The City of Fenton is asking voters to approve a special millage for road improvements, but first the community must approve changes to the City Charter.

Roads in the municipality, particularly local residential streets, are in bad shape, according to a recent study and City Manager Lynn Markland. Markland says Act 51 dollars received from the state-approved gas tax has really only accrued enough for road maintenance, not rehabilitation.

The city plans to ask voters to approve a special millage that will fund a long-term road improvement program. Currently the City Charter allows a special millage to be levied for a period of time not to exceed three years. City officials feel for the program to be successful, the millage must be levied for much longer, specifically ten years. For that to happen, voters must approve an amendment to the City Charter, changing the maximum period for a millage to be levied from three to ten years.

At a Monday night work session, City Council unanimously approved a resolution that will place that proposal on the November ballot. Markland says the amendment to the charter speaks only to the street millage.

If voters approve the amendment to the City Charter, the maximum amount that can be levied will not change, only the maximum period of time. The state must approve the ballot language and city officials intend to have the language submitted by August 15th. (DK)