HOUGHTON, Mich. (WJMN) – Houghton County residents and community leaders rallied on Wednesday in protest of the ongoing tax dispute with the City of Houghton and Walmart.
The protest took place in front of the Houghton Walmart at the corner of Highway 26 and Razorback Drive. Dozens of people protested against the dispute in hopes of making their voices heard.
“I appreciate everyone who shared their concern about the impact of this dispute. This issue impacts everyone who lives here and benefits from services,” said Houghton City Manager Eric Waara. “It’s encouraging to see residents share their voice and take a stand against Walmart’s actions.”
Demonstrators walked with signs ranging from “Don’t support Walmart” to plays on the Walmart slogan like “Walmart. Live Better. Avoid Taxes.” You can see some of the participants in the following photos provided to Local 3 in a release:
The demonstration comes as Walmart is in the midst of a tax appeal for its location in Houghton. The company hopes to lower the property’s tax valuation, which if successful would award Walmart a retroactive refund of $1.2 million and reduced property taxes in the future.
The City of Houghton claims that action would force budget cuts for public services in order to make up for the loss of future city tax revenues.
You can read more about the appeal and the City of Houghton’s response here.
