As Addison Township voters head to the primary polls on Aug. 7, the issue of public safety is likely to be on the forefront of their minds given two proposals which will be appearing on the ballot.

The Addison Township Fire Department is looking for voter support on its six-year, 2.25 millage renewal and increase request. The township will also ask for voter approval of a four-year, 3.4874 mill tax (both a renewal and increase) for police protection.

Officials unanimously approved ballot language for both requests at a March 19 meeting. Both proposals will be on the Aug. 7 ballot.

In previous years, the fire department’s three millages (each originally approved at 0.75 mills) which fund its fire protection operating expenses, its capital and its ambulance services have been staggered in their expirations and have had renewals appear on seperate ballots.

Fire Chief Jerry Morawski said those three millages which support the fire department will be combined on this year’s ballot into one renewal/increase request for a total 2.25 mills.

The department is asking that the three current 0.7473 millages, which each expire in December 2018, be increased by 0.0027 up to the original 0.75 amount and levied for six years 2019 through 2024 inclusive.

“The millages were each originally approved by voters at 0.75 mills, but due to Headlee Amendment rollbacks, they are now at 2.1911 (in total),” said Fire Chief Jerry Morawski. “We want to increase that back to 0.75 mills (each), which is the original voted amount for each of them in previous years.”

A mill is worth $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value.

In this case, the millage renewal/increase equates to $2.25 for every $1,000 of taxable value. On a home with a taxable value of $100,000, the total requested millage equates to $225 per year.

If its proposed millage renewal is approved, Addison Township’s fire department would garner $788,865 in the first year the millage is levied.

Morawski said the millage is used for all operating costs of the fire department, including payroll, medical supplies, heat and utilities, as well as office supplies.

He added that the proceeds help to support the department’s six full-time and its 17 paid on-call staff.

“That money would (fund) the complete operation and services of the fire department today… nothing new,” Morawski added.

If the millage fails, the department would no longer have operating funds to run on, according to Morawski.

“We’d have to close up and we’d have to figure out where we could get money to operate. It would be a major problem if it doesn’t pass,” said Morawski. “We’re just grateful for all of the support we’ve received over time from our community and we hope to keep receiving that level of support in the future.”

The township is also asking Addison Township residents to approve a four-year, 3.4874 mill tax for police protection.

Voters are being asked to replace the previous police millage, which expired in December 2017 and rolled back to 3.4044 due to the Headlee Amendment.

Supervisor Bruce Pearson said this millage, which supports the township’s police road patrol fund would help keep township residents safe on the road by allowing the township to continue its police coverage.

If the millage renewal and increase is approved, Pearson hopes to improve the township’s midnight patrol coverage and get back to “full status.”

“Because of the recession, we had to cut back on our midnight coverage. We’re hoping to get back up to speed and to always have full coverage during those shifts,” said Pearson.

If approved, the millage would generate $1,222,705 towards police protection for the township in the first year the millage is levied and would be used to pay for the township’s existing service contract with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.

The township is asking that the current 3.4044 millage be increased by 0.083 mills up to the original 3.4874 amount and levied for four years 2018 through 2021 inclusive.

For police protection, the millage renewal/increase equates to $3.4874 for every $1,000 of taxable value.

If the millage fails, the township will have to cut back on road patrol officers, which would drastically reduce police protection within the township, according to Pearson.

“We’d have no police protection after a while,” said Pearson. “It’d be just a matter of time until we’d use what little money we have left until it ran out for our (Oakland County) Sheriff’s Office.”

Pearson, who said the township’s patrol fund is “already underfunded,” said the approval of this millage renewal/increase would get the police protection tax back up to its originally-approved millage amount.