To the editor:
On the ballot for the A
ug. 2 election is a referendum for the approval of three mills for maintaining roads in Dorr Township. In the spirt of full disclosure, I am a member of the Citizens’ Road Committee, a volunteer group of unpaid concerned citizens who are fed up with Dorr’s industrial strength crappy roads.
The Citizens’ Road Committee has no political ax to grind, no members will benefit from the passage of a millage. All recommendations on the priority of road repair that have been made to the Dorr Township Board are based on a very long study of data, traffic, accident reports, input from citizens, school bus drivers, fire/rescue, County maintenance personnel, and any and all willing to provide information. The number one goal of the committee is to fix the most dangerous roads first. Who lives on what road carried no weight in the decision process. The priority is safety and need.
Let’s discuss the major reasons the good folks in Dorr have for not voting for the millage. The one we have heard the most is, “I pay a lot of property tax use it to maintain the roads.” Our property tax bills are indeed high; however, the township gets less than five pennies on the dollar, and it needs to use every cent to fund the library, parks, police, fire, and all the things for which the township is responsible. Less than 5% is just not enough to properly fund the type of community we all wish to live in.
The State of Michigan allows us to pass a referendum to fund our own road maintenance requirements; every penny and every dollar raised through a millage for the roads goes to the roads and nothing but the roads, that is the law and the committee will closely monitor every penny of it.
Those voting against the millage will say there is a line on our property tax bills for roads; very true, but that is for Allegan County and not one cent goes to Dorr. Not one cent of our state or federal tax goes to non-state or non-county roads in Dorr.
Folks have said why they should pay to pave roads when they live on a paved road already. So how are your paved roads holding up? Are you happy with the pot holes? Eroding shoulders? Unsafe lines of sight resulting in fatality accidents? All roads, no matter how well built, will degrade over time and in Michigan not a very long time. The millage is predominantly for maintaining both currently paved and dirt roads.
The longer preventive maintenance is put off, the more costly it will become. Pay a few pennies a day now or a few dollars a day later, but in the end we will still need to pay. A stitch in time saves nine is true, both in sails and road maintenance.
Some folks will say Dorr has spent money in the past in a way they do not agree with; OK, but keep in mind every cent of a road millage goes to the roads and nothing but the roads. The Township Board has stated publicly that they will honor all the recommendations of the Citizens’ Road Committee in the priority of spending the millage.
All studies and recommendations of the Citizens’ Road Committee are available for review at the Township Hall and every committee meeting is open to the public. At every meeting the public is encouraged to attend and provide input into the entire, extremely open and honest process.
The millage will cost the average taxpayer in Dorr less than the cost of a large pizza per month. It is time for the good folks in Dorr to help each other because no one else will. We need safe roads, and by the way, also a well-equipped Fire Department.
Robert M. Traxler, Dorr Township
What are the top three projects to be fixed listed in order?
It will take well over a year, almost two for the funds to be collected if the Millage passes, so the project list available at the Dorr Township office may change. Safety first, it will take years to do basic safety upgrades and basic maintenance just to keep the roads open.
The project list and the method used to set the priority is available at the Township Office.
“project list available at the Dorr Township office may change”
Some things never change. Some people have been told for years (40+) that their roads would be next on the “list” and it never happens. Until trust is established a road millage is not likely to pass. Why does the voter not have the opportunity to vote on replacing the renewal millage that the current board let lapse? I am certain will get another chance in November to vote once again.
One reason the question of “what’s first” does not have an easy answer is that all roads being considered have to have traffic counts done by the county before the final decision is made.
The county does not do those until money for projects is available.
If the Road committee recommends in order A, B, & C and Allegan finds traffic per day is A – 110, B – 250, C – 325, it is more than likely that C would get the nod.
As always the meetings on these will be open to the public.
Auld,
Why have a road committee if the County dictates what happens? Your saying Dorr residents raise the money and the County tells you how your going to spend it? Excellent plan!
No. The County Road Commission agrees to pay for 146th Avenue, 142nd Avenue and 18th Street projects if it deems them necessary. The township is on its own for the rest of the roads in the township.
John Wilkins,
If a road washes out and can not be used and it can happen to any road safety, fire rescue and police will not be able to arrive so it will force a priority change.
The Citizens Road Committee is always looking for folks in Dorr to volunteer to help fix what you are not happy with. You would be welcome to join and become a part of the solution to the problem you site.
I still cannot possibly understand the benefit of paving a detour route for the 18th street reconstruction. This quite possibly sounds like the worst use of funds for a paving project. Why pave a section of road that is not a priority outside the 18th street reconstruction when there are other, more important roads that could be paved that would benefit far more people for far more time than the 3-4 months it would take for the 18th street reconstruction. There are several ways around the construction that will not require the use of dirt roads and that will happen if the millage is not passed. Foolish use of taxpayer funding. Pave roads that are used! Pave 16th street, 140th street, pave something that is actually used!