Sumpter’s CPA Jim Glahn told the township board of trustees in a budget hearing March 23, that Sumpter needs the police millage renewal to balance its $4 million budget.
Supervisor Johnny Vawters also gave a plea to the citizens to help get past these difficult financial times by renewing the 2-mill levy for police service that will be on the Aug. 3 ballot.
Glahn said Sumpter got ahead of the curve when it saw hard times coming and took action. He said last year, as the certified audit shows, the township lost a quarter of a million dollars in revenue.
He said the township has a $500,000 fund balance, but it used $225,000 last year and at that rate in two years it would be gone.
“We had to make some changes,” he said, referring to cuts and freezes made in township departments.
“Revenues are generally flat for the township and property taxes have come down a little, but with a slight increase,” Glahn said.
Glahn said the cuts by the township brought expenses down by $800,000 – “Our saving grace.”
He said they are entering the new fiscal year without any real problems, if they hold steady on spending.
But, the police millage will come to the voters late in the year, “And, we need it,” Glahn emphasized.
He said the last taxes on the police millage were billed out in December and now the millage is expired.
“It’s a positive thing to renew the millage,” he stated.
“Most of the boards are happy we’re not hurting like we did last year,” Glahn said, referring to severe cuts that were needed.
In business at the March 23 meeting, the board:
* Held a 10-minute public hearing and later unanimously approved the 2009-10 amended and 2010-11 proposed budgets;
* Approved, on a 6-1 vote, assessing the regular custodial fee of $110 for the PNA Hall to the Belleville Area Council for the Arts for the Sept. 24-25 quilt show. Supervisor Vawters said the fee has to be paid, because of previous action taken by the board, but he pledged that he and others members of the board would take up a collection to pay the $110 because they appreciated what the arts council is doing for Sumpter. Trustee Linda Kennedy voted no, stating the PNA has to be cleaned and the township has hired a person to do it who knows how to do it and he should be used. There should be no waiving or collections;
* Agreed to sell the old, bent flag pole at Graham Park to Trustee Bill Hamm for $50. Hamm had offered to pay someone to haul the bent pole away, because new poles will be going up. But things got out of hand and it was decided to sell it to Hamm. He good-naturedly agreed to buy the pole, if that’s what it took to get rid of it;
* Approved advertising in the Independent (the township’s newspaper of record) as well asThe View for back-up plumbing inspector applications. The applications must be postmarked or date-stamped by 4:30 p.m. April 15;
* Approved allowing the building official to waive all permit fees for work done on township buildings;
* Approved closing Sumpter Road for the Sumpter Fest parade on May 29;
* Approved paying the Property Maintenance Code Construction Board of Appeals members $25 apiece, per meeting;
* Approved allowing Hendricks Electric Inc. to do electrical maintenance on all township buildings;
* Was advised that Craig Moody has been elected chairman of Parks and Recreation for the ninth straight term. Don Swinson is co-chairman, and Shauna Spoonamor is secretary / treasurer. The election took place at the March 17 Parks & Rec meeting;
* Learned the Belleville-Area Council for the Arts has volunteered to paint murals on the arena fence in time for Sumpter Fest. They plan to have students assist in the painting. Moody said the township could furnish the paint for the painters;
* Heard attorney Rob Young report that Joe Nasser, who is planning to build a market on the old fire hall property at Sumpter and Willis roads, has retained an architect and engineers and is preparing documents to take to the planning commission and then the township board. He said citizens will have a right to attend the meetings and express their opinions on the development. Young said the project must be carried out within a year, or get an extension from the township, or the agreement will be dissolved;
* Heard Young give a brief report on the suit against the MDEQ by eight communities, including Sumpter. He said there was due to be a major motion in the Riverview case the next day. It is imperative that the court restrains the MDEQ from moving forward with the new fees for water outflow, Young said;
* Heard Young explain the financial process involved in demolition of dangerous buildings and the subsequent tax lien on the property, concluding, “At the end of the day, there is no cost to the township and the funds are accounted for”;
* Heard Supervisor Vawters announce that Roberta Cobb corrected by hand a pile of new Chamber of Commerce calendars that had the wrong Sumpter meeting times for 2010. A quantity of corrected calendars were on a table for residents to pick up;
* Heard Vawters repeat: “We have a balanced budget. To keep a balanced budget, we need to renew the millage. No new fees”;
* Heard resident Mary Ban announce that improvements at the Bemis/ Rawsonville intersection will begin June 1. Center and right turn lanes will be added, along with a traffic signal. “It’s been eight years,” Ban said of her lobbying for a stoplight there. Everyone agreed State Senator Bruce Patterson made it happen and they thanked him; and
* Heard resident Sharon Claxton ask when draining will be fixed on Kozma Road, something she has been asking about for eight years. Moody said the county drain is involved and the county keeps changing people on the road commission, so they are not familiar with Sumpter’s problems.