The differences between the Dorr Township road millage and the state tax increases for “roads” are too many to list here. But the largest is that the Dorr millage is “fenced”: the funds are dedicated, and every penny goes directly for Dorr Township roads and nothing but township roads. Unlike the state tax, the Dorr Township road millage is a clean proposal with no pork barrel projects or special interest payoffs.

The Michigan State “road tax” proposal will not help the township’s local roads. Well, it will to a very small extent, a few hundred feet of pavement per year, less than 200 feet. We have 75 miles of road in Dorr Township.

Or it will repair less than one washed out culvert per year. Interstate highways, state roads and other projects yes, local roads no. The state tax will temporally fix 200 feet of the almost 400,000 feet of roads in Dorr Township.

Salem Township made the commitment to fix its roads many years ago and it has been a true success story. Salem, which is smaller with a lower income than Dorr, made the commitment to pull itself up by its own bootstraps and passed a millage to repair and pave its own roads. Salem Township knew the plan would be a long-term project that would take decades, not years, but they went to work and are building a stable safe road system. Good for them.

We all have complaints about government at all level, but as President Reagan said, government is the most efficient when it is accomplished at the lowest possible level. The citizens of Dorr Township do not have a lower level of government; it is where the rubber meets the road and again the Dorr Township road millage will go, by law, to the township roads and only the roads.

A citizen of Dorr Township, Carolyn Sandel, decided enough was enough and almost a year ago she formed a Citizens’ Road Committee. The committee is an unpaid group of volunteers from all parts of Dorr Township who analyzed the roads and developed a plan to prioritize road improvement based on rational study, public input, traffic surveys and not personal wants or desires. A list has been developed and is available for all to view at the Township Hall.

The elected leaders of Dorr Township have committed themselves to follow the recommendations of the committee for fixing Dorr’s roads. President Reagan would love this plan and concept; it is a fair, cost effective way for people to help themselves at the lowest possible level of government.

May 5 is Election Day; you will see two road issues on the ballot. Vote for the state tax if you wish to improve state roads and other projects. Keep in mind a vote for the Dorr Township road millage will improve the local roads the folks in Dorr travel every day, at a cost to the average household of less than 63 cents a day, yes, I said 63 pennies.

The Citizens’ Road Committee has heard from the Dorr Fire and Rescue folks that parts of the township roads are barely capable of handling their vehicles and the township is full of blind intersections and dangerously steep hills that contribute to accidents and tragically, fatalities. Everyone in Dorr Township has been touched by the heartbreak of accident and injury and the abysmal roads are a contributing factor.

The wording of the millage is in legal speak and confusing to most, but the bottom line is 63 cents a day or three mills per year added to your local property taxes. A small price for each of us to pay, but together as a community, it adds up to enough funds to start the road repair projects that will see Dorr Townships Roads become safe and stable.

If the citizens of Dorr wait for the federal or state government to fix our roads we will be waiting for the rest of our lives. Dorr Township must help itself because no one else will. No pot of gold will fall from the sky, no prince or potentate, state or federal bureaucrat will come to our aid. We must work together, pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and fix our roads.

All citizens of Dorr should vote yes May 5 for safe and serviceable Dorr Township roads, because it is the smart thing to do.