Allen Park City Administrator Mark Kibby (left), meets the city council, including Councilmen Gary Schlack and Matthew Valerius, Mayor Gail McLeod, and Mayor Pro-Tem Tony Lalli. The body placed three proposals on the Nov. 3 ballot, which residents approved, which provide a means to preserve funding for public safety and roads.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK – Residents approved three city charter proposals Nov. 3, authorizing an increase in the city’s operating millage from 12.5 to 20 mills, and locking in funding for public safety and street improvements.
The second and third proposals were conditional on approval of the first proposal. Two-thirds of the city’s voters approved each of the three proposals.
Currently, voters must approve a millage for police and fire, and for road improvements, every 10 years. Passage of Proposal 1 (8,702 to 4,560) amended the city charter to allow the operating millage to increase from its current 12.5 mills to the state authorized amount of 20 mills.
Proposal 2 (8,581 to 4,616) created a permanent special police and fire safety millage of 6.75 mills, while Proposal 3 (8,970 to 4,202) allocated a permanent street improvement millage of 1.9015 mills.
In the city’s 2020-21 budget, 51 percent of the police and fire budget is provided by a 2013 public safety millage. If the funding were not renewed, the city would face extensive police and fire personnel layoffs. The charter amendment prevents that risk, and helps ensure a permanent, stable level of public safety funding.
Likewise, the third proposal helps ensure permanent street improvement funding.
The city’s current street improvement budget can replace approximately two miles of city streets per year. With the city having about 90 miles of streets, which have an average life span of 30 years, at the current funding level the city cannot catch up, and may fall further behind in providing basic street replacement. The passage of the third proposal locked in permanent street capital improvement funding.
City officials noted that high quality streets increase residential property values, improve safety for both drivers and pedestrians, and strengthens civic pride.
The passage of the three proposals does not raise taxes, but extends the current level of public safety and street repair funding into a permanent millage. With its passage, the city has a 19.0576 millage rate, capped at 20 mills, and currently has no plans to increase it further.
The remaining 0.9424 millage allowance would provide the city with flexibility should an unanticipated need arise.