VBT Board votes 6-1 to seek 6.5 mills for public safety

The Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approved, on a 6-1 vote, putting a 6.5 mill public safety question before voters at the Nov. 3 election.
It would run for 7 years and first be levied Dec. 1, 2017. It is expected to bring in $6,478,215 when it is first levied.
Supervisor Linda Combs said it would cost $125 more per year than the present millage for a home with $100,000 sales value (taxable value of $50,000).
The 6.5 mills would equal $6.50 per $1,000 taxable value of a property, or $325 for the property with a sales value of $100,000 and a taxable value of $50,000.
This is 2.5 mills more than the present 4-mill public safety millage which is expiring Dec. 31, 2016.
Trustee Brenda McClanahan cast the only no vote, explaining that the Van Buren Public Schools recently had a survey that showed voters in this area were not interested in higher taxes. As a result of the survey report the school board reduced its sinking fund renewal request from 1.13 mills to .5 mill, she said.
Trustee McClanahan, a former member of the school board, said the survey information was applicable to the public safety millage.
Trustee Jeff Jahr made the motion to approve putting the 6.5 mills question on the ballot and Clerk Leon Wright seconded the motion that passed 6-1.
Clerk Leon Wright made a statement on how the increase needs to be put before voters because having the extra 2.5 mills would reduce the amount transferred annually from the landfill fund to pay for public safety.
He said the future growth foreseen will bring more requests for public safety services.
Clerk Wright said he always votes for progress and he voted for the new high school, the school sinking fund, and for the new library.
“We can’t be a premier community” without getting more funds, Wright said, adding the board members should not be afraid to put out issues that “our community needs.”
“I read the report, too,” Wright said of the school survey. “Van Buren Public Schools needs to share its information better with its constituents.”
He said paying so much for public safety is a huge burden to put on the general fund.
“We pay Escort taxes with Cadillac returns,” he said of the low taxes and high services. He said he wants to put the question before voters to see what they say.
Trustee Jahr said, “We want to provide the highest level of services.” He said in VBT people pick up the phone and get help right away. “People feel safe in this community.”
Trustee Phil Hart said he agrees 100% with Wright and Jahr.
“We’ve been struggling for three years, not laying anyone off, and going into reserves,” Trustee Hart said, adding the township is climbing out of the recession.
“Now, we have to ask the public for its support,” Hart said. “We’re not forcing anything on anybody. We’ll put it on the ballot and go from there.
“We’re not promising anything but the level of service we now provide,” Hart said.
Supervisor Combs said she wanted to say that when former Supervisor Paul White called this increased millage a “bait and switch” that was untrue.
“VBT is facing a definite liability,” Combs said.
Treasurer Sharry Budd said the public safety budget is $7.7 million and they are only taking in $3.4 million with the present 4 mills.
She said the general fund is reaching into the landfill fund, but the landfill will not be there in years to come. She said the auditors have told the township it has to come in line with what it’s spending.
“If the residents say no, there will have to be severe changes,” Treasurer Budd said.
“It’s not easy to ask the residents for money,” Hart said, noting the elected officials have to do whatever they feel is the right thing.
In other business at the July 21 meeting, the board:
• During the public comment on agenda items, which is allowed only before the board considers agenda items, heard Paul White and Carl McClanahan say they are in favor of putting the renewal of 4 mills on the ballot for public safety because they believe it is inappropriate at this time to ask for more money from voters;
• Removed from the agenda the reappointment of Leonard Armstrong to the Local Development Finance Authority. Supervisor Combs said the reappointment was “postponed”;
• Approved the appointment of Danylo Dobriansky, asset manager of Sovereign Partners, to the LDFA with a term to expire Aug. 12, 2019. Dobriansky works in New York and will fly to VBT for the bi-monthly meetings;
• Approved a resolution stating the 2015 tax rate request of .9144 allocated millage and 4 mills public safety for 4.9144 mills total. The township’s real and personal property taxable value is $979,565,524 and so the tax would amount to $4,813,977;
• Approved the Senior Alliance 2016 Annual Implementation plan for Aging Services;
• Approved the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority’s amended wastewater disposal agreement for American Waste Technologies and the Western Townships Utilities Authorities. This addresses the applicant’s request to increase the volume of discharge from 25,000 gpd to 30,000 gpd. AWT is located both in VBT and Canton, but provides wastewater services solely to Canton;
• Approved the special land use request by Tim Donut U.S. Limited, Inc. for outdoor upgrades to the Tim Horton’s drive-through restaurant at 2141 Rawsonville Road;
• Heard Lianne Clair, executive assistant to the supervisor, report on an open house concerning the Wolverine Pipeline’s plan to install an identical pipeline next to the one that already goes through VBT, which needs 30’ more feet of right of way. It will go next to the route through the township that has been in place for 50 years and will go through the Lower Huron Metropark and under the Huron River on its route from Freedom Township in Washtenaw County to Romulus;
• Heard Supervisor Combs read a letter from Belleville Police Chief Al Berriman thanking VBT Public Safety Department for sending Officer Alex Schultz to assist a Belleville officer and Reserve on June 12. The Belleville officers pulled over a man for a traffic stop who was 6’2” and 300+ pounds. Officer Schultz helped them arrest the man who was wanted from Washtenaw County on a no-bond charge of fleeing and eluding and resisting arrest;
• Heard Mrs. Michigan America Shaylett Stuckey, a 15-year resident of VBT, ask what she could do to get a sign up where Belleville turns into VBT to say, “Home of Mrs. Michigan America.” Trustee Jeff Jahr made a formal request for Supervisor Combs to look into this and ask for county permission to erect the roadside sign;
• Heard Edward Wilkerson of Country Walk III dispute the claims of support of Country Walk III and IV residents for the agreement recently signed by the township with Blue Country Walk LLC. Wilkerson said, “I don’t think any of them are in charge,” of those professing to be in charge of the two homeowners association. “They said they had backing of 82, and I don’t think they had two.” He said 45 parcels are delinquent in paying their association dues in Country Walk III, so they can’t vote. He said he found out about the agreement “in this little paper,” holding up the Independent. Wilkerson said he served on the Romulus Board of Education for 12 years and Country Walk III hasn’t had an election in four years and Country Walk IV has yet to have an election. He said he also served in the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam and has a Purple Heart and other military awards. He said, “Five people think they’re running the show and there are no bylaws.” Country Walk III’s annual meeting May 12 couldn’t be held officially because there was not a quorum;
• Heard Reg Ion say not everyone can afford a millage. He also told of his dog getting hold of a loose cat and his dog’s nose getting torn up. He said according to the ordinance officer, there isn’t anything that can be done about cats. Also, Waste Management needs better signage so people will put cardboard, steel, and tires in the proper bins at the dump. Also, he asked who listed the Grandpa’s Toys house that the DDA just bought. “I would move out of the township if somebody bought my house,” he said; and
• Heard Trustee Hart urge Supervisor Combs to get the budget process started. Combs called her assistant Clair up to the microphone to ask if any dates had been set up yet for budget talks and Clair said there haven’t. She also said she has limited hours to address all the issues assigned to her.