Ferndale sets millage restoration proposal for May election

FERNDALE -The city of Ferndale has officially made a millage -restoration proposal for residents to consider in May.

During his 27 January, the Ferndale city council approved the voting language for the restoration of the operational millage, whereby the Council decides to make a proposal of 5,445 mills, which were the same millage restoration -voters approved in 2015. This proposal will be the election mood of 6 May.

The official voice language is: “This proposal will restore part of the operational millage of the city that is reduced by the application of the Headlee change and income collected from the millage would be used for general operational purposes.

“The limitation of the amount of taxes that can be imposed on taxable ownership in the city of Fernale, County of Oakland, Michigan, will be increased by 5,4452 mills ($ 5,44 per $ 1,000 of the taxable value) for one period of ten (10) years, from 2026 to 2035, as a new extra millage that is larger than the limitation imposed by Michigan Compiled Laws Section 211.34D, to provide funds for general control purposes? It is estimated that 5,4452 mills would yield approximately $ 5,398,746.73 if they were first levied in 2026, “the proposal continues.

The current headlee override will expire on December 31. The city went to voters earlier in November to reset the millage on 20 mills to not only finance the general operational millage, but also to use for public safety and recreational purposes.

Voters rejected that proposal and expressed their opposition against the amount of the millage and how there was no term limit for the override. The new Millage proposal would end after 10 years and reduce the rate to 16.3 mills.

“We could not levy a new millage for tax year 2025,” interim city manager James Krizan told The Woodward Talk. “So in July we would still raise around 15.4 mills. And then the first year of the new Millage, because of turning back, we would look at around 16.3 … assuming that the economic conditions will continue as they have been and assume that we see a back -turn of around 2%. … As soon as it is assumed, we cannot levy it in the first year and we will eventually be reversed by the Headlee amendment. “

Mayor Raylon Lekken-May told The Talk that she thought that the 5,445 mills gives the city the best chance of retaining the services it is currently offering, although it admits that some concessions have to be made.

“I love our city services and when I go to other communities, I witness that they don’t have the services we do, and I don’t want that to be endangered,” she said. “I know that with the last voice initiative it was not successful – astronomical – and I think what the community said is that they wanted us to think of something better. I think this is. I think it will offer us the services we need and for the 10 years.

“I specifically went with the 10 years because I think that will give us the time to perhaps raise certain mills every year to help that stretch,” Lekken-May went on. “It is less than what we have had before, but I feel that this is the way to go and hopefully the community will think the same if we have our elections in May.”

Leaks-May also said that the council could choose in the future not to use the full amount of the millage every year.

“I think what kind of us about the bump at the Monday municipal meeting of Monday to get everyone at a consensus, that was an option to, perhaps we will come up with the resolution at one point, to decide that we may have 4.7 for Use the first year, and then we might be in balance over the course of 10 years, “said Leaks-May.

The week prior to the council meeting, the city held a meeting on January 21, where the public was invited to share definitive thoughts and the council could discuss the final headlee override options.

Jim McLuckie, a 17-year-old resident of Ferndale, shared his feelings that he saw the city grow in the city during his time with improvements such as better infrastructure, new sidewalks, extra cycle paths, improved parks, a new lower primary school and new parking structure, And he does not want a lack of financing to turn any progress that has been made.

“All this is possible because we have chosen to invest in the city,” he said. “It has been a positive feedback loop and Ferndale flourishes with more growth on the way. Some people don’t see it that way. Some people think that all this or part of this is unnecessary waste and mismanagement by the people who run the city, and they want to punish the city and relax about their negative perception. At the absolute minimum I am interested in renewing the current Override to continue to support and invest in the city. I am not interested in cheating the city and start with a negative feedback loop from Disinvesting. I think that is short -sighted and malignant and I don’t want to store that path. “

For more information about Ferndale’s proposal, go to Ferndalemi.gov.