W. Bloomfield OK's language for fire, police millage

The West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees has approved ballot language for both a proposed renewal and an increase in the township’s public safety millage to be placed before voters during a Nov. 8 election.

The township will next send the language to Oakland County officials for final approval.

The township will ask its residents in two separate ballot questions to renew the township’s existing public safety millage at its current rate of 3.1378 mills for 10 years beginning in 2012, and also ask for an 11-year increase of 2.85 mills beginning this year.

A mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. The owner of a township property with a taxable value of $100,000 ($200,000 market value) currently pays $313.78 a year in property taxes for public safety services and would continue to pay that amount if the existing millage is renewed.

The ballot language states that if the renewal is approved, the township would be authorized to collect up to $9.94 million in the first year.

If the 2.85-mill increase is also approved, that same property owner would pay an additional $285 a year and the township would be authorized to collect up to $9.03 million in new tax revenue in the first year.

“Last year’s estimates were based on continuing to allocate all general fund levies to public safety. This year the new budget and finance directors have reallocated expenses more appropriately to reflect actual expenses by department,” said Township Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste. “Our recent financial projections demonstrated that funding public safety with all general fund and public safety millages was not a sustainable position for the township. Since the public safety millage is expiring with the 2011 levy, the public will decide on Nov. 8 at what level to fund public safety service.”

The board’s action came at its Monday, July 18 meeting.