A home built in 2023 now carries a $7,000 tax bill

*Leslie and James Martin built their home in Vicksburg’s Centennial North neighborhood in 2023. They paid around $1,000* in property taxes last year.

This year the township told them their bill would rise to nearly $7,000.

"Our stomachs in knots, we're on pins and needles," Leslie Martin said, according to WWMT News Channel 3.

The Martins are among 38 homeowners in Schoolcraft Township facing massive property tax increases after the township’s former assessor failed to update tax rolls for homes built since 2020, according to MLive and WWMT.

Land taxed as vacant while houses sat on it

The township taxed the Martins’ property as vacant land for years. The couple had submitted all required paperwork for their home, driveway, and deck construction, Leslie Martin said.

"Everything was submitted to the township," she said. "There was nothing that was missed."

The township’s omitted property list includes 38 homes with similar errors. 30 of those homes are in the Village of Vicksburg, per MLive.

The average tax bill for the 38 affected homeowners will jump from about $1,100 in 2025 to almost $9,100 this year, according to MLive calculations.

One homeowner saw taxes rise from $791 to more than $15,000. Another went from $1,464 to nearly $10,000.

Who lost money when the rolls were wrong

The assessment errors cost local government entities millions in lost revenue over several years.

Lydia Paille, who replaced former assessor Nathan Brousseau, audited township properties back to 2020. She found 48 parcels listed erroneously: 38 residential and 10 commercial or industrial.

  • Taxable value under old rolls: $3 million in 2025
  • Actual taxable value: $13.5 million
  • Expected revenue shift: $152,000 to almost $700,000 for 2025 alone

The shortfall was shared among a dozen entities, including:

  • Schoolcraft Township
  • Villages of Schoolcraft and Vicksburg
  • Vicksburg and Schoolcraft schools
  • Vicksburg District Library
  • Kalamazoo County
  • Kalamazoo Valley Community College
  • Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency
  • State School Aid Fund

James Mallery, Vicksburg village manager, said the village lost about $200,000 in recent years.

"It's their mistake," Mallery said. "They can pay us out of their general fund or use their liability insurance."

Mallery said the village is considering a lawsuit if reimbursement does not occur.

The assessor at the center of the errors

Nathan Brousseau’s contract with Schoolcraft Township was terminated in early 2025. He did not respond to requests for comment from MLive or WWMT.

State records show:

  • Brousseau was placed on probation by the State Tax Commission in August 2022
  • He was ordered to complete courses on professional ethics, organization, time management, and communications
  • South Haven Township terminated its contract with Brousseau in 2021 due to assessment issues

The Michigan Department of Treasury confirmed a complaint about Brousseau’s assessments is currently under investigation, per MLive and WWMT.

Township says move on. Village wants answers.

Don Ulsh, Schoolcraft Township Supervisor, declined to comment on the ongoing situation.

"I have nothing to say," Ulsh said. "I'm just so sick of talk about this."

Township attorney Michael Homier noted that state law allows government entities to bill property owners for two years of back taxes. The township has chosen not to pursue that option.

"The township immediately recognized there was a problem and has taken the position that in order to rectify the issue, it's better to simply put them on the roll going forward rather than try to reach back and give them a huge outstanding property tax bill," Homier said.

Mallery disputes the township’s approach. He said he only discovered the issue after someone tipped him off. He also said a similar problem was identified in 2020, yet the township continued contracting with Brousseau for five more years.

"Why is (Ulsh) covering up Nate (Brousseau's) errors?" Mallery said.

What comes next for homeowners

The state tax commission is investigating Schoolcraft Township’s tax rolls at the Village of Vicksburg’s request, according to WWMT. Mallery said the village is waiting for a final report before deciding on next steps.

The Martins remain uncertain about their final tax liability.

"Transparency, just communication," Leslie Martin said. "Just hear something from them other than a letter and saying, ‘Hey, this is your projected taxes.’ Like, what is going on? How did this go up so much?"

The couple plans to sell their home and move to Kalamazoo for a smaller house without stairs as Leslie recovers from back surgery.

"Never did I think that I'd have to learn how to do somebody else's job in order to just live," Leslie Martin said.