Detroit, Mich. – Two Detroit activists called for the immediate resignation of Michigan State University Trustee Dianne Byrum at a press conference Tuesday, saying her years-long misuse of the state’s homestead tax exemption makes her unfit for elected office.
The exemption allows homeowners to declare one primary residence, shielding it from school operating taxes levied on second homes and rental properties. Byrum wrongly used the exemption on two homes for years, improperly saving her tens of thousands of dollars, according to a Detroit News report.
The activists – pastor and radio host Rev. Horace Sheffield III and host of the podcast Detroit in Black and White Adolph Mongo – said that while they’ve been “quiet” about MSU issues in the past, they were moved to speak out on this one in an “era of Trump where everyone gets away.”
They spoke of a “two-tiered justice system,” in which Black Michiganders they know have struggled with or even lost their homes to similar tax issues, while a white elected official like Byrum “gets away with it.”
“I'm trying to tell young African American men who get caught up in the justice system that you do pay for your failures, for your lapses, for your trespasses,” Sheffield said. “That's true for them, it ought to be true for her too.”
Last week, Byrum told The State News the misuse was a mistake and that she wasn’t aware of wrongdoing until media reports about it began. Mongo questioned that defense, pointing to Byrum’s long career in public service and leadership positions in the Michigan Legislature.
“She knows the game, she knows how to fill forms out, she did it intentionally,” Mongo said.
Byrum said in a statement that she has since corrected the "mistake."
“Upon learning of this error, I immediately notified the local assessor and re-submitted all necessary forms to ensure the calculation was accurate and all paperwork was up to date," Byrum said. "I have also paid all property taxes owed in full."
Mongo compared Byrum to former Michigan Supreme Court Judge Diane Hathaway, who in 2014 was criminally charged for improper mortgage filings, losing her law license and spending one year in federal prison. Mongo pointed to Hathaway as a good example of an elected official being held accountable for misdeeds, unlike Byrum.
Sheffield and Mongo aren’t the first to call for Byrum’s resignation over the issue. Last week, a bipartisan pair of former MSU trustees released a joint statement to The State News calling Byrum’s actions “unconscionable,” questioning her “weak excuse,” and demanding her immediate resignation.
In response, Byrum told The State News she had “no intention of resigning,” but doesn’t hope to seek another term when her seat expires in 2024.
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