Voters Asked to Approve White Lake Police and Fire Millages

Police Chief Ed Harris and Fire Chief Tony Maltese are asking residents in White Lake to come out on election day, Aug. 7, and support the White Lake Police and Fire Departments.

There are a total of four millage requests on the August ballot. Three for police and/of fire, and a White Lake request.

"We need the renewals to sustain our current levels of service," Harris said. "The combined police and fire renewal is a renewal of a millage originally passed in 2002. We are renewing it at the 2002 level of 1 mill."

One mill is equal to $1,000 of taxable value. A homeowner with a house whose taxable value is $100,000 will pay $100 a year. The collection of this combined millage will be through 2013.

The Fire renewal is also necessary to support the current level of service at the fire department, Maltese said. The first fire millage is a renewal of the 2010 fire millage at .6740. A homeowner who has a home with a taxable value of $100,000 will pay $67.40 a year.

The third millage is an additional fire millage request. This new request is for .5 mills and, according to Maltese, will also go towards maintaining the current level of service.

White it's been argued that the fire department can dip into the more than $6.5 million it has reserved in for equipment, Maltese said the department would prefer not to.

"It sounds like we have a lot of money right now, and I understand that," Maltese said. "But, we need that money in the next 5 years to replace our engines and some of our other trucks. Those aren't cheap. I don't want to spend that money I have saved for equipment now on personnel and then have to come back to the voters in 5 years and ask for money for equipment. That's not fair to our residents."

The Facts

The following are facts posted by Citizens for a Safe White Lake:

Police

• Due to tax revenue loss since 2009, six police officer positions have gone unfilled as well as the cadet position. The millage initiative in 2010 prevented additional personnel cuts and allowed us to continue to serve the community.
• Your yes vote for the Aug. 7 renewal of the police/ fire millage is not a new tax. It is a renewal of a millage approved by the voters in 1992 and then renewed and rolled back to the original amount in 2002. 
• Failure to renew the proposal will result in a deficit to the police department in excess of $600,000 and the elimination of at least seven police department positions.

Fire

• Firefighters have taken serious concessions on health care insurance, overtime, pension benefits and accepted zero wage increases all without impacting the level of service.  
• We have had to dip into our capital equipment replacement reserves to maintain operations for line items that are not discretionary like vehicle repairs, building repairs, mandated annual equipment testing and repairs, etc. 
• It will be impossible to sustain the current quality service levels with further manpower and revenue reductions.
• Passing this millage along with the renewal of the previously approved millage will allow us to replace our manpower shortage and sustain services at the 2011 levels. 

Ballot Language

POLICE-FIRE OPERATING MILLAGE RENEWAL

Shall the previously voted 1.00 mill increase in the constitutional tax limitation on the amount of taxes upon taxable property within the Charter Township of White Lake, which last resulted in a levy of .9526 mills ($.9526 per $1,000 TV) in 2011, be increased to and renewed at the original voted 1.00 mill ($1.00 per $1,000 TV) and levied for a period of ten (10) years from 2012 to 2021 inclusive, for fire and police services, with 65% to be allocated for police services and 35% for fire services; and shall the Township levy such renewal? If approved, the Township shall collect from this levy in the first year approximately $935,671.

FIRE MILLAGE RENEWAL

Shall the previously voted .6740 mill increase in the constitutional tax limitation on the amount of taxes upon taxable property within the Charter Township of White Lake, which last resulted in a levy in that amount, be renewed at .6740 mills ($.6740 per $1,000 TV) and levied for a period of ten (10) years from 2012 to 2021 inclusive, for the purpose of maintaining current fire and emergency medical services, including personnel, equipment, vehicles, and operational costs? If approved, the Township shall collect from this levy in the first year approximately $630,642.

FIRE MILLAGE INCREASE

Shall the limitation on general ad valorem taxes imposed upon taxable property within the Charter Township of White Lake be increased by 0.5 mills ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) and that amount levied for a period of 10 years from 2012 to 2021 inclusive, for the purpose of maintaining current fire and emergency medical services, including personnel, equipment, vehicles, and operational costs? If approved, the Township shall collect from this levy in the first year approximately $467,835.