$12,500 + Survey - Read the Questions/Results

The telephone survey by Steve Mitchell Research was found by chance...indirectly on the township home page. Notice the HOME page does not mention the word "survey".  

However, if you click on the millage renewal proposal line, you will find an article that has a link to the PDF of the survey.

Go to question #4 and read the introduction to the question and then the actual question and responses. (Sorry, I cannot for some reason copy and paste a "snapshot" of the survey on PATCH.)

Wait a minute !

How did Steve Mitchell get the language to the millage proposal BEFORE the township approved it?  Answer, they didn't.  That is not how the proposal reads.  Yet the survey said:  "The proposal reads as follows:......."

• All the facts of the ballot proposal were not given in this survey question. No mention that the ballot proposal is for 10 years.  

• These words used in the survey are NOT part of the ballot question:   " ...to continue to provide the same levels of public safety...."

THIS IS THE LANGUAGE that was approved at the May 17, 2012 Board of Trustees meeting  (see board packet) AFTER the survey was completed:

Shall the Charter Township of Bloomfield be authorized to renew up to 2.3931 mills for a period of ten (10) years to finance continued Fire, Police and Public Safety protection commencing with the December 2013 levy? Approval of this proposal would permit a tax of $2.3931 per $1,000.00 of taxable value on all taxable property in the Township. This proposed millage is a renewal of previously authorized millage which expires in 2012. This millage will be subject to applicable constitutional tax limitation provisions at the time of levy, and will not exceed the above stated rate. It is estimated that this proposal will result in the authorization to collect $7,410,947 in the first year if approved and levied.

Future blogs will concern this "survey", the questions raised/asked and the costs for public safety in Bloomfield Township.

Please remember as you read this survey.....this is ONE millage out of FIVE millages that PAY for Public Safety.  Please read my archived blogs.  I suggest you start with:

http://bloomfieldtwphappenings.blogspot.com/2012/05/thursday-7-pm-public...

Are you happy with the questions and the fact that this survey cost the taxpayers, YOU, over $12,500?

The approval to do the survey was given in March 2012, however the actual telephone survey of 300 people was performed AFTER the Bloomfield Hills School District May 8 bond vote.  WHY?

:  “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.

The public safety renewal millage was going to the public on the AUGUST 7, 2012  ballot.....no matter what.

The following is a posting I wrote on the a the day AFTER the board of trustees meeting of May 17, 2012.  (Note:  The township did post the survey results on May 23, 2012.)

 http://bloomfield-mi.patch.com/articles/bloomfield-township-public-safet...

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 blogs.

Stay tuned.