Wayland Township is the only township in Allegan County without a road millage, but there is a downside to that claim.
Several residents in the Selkirk Lake area complained to the Township Board Monday night that 8th Street is in such a terrible state of disrepair that motorists fear their cars will suffer significant damage if they use them. They asked when 8th Street will be fixed.
Supervisor Roger VanVolkinburg said there have been plans for the Allegan County Road Commission to do repairs in 2027, but that project has been delayed yet another year.
The supervisor said the township simply doesn’t have enough money to “fix the damn roads” without any kind of local millage levy. The township’s most recent attempt to pass a millage request was met with failure at the ballot box.
“The township gets $25,000 a year (from the county for roads) which doesn’t do much,” VanVolkinburg said.
Lack of local funds also played a role in rejecting Wayland Union Schools’ request for a $25,000 contribution for a school resource officer. School officials said Wayland Union Schools received a grant for two years to hire such an officer, but it expired in February of this year. So the schools are asking Wayland, Leighton, Dorr and Hopkins townships and the City of Wayland for help in continuing the resource officer program
Township officials noted that Wayland already has a director of security in Matt Miller, besides resource officer Jonathan Schaffer.
“Maybe they should take it out of the $2 million casino fund,” the supervisor suggested. “I’m pretty sure nobody’s got that kind of money laying around to fund this.”
In other business in the meeting Monday evening, the Township Board:
- Adopted the fiscal year 2026-27 budget, which includes $2,441,200 in both revenue and expenditures and $300,000 in the fund balance, or savings account.
- Renewed the township’s contract with the Allegan. County Legal Assistance Center, which helps people who cannot afford an attorney. Allegan County Circuit Judge Marge Bakker made an appearance to plead the case for the service, noting that it served 119 Wayland Township residents last year. Cost is $2,500 per year.
- Approved the appointment of Scott Sprague to a vacant seat on the Planning Commission. He succeeds Ron DeVries, who died last month.
- Decided against renewing its annual membership in the Wayland Area Chamber of Commerce.
