Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Show All Answers
Since its establishment, the council-manager form has become the most popular form of government in the United State in communities with populations of 5,000 or greater. The form is also popular in Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Honduras, Chile and Brazil. For more than 94 years, council-manager government has responded to the changing needs of citizens and their communities.
No. Applicants can only apply for open positions by visiting the Application for Employment page.
https://www.sterling-heights.net/1200/Employment-Opportunities
No. Because the City of Sterling Heights hires for so many different positions, it is not possible to continually accept applications for all of them. Applications are only accepted for current vacancies.
Position announcements are posted in the Current Job Openings section of the website. In addition, positions are advertised in the Macomb Daily / Source newspapers. When there is a vacancy in a specialized or technical field, every effort is made to reach these applicants through direct mail, various newspapers and trade journals, professional associations, and universities throughout the nation.
The Department Director has the right to choose from the top 3 applicants on the eligibility list. If you are in the top three, and a vacancy occurs, you will be considered for the opening. You may be required to interview with the department director for final selection.
One of the most important changes that occurred with the passage of Proposal A was a limit placed on the percentage that property taxes can increase each year. This limitation was accomplished by creating a new term called “Taxable Value.” Taxable Value (TV) is defined as the lesser of a property’s SEV or “Capped Value.” A property’s Capped Value (CV) is defined as the previous year’s taxable value increased by the inflation rate or 5%, whichever is less, plus construction changes.
The State Tax Commission (STC) determines this inflation rate each year. What this tax system has meant for most residents is that if you have not purchased your home in the previous year and have not made any physical additions to your property (like building a garage), your property taxes will not increase by more than the previous year’s inflation rate or 5%, whichever is less.
The 2014 March Board of Review (BOR) will be in session from March 17, 2014, until at least March 21, 2014. These 2 3-member committees, made up of City residents, are responsible for hearing appeals of assessment figures, property classification and hardship exemption appeals. It is the responsibility of the BOR members to review the assessments placed on all of the properties that are appealed and to determine whether these values represent the actual true cash value of each specific property. Please see your assessment notice for more information on making an appointment with the 2014 BOR. All property owners that file an appeal to the 2014 March BOR will receive a written response around the first week of June. Residential property owners that are not satisfied with the decision of the BOR will have the right to appeal to the Michigan Tax Tribunal.
Another important issue to address is that the specific sale price of a property will not automatically determine that property’s assessed value in the year following a transfer. The Assessing Office determines a land and building value for all of the properties in the City and annually adjusts these values based on sales that have occurred during each sales study period. Although current law defines a property’s assessed value as the “true cash value” of a property, not every sale price will reflect that property’s actual market value. For example, one would expect that the sale price from parents to one of their children could be less than if they had sold to someone with which they had no prior relationship. That is the reason that the Assessing Office determines assessed values by using accepted mass appraisal techniques and does not reassess properties based on one sales transaction.
It is the responsibility of the buyer in a transfer to file a Property Transfer Affidavit (2766) form with the Assessing Office within 45 days of the property transfer. Blank affidavits are available at the City Assessing Office and on the Department of Treasury website or the City’s website. Department of Treasury
If you have a Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) on your property and you no longer own and occupy the property as your primary residence, you must file a Request to Rescind Homeowner’s Principal Residence Exemption (2602) form with the Assessing Office. These 2 forms are also available at the Assessing Office and on the Department of Treasury and Sterling Heights websites. Department of Treasury
The owner claiming an exemption must annually submit this form on or before December 31 to verify that the property for which the PRE is retained is not occupied, is for sale, is not leased, and is not used for any business or commercial purpose. If the conditional rescission requirements are all met, this form would take the place of STC Form 2602.
The Sterling Heights Building Department is now offering appointments where you can meet with an inspector who can help you navigate the code and building permit requirements!
To schedule an appointment, leave a message on our hotline: 586-446-2404. State what you are interested in discussing, your name, and call back number. One of our inspectors will get back to you to schedule an appointment.
Yes, a new license is required if a business has changed owners. Per city ordinance, no licenses may be transferred by the holder to any other person.
A certificate of occupancy can only be obtained from the Building Department once all inspections have been approved and the building is up to code. The City Clerk’s office requires a copy of the C of O or confirmation from the Building Department that a C of O was issued.
The Sterling Heights Magazine is mailed to residents three times a year, once in the Spring/Summer, once in the Fall and once in the Winter. Copies of the magazine can be picked up at City Hall and found on the City's website.
The 2017 Cultural Exchange will feature a wide array of ethnic music and dance, cuisine from City restaurateurs and educational cultural displays from area groups and retailers. Cultures represented will include African-American, Bulgarian, Chaldean, Filipino, German, Indian, Italian, Macedonian, Polish, Scottish, Slovakian, Turkish and more. A minimum suggested donation of $1 is requested. Last year's event drew nearly 1,000 people.
The Memorial Day Parade will be held Monday, May 30, 2022. Festivities start at 9 a.m., the parade starts at 10 a.m.
Sterlingfest 2022 will be held July 28, 29, and 30.
Vendor applications for artists, musicians, food and restaurants are available on the City's website each spring for that year's festival.
Sponsor applications are available on the City's website each spring for that year's festival. Or call Community Relations Director Melanie Davis at (586) 446-2471.
All full-time employees, must be reside in one of the following counties during their employment, within six (6) months from their date of hire: Macomb, St. Clair, Lapeer, Oakland, or Wayne.
Please refer to our Hours & Location page for the most up-to-date information. The normal hours of operation and closures are listed.
During this phase of the renovations, there is one copier available on the second floor. Black and white copies are $0.10 per page and color copies are $1 per page. Additional copiers will be available once the renovations have been completed.
Coffee, pop, and snack machines are available on the first floor. Snacks and covered beverages are allowed to be eaten in the library.
Yes. Please visit our Home Delivery page for more details.
During this phase of the renovations, there are restrooms near the temporary entrance and on the second floor. All our drinking fountains are closed due to COVID-19.
Yes, but please be courteous. Take lengthy conversations outside, set your phone to vibrate, use a quiet tone of voice, and remember that your conversation can be overheard.
No. That information is available on the City’s website.
The Friends of the Library have school supply bags available for purchase at the Used, But Sterling Bookstore for $3. Staplers and pencil sharpeners are available to use in the library. Flash drives are available for $9 at the bookstore too.
No, City maps are sold at the City Clerk's Office in City Hall.
We have general material on conducting and organizing a genealogy search. However, the Mount Clemens Public Library is the best place to start locally for in-depth genealogy research.
During this phase of the renovations, there is one set of stairs and one elevator available to the public. Both are straight ahead and to the right of the temporary entrance.
Due to renovations and the threat of COVID-19, extended study sessions are prohibited. Private study rooms will be available on the second floor once the renovations have been completed.
Yes, we have a free scanner/fax machine on the second floor.
Yes, but food and beverages are prohibited due to COVID-19. Once restrictions have lessens, coffee, pop, and water will be available at vending machines near the public elevator.
Click here to see a list of libraries participating in MiLibraryCard. Cardholders should have the MiLibraryCard sticker applied at their home library.
The Friends of the Library, organized in 1976, is a volunteer nonprofit group dedicated to enhancing and improving library service for our community.
The Friends' Used, But Sterling Bookstore is on the north side of the library near the stairs.
Donations are accepted in a number of ways. Please see the Memorial Gift Form available at all service desks or contact Library Administration at 586-446-2640 for further information.
The library weeds materials after they have been heavily used or outdated. On occasion, we offer them to our bookstore for resale. We do not order books for personal purchase. Online sellers and local bookstores will assist you with that request.
The best place is through our online programming calendar. You can also find out about our events through the City magazine and handouts available in the library.
Due to COVID-19, all of our programs require registration. You can register for events through our online programming calendar or by calling the library at 586-446-2640.
Due to ongoing renovations, the programming center and the conference room are not available. Once the renovations have been completed, nonprofit organizations may use the programming center and conference room. Please call 586-446-2640 for more information.
Yes, donated items may be brought to the Used, But Sterling Bookstore during it's normal hours of operation.
Books are normally held on the self-serve hold shelves along the wall behind the first information desk you see when you enter the library.
For Plowz, we offer three options: - ASAP: Response time typically within two hours. - Tomorrow AM: Providers are asked to complete jobs before 6 AM - Tomorrow PM: Providers are asked to complete jobs before 4 PM
City water and sewer utilities are self-supporting and receive no tax dollars – the only funding we receive is from water and wastewater rates you pay. Your payment ensures our ability to deliver high quality, reliable water in a manner that values our environment, community, and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.
Our rates are based on the cost to purchase our high-quality drinking water from Great Lakes Water Authority and then deliver it to you. On the wastewater side, our rates are based on the cost to collect, and send it to Macomb County for treatment; ultimately returning clean water to the environment. By law, what we charge customers must equal the costs to provide the service. The City cannot generate a profit from water and sewer rates.
The three main reasons are the increasing costs to purchase water from GLWA and to treat water by Macomb County. Later this year, GLWA and Macomb County will raise their rates we pay by 2.0% and 3.5%, respectively. These increases must be passed along to our customers. Second, is the investments we are making to modernize our systems. This includes $27 million in investments to provide automated meter reading and make major pipe replacements.
Last year we reviewed how we charge for water service to ensure we will continue to cover increasing costs, investments, and to ensure equity across all customers. Our rate study analyzed both the rate structure, (how customers are charged for service) and the rates (the amount you pay per unit of water and for wastewater service). The goal was to update the structure to:
The results of the rate study allowed us to design a rate structure that has lower variable rates, no minimum usage charge, and a change to the sewer rate based on average winter consumption. In addition, the new rate structure discourages wasteful water usage.
The benefits of the water and sewer rate changes include:
Our water and sewer services are a great value to our customers – about a penny per gallon. Residential monthly water and sewer bills for fiscal year 2020/21 in the City averaged $64, and were lowest among 11 others surveyed in Macomb County.
Your actual water meter is usually located in the basement. The plastic box on the outside of the house is a remote reader. This remote reader is wired to the meter in the basement. Quarterly, the Department of Public Works gets meter readings via the remote, which is how we can accurately bill and is the reason why meter readers don’t knock on your door every three months asking to come inside to read your water meter.
Water meters are specifically engineered to prevent accelerated readings. In fact, as they wear out they will register zero consumption which then alerts the Department of Public Works crews to contact the customer and inspect the meter for potential replacement.
Since the meter readings are obtained from the remote reader located outside the house, the potential for a misread exists if there is a problem with the hard wiring to the water meter in the basement or with the remote reading devices. Misreads are extremely rare. The letter “A” following the “Current Read” on your bill indicates an actual read. To verify the reading shown on your bill, compare it to the reading on your water meter in the basement. The reading that you take (first 4 digits reading left to right) should be greater than the “Current Read” from the bill. If you subtract the bill’s “Current Read” amount from the reading you took, it will measure the amount of water consumed since the end date of the “Service Period” also shown on the bill.
Automated meter reading will enable us to transition to monthly billing in 2022. This will help customers plan and manage their water use better; and when the full installation of new meters is completed in two years, customers will be able to track usage by mobile phone app. The app will also allow customers to set leak alerts and excessive usage alerts so they can address them as they happen.
We estimate that for the average residential customer, these rate changes will smooth out seasonal fluctuations and result in an average bill of $65 per month, assuming some summer irrigation use. Compare that to average bills in Lansing, which average $106/month.
Water and sewer bills are among the lowest of household utility bills.
For context, here are some common water use activities and their approximate costs:
The city of Sterling Heights will not shut water off for non-payment. If a current bill is not paid by the due date, a one-time late fee of 6% of the charges is added to the account. Any bills that become 179 days past due are removed from the water account and put on the property taxes with an additional 17% penalty assessed for this action.
The resident needs to determine if they are supposed to pay their bill through the date of closing or when they turn the keys over, as listed in the purchase agreement of the house. Immediately prior to that date, the resident should read the 6-digit number off the water meter (usually the meter is located in the basement of the house). Phone in the reading to water billing (586-446-2320), who will provide a bill which can be picked up and paid or faxed to the title company/realtor handling the sale. Please allow 48 hours for final bill to be prepared.
A majority of high water bills are due to toilets that are leaking. Toilet leaks are often inaudible. Other things to check for are leaks in sprinkler systems, sump pumps that have water back-up systems, and dripping faucets.
It is important to determine and correct the problem because wasted water results in high bills. One way to check if you have a problem is to write down the six-digit number off the water meter (usually located in the basement of the house) before you go to bed at night. The following morning, go to the water meter and compare the readings. If the meter has moved while you were sleeping, that indicates something is using water. A more immediate check involves the red dial on the water meter. When the dial is spinning, water is going through the meter. The red dial should be still when there is no water usage.
Over a three-month billing period, it is impossible to expect your water bill to be identical to your neighbor’s. Simply put, peoples’ habits on water usage are different. Your neighbor may set the timer on their sprinkler system to water ten minutes less a day than you. They may have low-flow toilets in their house, which use 1.8 gallons of water per flush compared to your 3.6 gallon toilet. The water meter in your home is the actual gauge of how much water is used in the home.
The City is now offering an online service where customers can view their account history on the web. A consumption history graph for the last twelve bills can be viewed. Customers should select the “Make a Payment” option on the front page of the City's website, then select "Water and Sewer Utility Bills," then "Make a Payment Here." At the Utility Account Inquiry screen, the customer will type in their service street address and utility account number.
Customers paying water bills online do not have to pay any processing fee for the transaction. The credit card processing costs are absorbed by the City for water bills.
There are a number of things that could have prevented a customer from making a payment. They are listed in order of most common occurrence as follows:
The two most important areas for customers to analyze are lawn/landscape irrigation practices and the home maintenance routines, which are aimed at preventing toilet and faucet leaks.
Tips for efficient lawn and landscape irrigation are as follows: