GROSSE ILE, Michigan (WXYZ) — The Grosse Ile Police Department, along with township officials, are now trying to figure out how to move forward since the millage was shut down.
“This one was a new one as opposed to a renewal so again it’s just an additional tax and at some point, it got to stop,” said Brian Maghran, Grosse Ile resident.
Maghran says he usually votes yes when it comes to police millages but this time around, he circled no on the ballot.
“I am just finding that looking at the tax bills, it’s becoming unaffordable, it’s really becoming crazy that it’s gone up, now with inflation, we got new assessments about a week ago and that’s gone up substantially so without any millage changes, I can expect a large tax increase next year.”
The millage would have increased the police department’s funding for five years from a base of 6.6 mils to 7.7 mills.
It would’ve cost between $8.25 per month or $99 a year for a home valued at $180,000.
For a home valued at $500,000, it would’ve cost $22.92 a month or about two hundred and $275 a year.
“We voted for it because we have to support our community,” said Tami Henderson, Grosse Ile resident.
If the millage had passed, the department planned on using the money to hire an additional police officer, update equipment, and fix the public safety building.
Henderson says she was sad when she learned the millage didn’t pass.
“You really want the best for the community and sometimes people aren’t informed enough or they don’t have enough knowledge of what the taxes are for or where they are going. It sways your vote to some place,” Henderson added.
7 Action News wanted to find out how those working in the Grosse Ile Police Department felt about the vote.
We were directed to Township Supervisor Jim Budny.
He says while he is disappointed that the millage didn’t pass, he understands where the people who voted no are coming from.
“Like anything else I believe, everybody looks at what they are paying and what they are getting for their money, and when it’s enough, they say enough,” said Budny.
Budny added that even though police will have to wait to get some of the things they wanted, he says they will still be able to do their jobs effectively.
“We’ll live within our budget, we’ll do our budget this year for the police, we will work within that budget,” said Budny.
