By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK – A ballot measure to support the city’s failed movie studio property was voted down Tuesday.
Voters rejected a 4 mill, two-year millage to fund the studio property, which would have saved the city the $2.2 million a year it pays to subsidize the building.
The measure failed with 3,355 votes against and 2,313 for it.
The measure’s acceptance is written into the first draft of the city’s proposed $19.2 million budget, which has yet to be finalized.
“We are going to have to reduce our proposed budget by about $3 million to accommodate that fact,” City Administrator John Zech said. “We are working on that now.”
Reportedly, a meeting is scheduled for Wednesday between Mayor Bill Matakas and the state treasury to discuss why the city does not need an emergency financial manager. Without the funding, the city likely will not find the funds to overcome its $4 million deficit.
Zech said he plans to discuss possible cuts with the city council at its Tuesday special meeting.
“With the millage failing, it puts a great deal of strain on trying to operate the city,” Zech said. “Without that millage passing, we have to cut more money out of the budget, more services, more staff.”