Leighton Township Planning Commission member Steve Shoemaker Thursday night told the Township Board some explanation about the two millage requests in Aug. 6 primary is needed.
Shoemaker said he received his summer tax bill recently and on the back of the material there was information about the millages that believed was inadequate. He said he was wrongly left with the impression that voters are being asked to approve requests for two more mills than already levied and for roads and 2.5 mills more than levied today for fire equipment and police services.
Township Clerk Rachel Fennema pointed out that both millages will expire at the end of this year, so the requests actually are for much smaller amounts. The current levy for roads is slightly less than a mill (0.9403), so the request in reality would be for a little more than a mill.
She added that the current levy for police and fire is slightly less than a mill and a half (1.418.3), so the proposal on the Aug. 6 ballot is asking for an increase of slightly more than a mill.
Shoemaker suggested that some clarification is necessary. Otherwise, he predicted that both proposals would go down to defeat handily.
Treasurer Jaci Bultsma replied that township officials cannot lobby for passage on there tax bills and the information was posted in an efforts to tell voters about the requests.
