025 state law signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ended the opt-out provision, meaning all 43 Wayne County communities are voting together on transit funding for the first time.

For the 26 communities already in the SMART system, this is a renewal. For Plymouth, Canton, and 15 other former opt-out communities, it's a new tax, CBS News Detroit reported.

If the millage passes, SMART would add eight new routes, five route extensions, and on-demand service over approximately three years in the former opt-out areas. A transit evaluation presented to Plymouth Township's Board of Trustees in March 2026 identified two proposed routes serving the area: Route 295 connecting Detroit, Redford Township, Livonia, Plymouth Township, Plymouth, and Canton Township, and Route 345 along the Haggerty corridor. Service implementation would be phased through 2029.

If it fails, SMART would lose its local Wayne County funding, slashing or reducing transit options countywide.

The millage is estimated to generate roughly $57.6 million in its first year, according to a Bridge Detroit voter guide.

Residents divided on millage

Plymouth resident Ron Picard told CBS Detroit in June that he opposed the millage, citing Oakland County's 2022 transit vote as a cautionary tale. "If you look at Oakland County's 2022 millage, they had a big map of what the proposed routes could be," Picard said. "When you look at what they've actually provided over the last four years, it's just a tiny fraction of what they promised."

Plymouth Township resident Steve Barnaby told the same outlet in June that he supported it as a long-term investment.

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans endorsed the millage at a July news conference at the John D. Dingell Transit Center in Dearborn, calling on communities to "start thinking regionally."

Also on the ballot

Canton Township voters will also see primary races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House (6th District), Michigan State Senate (5th District), and Michigan State House (24th and 25th Districts).

Canton Township has 20 precincts total. Unofficial results won't be posted until after polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Check back at cantonmi.gov after that time for updated totals.