ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.
Every other year we voters seem to come across local millage proposals that almost always involve police, fire and roads.
In nearly all of these exercises, I very rarely come out in opposition. The reason is simple — you want to live in a civilized society with essential services, you have to pay taxes. This doesn’t mean I like taxes, but I consider nearly all to be necessary evils.
For instance, I cannot afford to buy a cop to watch my house and keep me safe. I can’t afford to buy a firefighter to answer the call if that calamity visits me and my family. And I can’t can’t afford to have my road paved, but not all others nearby. If I want to get somewhere, I have to have a significant number of them passable.
So when I see a local police, fire or road millage proposition, I don’t complain that taxes are too high, even though they usually are. I understand that taxes are the costs we pay for essential services which we cannot pay for by ourselves. Even free market conservatives grudgingly have to admit that government must buy collectively what we personally and individually can’t afford.
With that in mind, the following is another review of the local millage requests that will appear on the Tuesday, Aug. 7, primary election ballot. I endorse all of them. And that and 73 cents will get me a seniors’ premium roasted coffee at McDonald’s.
PLEASE NOTE: I am not making an editorial comment here on the Leighton Township airstrip proposal. I’m saving that for later.
Allegan County
- 911 Operating Surcharge Proposal — The county is asking for approval of a renewal of up to $3 per month as a surcharge for the emergency 911 call program. The levy would be for six years, from Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2025.
- Road Resurfacing and Reconstruction Millage Restoration — A request for one mill for county primary road resurfacing, prevention and related preparation, and city/village road improvement, which expired at the end of 2017. This proposal would renew the 0.9916 mill not reduced by the Headlee Amendment millage rollback, and it would increase that millage by 0.0084 to restore it to its original one mill. The levy would be for six years, from 2018 through 2023 and would raise an estimated $4,454,082.35 in the first year.
- Allegan County Senior Citizens Services Millage — A proposal to levy 0.493 mill for four years, 2018 through 2021, inclusive, for the sole purpose of providing funds for services to senior citizens. It would raise an estimated $2,284,575 in the first calendar year of the levy. This proposal is a renewal of a previously voter authorized millage of 0.436 mills and a new additional millage of 0.057 mills.
Dorr Township
- Recycling Surcharge — To continue and expand solid waste reduction programs under the Allegan County Solid Waste Management Plan, an annual surcharge of $36 on all households for five years (2018-2022 inclusive).
- Library Millage Proposal — A request for up to .7980 mill, with .2980 mill a renewal of the millage rate that expires in 2019 and a half mill for new additional millage for 10 years, 2020 to 2029 inclusive. The first year of the millage, if approved, would bring in about $212,000.
- Park Maintenance and Improvement — A proposed new levy of additional .34 mill for five years, 2018 through 2022. If approved, this millage would raise an estimated $85,328 in the first year. To the extent required by law, a portion of the revenues from this millage will be captured within the district of and disbursed to the Dorr Township Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
Hopkins Township
- Major Fire Equipment Renewal and Restoration — A request for a renewal of the expiring millage and for restoring the original tax levy of one mill for five years, 2019 through 2023. The purpose is to replace major fire equipment for the Hopkins Area Fire Department, thereby raising in the first year of the levy an estimated $80,000.
- Hopkins Public Schools — A request to increase by 1.7808 mills the tax levy for four years, 2018 through 2021, to provide an estimated $703,425 to restore millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963. It will be levied only to the extent necessary for restoration.
Leighton Township
- Fire and Police Protection Services — A new additional tax levy of a half mill for five years, 2019 through 2023, to provide funds for fire and police services? If approved, it would raise an estimated $117,846 in the first year.
- Police and Fire Services Millage Renewal — A proposal to renew the .9756 mill annually for five years, 2019 through 2023, to provide funds for fire and police protection services. If approved, this millage would raise an estimated $229,942 in the first year of the levy.
- Road Millage Request — A proposal for a new tax levy for one mill for five years, 2019 through 2023, for the purpose of providing funds for public road improvement and maintenance. If approved, this millage would raise an estimated $235,693 in the first year.
- Road Millage Renewal Proposal — A request for renewal of 0.9834 mill annually for five years, 2019 through 2023, to provide funds for road improvement and maintenance, thereby raising an estimated $229,942 in the first year.
Watson Township
- Road Millage Renewal Proposal — A request for voters to renew a four-year, two-mill levy, thereby raising in the first year an estimated $127,323.90 from 2019 through 2022.
