Oxford Township officials are expected to formalize their opposition to the proposed regional mass transit tax that, if approved by voters, would be levied against north Oakland County property owners, but not provide any services to this area.

“I think it’s a raw deal,” said Supervisor Bill Dunn.

It was the consensus of the township board last week that Dunn, along with Treasurer Joe Ferrari and Clerk Curtis Wright, are to draft a resolution opposing the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) of Southeast Michigan’s proposed 20-year, 1.2-mill property tax, expected to be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. A home with a taxable value of $100,000 would pay an additional $120 annually under the RTA millage.

The resolution is expected to be presented to the township board at its July 13 meeting.

“They’re looking at us just to be the funders (of this transit system),” Ferrari said. “And it really won’t benefit us.”

The proposed RTA tax would be used to develop and operate a regional mass transit system linking parts of Oakland, Macomb, Wayne and Washtenaw counties. If approved, it’s expected to generate $2.9 billion in tax revenue over two decades.

A new rail line connecting downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor is the centerpiece of the RTA plan. It’s expected to make eight round trips per day beginning in 2022.

Dollars would also be used for new/extended local bus services, cross-county connector services and to establish a bus rapid transit (BRT) system. A BRT system involves special buses operating in a way similar to a rail line, traveling in dedicated lanes at higher speeds.

Proponents of the RTA plan, which can viewed at www.rtamichigan.org, believe a regional mass transit system would bolster economic development in southeast Michigan.

They cite an economic study conducted by the American Public Transportation Association that found about $4 is generated in economic returns for every $1 invested in public transportation.

The RTA conducted its own economic study and determined that between 2017 and 2036, investment in its mass transit plan is projected to directly support 67,000 new jobs, add $6 billion in gross regional product and increase personal income by $4.4 billion.

According to the RTA, its plan would provide reliable access to more than 946,150 jobs, 23 colleges, 310 schools and Head Start facilities, 22 hospitals, more than 100 grocery stores, 410 parks and 47 libraries.

But none of these proposed services would extend to any of the townships, villages and cities in northern and western Oakland County.

“We’re not going to see anything out here except the drain on our pocketbook,” said Dunn, who noted all the RTA tax revenue would be “funneled down” to the urban areas south of here.

Ferrari noted he sent a message to the RTA asking if it would consider returning 50 percent of the revenue collected, if the 1.2-mill tax passes, to the local communities. He said that money could then be used to expand the North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA).

“I didn’t get a response to that,” Ferrari said.

NOTA provides low-cost, publicly-subsidized transportation for senior citizens, disabled individuals and low-income folks living in Oxford, Addison and Orion townships along with the villages of Oxford, Leonard and Lake Orion.

NOTA is governed by officials from the six communities and funded by local taxpayers via a mix of contributions from the municipalities and a dedicated property tax approved by voters in 2014 and 2015. The rate was originally 0.25 mill, but the Headlee Amendment has since resulted in a slight reduction.

Dunn believes having NOTA in place is more than adequate to serve the needs of local residents.

“We already have one of the better transportation authorities out here,” he said. “I’m sure the Regional Transit Authority wouldn’t do the job that we do.”

Ferrari understands the economic growth argument touted by RTA proponents and believes regional transportation is “in theory” a “good idea,” but “we’ve got a (local) system that serves us well for a quarter of a mill.”

Trustee Jack Curtis noted the proposed 1.2-mill RTA tax is higher than the township’s operating tax (0.9461 mill) and exceeds the 0.8471-mill tax that supports the parks and recreation department.

The length of the proposed RTA tax is also much greater than any of the local operating millages.

“Twenty years is a pretty long time,” Ferrari said.

Because north Oakland County has a smaller population than the urban areas, there’s a strong possibility that it could be outvoted on this four-county ballot proposal.

“We probably won’t be able to do anything about it, but we can sure kick up our heels and tell them we don’t like it,” Dunn said.