Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The Green Oak Township board has approved a resolution affirming exactly how funds will be dispersed if a millage request passes in the August Primary Election.

Three total requests will appear on the ballot - two are straight renewals for the police and fire departments, while the third is a newly proposed general millage request to replace the current township millage.

The general millage request seeks 2.61-mills for 20 years – an increase from the current .7999-mills. It would restore funding lost to Headlee rollbacks, provide funding for increased election security and requirements related to the voter-approved Proposal 2; police and fire department capital purchases; public safety, and general operations.
It’s been over 30 years since the township has raised its general township millage and the Board of Trustees met recently to approve a resolution that lays out exactly how funds will be distributed.

The resolution states that the request would return the original township millage of 1-mill from the Headlee reduced rate of .7999-mills - a 0.2001 mill increase to support the increased cost of voter approved changes in election law and election security.

It further states the board has recognized the need and accepted the responsibility to support capital expenditures for the Police and Fire Departments, which equates to an additional 1.61 mills. 1-mill would be dedicated to police, and .61-mills for the fire department.

Township Supervisor Mark St. Charles told WHMI the millage request is difficult and it’s something they’ve resisted for years trying to get back up to the one-mill due to Headlee. He stressed that he’s always said as long as they can live within their means, then they could avoid raising the rate but the passage of Proposal 2 “is killing us” and there are requirements from the state that have to be met and cost money. St. Charles added that more and more people are moving out to the township - and rightfully so because it’s a beautiful area - but with more people comes more demand for services, and things like trails and clean-up days.

St. Charles said if the millage doesn’t pass to get them back up to one-mill, then they’ll have to look at items to start scaling back – including discretionary things that a lot of people like including trails and maintenance among others.

Clerk Michael Sedlak commented that citizens voted in favor of Proposal 2, which requires nine days of early voting among other items. Additionally, he noted there are heightened security concerns because of the current political climate for the department and staff and all of the precincts and elections workers. Sedlak says it all comes at a cost that the state and feds are not supporting so they have to go to the citizens because the general fund can’t support it.

Further, Sedlak stressed the board is committed to supporting the police and fire departments with capital expenditures and public safety – to continue the level of service citizens have come to expect.

With the resolution, Sedlak said they wanted to make citizens comfortable that if they do approve the millage, they can be assured that 1-mill will go to the Police Department for capital expenditures in a special fund, and .61-mills to the Fire Department, also in a special fund. He said that will be guaranteed for the length of the millage, for the next 20 years.

Sedlak added that ballots will be going out today and they encourage voters to return those as quickly as possible, and also get out and vote in the upcoming election.

More information about the millage is available in the provided link. A copy of the resolution is attached.