The tax bill for the median parcel located outside the lakes area declined 34.9 percent during the same period. The potential for future tax increases will be affected by real estate market values and demand for additional spending. Additional costs would be incurred if Menominee County were to annex from Shawano County the Tribe's new housing development, known as Middle Village. All Middle Village land is already held in federal trust so that annexation, which is sought by the Tribe, would increase service requirements but add no value to the tax base. Shawano County officials currently oppose annexation of the area to Menominee County unless the Tribe agrees to limit future land purchases elsewhere in the county or to provide payments in lieu of taxes to offset the cost of services to tax-exempt land.
Services provided to Menominee County residents are limited.
The Menominee County Highway Department has inadequate facilities and equipment to provide road maintenance, and many of the town roads in the densely developed lakes area are not paved. There is no heated garage in which to store snowplowing equipment, and some town roads are not plowed for several days following significant snowstorms. The Town of Menominee Fire Department has old equipment and has provided limited training to its volunteer force. Ratings based on the adequacy of fire service in the town have resulted in high fire insurance premiums for town residents. Menominee County's poverty rate was 48.7 percent in 1994, compared to 10.7 percent statewide.