HASLETT, Mich. — How would you feel if your taxes went up 800%?
That’s basically what's happening for people in part of mid-Michigan right now.
The Ingham County Drain Commissioner has raised their drainage fee.
People at the Haslett Community Church reached out to us when they got their bill.
"This year when I opened up the tax bills, the fee had increased to almost $1,500," said Church Treasurer Bob Heisler.
$1,366.12 to be exact, after paying just over $171 last year.
Ingham County Drain Commissioner Pat Lindemann says that's to help pay for repairs to the Lakeview Drain in Meridian Township.
"From time to time each one of these drain systems need to be fixed," he said.
Each property in the drain district south of Lake Lansing pays a fee based on how much it uses the system.
The increase is going to be painful for the church's finances.
"We have a limited budget, and to have an increase like that can take a significant chunk of our fees," said Heisler.
But the drain commissioner tells us in the long run, the church and surrounding properties won’t have to pay much, if anything at all.
"Once the payment is done, they won't see a bill for the next four, five, maybe eight years."
The total cost to repair the drain was about $31,000.
The church will pay about $2,000 of that over the next two years.
