Bloomfield Township Public Safety Millage Up For Renewal Aug. 7
The township board unanimously approves ballot language for 2.39-mill levy after survey result show overwhelming residents support.
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Bloomfield Township voters will see a tax proposal on the Aug. 7 ballot to maintain current funding for police and fire protection.
The Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved the ballot language during its regular meeting Thursday without much discussion. The measure will renew the expiring 2.39-mill tax that funded a portion of public safety needs over the past decade. If approved, the tax will begin Dec. 13, and is expected to generate $7.41 million in the first year. It is a 10-year renewal.
The board vote followed a brief presentation from Steve Mitchell, of Mitchell Research and Communications, Inc., which recently conducted a phone survey of residents. Mitchell said 75 percent of residents polled indicated they would either vote "yes" or probably vote "yes" if asked to renew the tax.
"There is clearly very strong support in the community for this kind renewal," said Mitchell, who did not have a full report to share with the public yet. He said they wanted to avoid any crossover with the controversial Bloomfield Hills Schools millage vote on May 8, and that the survey wasn't complete until last night.
“We waited until after last Tuesday's election to make sure the result of school election didn’t have an impact on what happened here," he said.
Township Supervisor Leo Savoie ensured a copy of the results would be posted on the township website shortly. He explained that commissioning the survey was more about gauging public sentiment than getting affirmation to go to the voters.
"The survey wasn’t so much whether we should go forward with the millage or not," he said. "It covers one-third of our public safety budget. We'd be forced to go forward with it even if results came back in a negative fashion.
"It was more, 'Is there something we’re not getting and that our residents are thinking in one direction and we're thinking in another direction.'”
Township resident Bill McMaster, state chairman of the Michigan Chapter of Taxpayers United, warned the board to consider the residents dealing with foreclosure, tax delinquencies, job loss and other financial problems.
"Once armed with (the Mitchell survey) you go ahead and launch the tax hike," he said. "I'd caution that despite the feeling that the worst is over, it ain't."
Marcia Robovitsky
9:39 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
Over $12,500 to have Mitchell Research do a phone survey for: "gauging public sentiment.." Then to have no results ready for the public or for the township seven board members until the night of the meeting is UNACCEPTABLE. Ask for OUR money back.
Township residents please understand this, the township leadership failed to discuss the expiring 2012 public safety millage during the budget process Nov. 2011 - April 1, 2012. They reported to all of us that the 2012-2013 budget is "balanced". How can it be? A millage is expiring during that time. If that money is not replaced that budget will not balance. Why hide that fact?
Then the elected/appointed seven hired Mitchell Research (who I do believe has done surveys for the BHSD in past issues) to do some "official" survey for that millage. Mitchell Survey HELD BACK doing the job hired to do because: "“We waited until after last Tuesday's election to make sure the result of school election didn’t have an impact on what happened here," he said. "EXCUSE ME. Who asked you to WAIT?
The SEVEN gov. officials..it is your DUTY to present to the constituents the full picture of the financial status of our community. Presenting a budget to the people, saying that you have provided a "balanced budget" was INCORRECT because you KNEW that the millage was expiring.
Post the survey QUESTIONS asked along with the results. We all want and need police and fire services. AT WHAT COST is the question. Read my earlier PATCH blog.
Isaac Barr MD
3:54 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
We have to see the whole picture. The only way that we can get sanity across is by writing comments in the Patch. Eccentric, Eagle, Oakland Press, Free Press are all serving the "tax the property owners" agenda, tax seniors, unemployed, use property tax to advance those who pay low property taxes. Including the new BHSD bond we pay 60,25 mills or $6025 for $100.000 taxable home. Yesterday Oakland County Council approved a Art Authority for a DIA millage of 0.2. The Zoo Authority will increase their millage from 0.1 to 0.2. There is demand in progress to increase library millage and senior service millages. Owning a house today is a liability especially for empty nesters and elderly. On record to date there are 21 millages that passed in Bloomfield Township. As a matter of fact, any millage at any time will pass. The struggle against BHSD bond is an exception. Nobody is concerned how many levies can the community afford. It seems that the public is not interested in facts, calculations, expert opinions but swallows any piece of propaganda that they are fed with if it comes from a public institution. The public does not ask for accountability, professinalism, serious discussion, dialogue. Sadly American public is frequently gullable and does not correct mistakes. Mark Twain said “It is easier to fool people than convince them they have been fooled”
Linda P
5:38 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
I want our community to have a top notch public safety department and I am willing to pay for it. However, I am very disturbed that our township takes little to no action in my opinion to economize and run more efficiently. Our community would be more receptive to these kinds of millages if the township demonstrated more fiscal leadership. To date I have seen little to none. Unfortunately some times a NO vote is necessary to "wake them up". Instead of taking advantage of an opportunity to cut health care costs the township choose to forgo this....offering up some gobbleyegook philosophy about long term defined benefit savings that will be realized in 30+ years. Ever hear about savings today? People, even in the "wealthy Bloomfield township" have severe financial challenges but the township acts as though our money grows on trees. Public safety yes - ridiculous costs NO.
W
8:40 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
A complete waste of tax payer dollars for a survey. Mr. Savoie acknowledged that the millage would be on the ballot regardless of the results so why spend the money? Another example of Bloomfield Township officials being out of touch.
Mary
1:48 pm on Sunday, May 20, 2012
Survey a complete waste of money-When is the millage nonsense going to stop -police/fire-school-zoo police /fire again/DIA-do you all believe that we have a bottomless pit of money-where are the sacrifices that those in charge are making-not seeing too much- we the taxpayers have no choice-if it passes we pay it-Maybe you all who are in charge ought to start by cleaning your own house to save some money!
e
11:42 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
With all these millage votes, we retired residents of Bloomfield Township, might have to leave the township. It seems that there is one after the other and they never stop coming.
Charles Gaba
3:43 pm on Saturday, June 2, 2012
Mr. or Mrs. "e": While I agree that putting out the survey seems a little odd if they were planning on putting the millage on the ballot whether it showed support or not, I'm genuinely curious as to just who you think is going to buy your property if you keep voting *down* these millages?
No one's going to want buy a home in this area if they don't think we support our police dept., fire dept. and other basic municipal services.
Don't get me wrong, I opposed the *2010* school bond issue--I'm not one to just approve a blank check for any government entity that asks for it--but I strongly supported the 2012 one, as did 61% of my fellow residents, and I plan on supporting the police/fire millage as well unless it can be proven that a) they're doing a poor job of protecting the township and b) they're wasting money on a large scale (and while $12,000 for the survey--if that's what indeed it did cost--does sound like a lot of money, that's not the level I'm talking about, nor was it necessarily a waste).
As for Ms. Robovitsky's statement "We all want and need police and fire services. AT WHAT COST is the question", unless the cost is absurdly high (which it doesn't seem to be) or the performance is horribly bad (which it doesn't seem to be), I don't see this as too big of an issue.