Politics & Government

Voters Asked to Approve Highland Police Millage

The .75 mill request will be a new two-year millage that will cost a person owning a home with a taxable value of $100,000 an additional $75 a year.

In just a few days, voters in Highland will be asked to approved a new .75 millage request to fund the township's contract with the Oakland County Sheriff's Department.

Sgt. Matt Snyder with the Oakland County Sheriff's department said the money, if passed, will go towards bringing back two positions at the Highland Substation. It will cost $75 per year for those residents who own a home with a taxable value of $100,000. The collection will be for two years.

According to Snyder, the department, which patrols all 36 square miles of the township, has been reduced by 25 percent since 2009 resulting in the loss of 3 patrol deputies, 1 detective and 1 lieutenant position.

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"Over the years the the revenue brought in to pay for the contract has decreased because property values have dropped," Snyder said. Since 2010 the taxable value of homes in Highland has dropped 15.2 percent. That's a loss of $431,633 to the police fund according to Snyder.

"Our guys haven't had raises, we aren't looking to spend that money elsewhere - we simply want to bring back one detective and one patrol deputy," Snyder said.

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Since the cutbacks at the department in 2009, the substation has been operating with a single detective. Snyder said that new cases pile up every month, and that the current detective can't spend as much time as the department would like closing individual cases.

"He might be working on closing one case and another one with a high priority comes in. He has to move to that case and delay some of the interviews and other things necessary for that first case. Ideally we would like to bring back that second detective so we can have two people working cases and getting more results for the residents," Snyder said.

Current Highland Supervisor Triscia Pilchowski said she supports the millage request and sees a need for the residents to support the department.

"The last few years the township has had to start dipping into our general fund balance to support the police department," Pilchowski said. "Revenues have dropped, this additional millage will allow the department to bring back to positions and help alleviate some of the caseloads of the current deputies and increase the protection in Highland during peak crime hours."

Snyder agrees that getting more officers on the road is imperative, not just for the safety of the residents, but for the safety of the deputies as well.

"If we respond to a serious call, we need two officers on the scene - that's protocol. That means we don't have anyone else on the streets. Getting another officer for our busy shift will allow us to have more visibility in the community," Snyder said.

The facts

The following facts are from the Oakland County Sheriff's Department:

  • The Highland Township police millage is dedicated strictly for the use of police services.
  • The Oakland County Sheriff's Office has provided police service to Highland Township since the 1970's.
  • The department currently provides police protection to more than 20,000 citizens, businesses, visitors and commuters in Highland Township.
  • Oakland County Equalization has estimated Highland Township's taxable value will drop an additional 2.2 percent over the next two years.
  • The requested millage will cost that average homeowner .21 cents per day, $6.25 per month, or $75 per year for those residents who own a home with a taxable value of $100,000.

Ballot language

The following is the millage request as it appears on the Aug. 7 primary election ballot:

Shall the authorized charter millage for the Charter Township of Highland for Police Services, established in August, 2008, at 2.7805 mills ($2.7805 per $1,000 of taxable value) and expiring in 2014, be increased up to .75 of an additional mill ($.75 per $1,000 taxable value) for a period of two (2) years, starting with the December 2012 levy (budget years 2013 through 2014 inclusive), for the purpose of continuing to provide police services in Highland Township? The .75 mill increase will raise an estimated $494,894 in the first year the millage is levied, of which a portion will be disbursed to the Highland Downtown Development Authority. The amount disbursed to the Highland Downtown Development Authority shall be collected solely from properties within the Highland Township Downtown Development Authority District.


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