Springfield Township voters will be asked to renew one of two police protection millages in the Nov. 2 general election.
The township board on Thursday, July 8 accepted a recommendation from Supervisor Collin Walls to ask for a 10-year renewal of 0.7289 mill.
Officials believe the tax began as a 1-mill levy in 1974, and was renewed in 1994 at 0.7920 mill. Headlee Amendment-required rollbacks have reduced that levy to 0.7289.
In a memo to the board, Walls said the current tax levy should be sufficient to cover the cost of the current 10 contracted deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
‘The test we face for the police millage will come in the 2006 election, when we need to renew the millage expiring in 2007,? Walls said.
The latter millage rate is currently at 1.3255 mills. Walls suggested the board eventually should discuss future police services.
‘Depending on what happens with the economy and other things, we might want to increase [the second millage] so we could consider increasing our coverage beyond the current 10 contracts,? Walls said.
A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s ‘taxable value.? If voters renew the 0.7289-mill levy, the cost to the owner of a house with a taxable value of $100,000 will be $72.89.
Although it’s a year early, officials agreed it is best to have such questions on a general election ballot rather than schedule a special election.
‘We have never scheduled a special election for these questions,? Clerk Nancy Strole said.