Eaton County, Michigan Treasury
Increased awareness with a consistent and professional image to community
Michigan was hit hard with the United States housing and financial crisis. Every city, county, and township were challenged with foreclosed homes. Many of the abandoned homes in Eaton County were a result of tax foreclosures. Eaton County Treasurer, Robert Robinson made it a mission to clear up the epidemic that communities were contending with.
The Problem:
Many homeowners did not have a good grasp on property taxes. If real property, personal property, SEV and taxable value were clearly explained to home owners, educated decisions on home financing and purchases would result.
Additional challenges:
- large amount of tax foreclosures in county
- how to get the information to the public?
- education on disabled veteran’s tax exemption
- design information to be helpful to a diverse population
- demographic differences in education level, age, income
The Solution:
- full color 8 panel brochure
- direct mail to all property owners in Eaton County, Michigan
- creation of infographics that visually depict information
- distributed to local gathering spaces
- introduced to county organizations /
veteran’s groups
Additional solution:
- oversized posters for display at each Eaton County Treasury Branch Office
- Size ( 72” x 32”) helps the posters stand out
- an appealing and informative addition to the decor of county offices
- on display where property owners pay taxes
- posted in register of deeds office for clear and easy view
The Results:
- positive feedback from community
- increased awareness for property tax laws in Eaton County
- increased inquiries for veteran owned properties
- consistent and professional image to community