In Independence Township voters have never turned down a library or police millage renewal, but both could be in jeopardy due to “confusing ballot language,” officials say.
‘I think both of them are vitally important to the nature of the kind of community we are and hope to continue to be,? said Trustee Neil Wallace. ‘Neither the police or the library can afford to lose so much as one vote.”
The millages include fund diversions to the Sashabaw Road Corridor Improvement Authority, to help fund $3.8 million road widening, bridge improvement, and sewer projects.
Wallace said he was ‘concerned? they would lose votes if the CIA language was included.
Exempting library and police funds from the authority would mean amending the CIA plan.
The board voted 5-1 for township attorney Steve Joppich to write sample ballot language for both millage renewals and draft amendments to the CIA plan, and bring them to the Feb. 2 meeting. Treasurer Curt Carson voted ‘no? and Supervisor Dave Wagner was absent.
Carson said he didn’t think they needed to spend money to change the millages and CIA.
‘I’m very confident this community is going to support their police force and library ? that’s what I believe,? he said.
Trustee Larry Rosso said he wanted to see the ballot language so they had the ‘optimum amount of information.”
‘I don’t want to make a decision with a void hanging out there, when we don’t even know how the ballot language is going to be potentially worded because that will impact on the vote,? Rosso said. ‘Let’s give ourselves that opportunity and make an intelligible judgment at that time.?
Carson was not willing to jeopardize their position with Oakland County, which approves CIA plans, by making adjustments, or the possibility of new jobs in the community.
‘The number one job we have is creating jobs and nothing is going to turn around until we create jobs and keep jobs in this community,? he said. ‘We need jobs so we can go ahead and have continued growth so we can fill these vacant spaces, fill these vacant homes and get this economy turned around. I couldn’t vote to do anything that would jeopardize that at this point.?
Resident Bart Clark disagreed.
‘The purpose of government is not to provide jobs, the purposes of government is to provide services the people can’t do on their own, including police and library,? Clark said. ‘I think if the board doesn’t take action to do all it can do to ensure the millages are continued for the police and the library and there by jeopardizing the continuous of those services I think that would be a big mistake.?
Trustee Mark Petterson called it a ‘double-edged sword.?
‘I don’t want to lose the funds captured to the Sashabaw CIA, and I don’t want to take a chance on the library or police millages failing,? he said.
Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen agreed.
‘If we go down this road of amending this Tax Increment Financing, we’re going to be opening up a can of worms and we’ll end up with nothing,? she said. ‘All the years work we’ve put into it (starting in 2006) would have been for naught.?
Trustee David Lohmeier said he’s ‘not much of a gambler.?
‘From the aspect of risk, I absolutely would not risk if I thought for a minute the CIA language would sink the library or police, I’d cut it loose in a heartbeat,? Lohmeier said. ‘That doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s important, it’s just nowhere near as vital as the other.?