Goodrich – In 1996, Goodrich residents voted against the village dissolving, in a 311 – 139 vote. Now the issue is resurfacing.
Members of the newly-formed ‘Vacate the Village? committee say the reasons haven’t changed in eight years.
‘We are taxed by the village so much over and above what we pay to Atlas Township,? said committee vice-chair Patti Wartella, who was part of the 1996 village dissolution effort that brought out more than 50 percent of village voters. ‘Basically our taxes are providing salaries. I don’t feel as if we get any benefits whatsoever.?
Services village residents receive include village street lights, snow removal according to street priority, repairs of the library building, grant funding research for the upcoming 2005 pathway project, M-15 sidewalks and beautification, the sewer initiative that opened the door for area businesses and restaurants to come in, a parks and recreation department that maintains the current downtown park and a potential second Dutch Road area park, weed treatment on the Goodrich Mill Pond, and a department of public works responsible for operating the mill pond dam gates, said village administrator Jakki Sidge.
Successfully dissolving any form of government is rare, says Kim Cekola, Michigan Municipal League information coordinator.
But it’s not completely unheard of.
In July 2000, in Michigan’s upper peninsula, the cities of Iron River and Stanbaugh successfully consolidated with the village of Mineral Hills.
From conception to reorganization, the process took about five years and two successive elections, said John Archocosky, new City of Iron River manager.
A committee was charged with a six-month transition to review and combine financial statements and ordinances, determine corporate boundaries, rezone, establish voting districts, address employment, and combine services like sewer, water, and snow removal. A new city council was also elected.
‘It was very confusing for us,? he said. ‘This was never accomplished before in the State of Michigan.?
Archocosky feels it’s been a very positive consolidation overall. The city office has received plenty of questions, but no complaints, he said.
Due to retaining employees, the cost savings isn’t quite what was expected, but it’s substantially less than the cost would have been to not combine the three governments in the 2 square-mile area, where population has decreased since mining companies employed residents.
Proponents of the local movement to dissolve Goodrich say by eliminating tax payments to two governments, all existing village obligations and services could be absorbed by Atlas Township.
Currently, a $300,000 home in the Village of Goodrich is taxed $1,270 by the village, including a garbage assessment, says village treasurer Norene Newton. Homestead and non-homestead rates aren’t used in Goodrich tax calculations, Newton said.
In addition to village taxes, a $300,000 home would be taxed $7,180 at the non-homestead tax rate in Atlas Township, not including special assessments or administrative fees, says township treasurer Ann Marie Slagle.
‘People who live on Green Road on the north side are taxed by the village. On the south side they’re not taxed by the village. Both sides get the same services, but only the north side is taxed by the village,? said Wartella. ‘There’s homes that have been on the market for two, three years, and they can’t sell ’em. They have to bring the price down 25 percent due to the village taxes. I want my home marketable.?
‘I don’t see that in the real estate numbers,? said Goodrich resident and planning commission member Marcia Rockafellow, who served as village president during the 1996 attempt to dissolve the village.
‘If indeed, God forbid, the village was dissolved there would be certain things the village has contracted for that would be paid for by the village people, like the new DPW garage and offices on M-15. If dissolved, the village debt doesn’t become township debt’it becomes assessed to the people who live in the village. That’s how I understand it from before.?
Atlas Township Attorney David Lattie handled a similar matter for the Village of Lennon in 2000, when Lennon residents unsuccessfully attempted to dissolve their village and consolidate with Clayton and Venice townships. At counsel’s request, 35th Circuit Judge Gerald Lostracco of Shiawassee County issued a declaratory action for a township-level vote that would take place if village voters successfully elected to dissolve the Village of Lennon.
‘On behalf of Atlas Township, my position would be for the township to have a vote,? Lattie said.
According to records of the Michigan Township Association, both township and village residents have a vote, as a consolidation would equally affect the township.
‘That’s why you have a vote of the people in the township,? said MTA Member Information Liaison Catherine Mullhaupt. ‘Otherwise it’s like the in-laws coming to stay for the rest of your life.?
The recent drive to dissolve Goodrich has been prompted by issues between residents of Hawthorne Ridge Condominiums. Nine condominium residents voiced concerned at the July 12 village meeting regarding inadequate or incomplete village inspections, the condition of their private roads, and lack of services for taxes paid.
The issue was placed on the agenda for the Aug. 9 village meeting, when council members directed Sidge to check into the matter.
Sidge arranged for an engineering inspection of the roads completed on Aug. 17, she said. Although Jackson received a copy of the engineering report, the village council won’t decide on whether to assume responsibility for the condominium’s private roads until the Sept. 13 meeting. Sidge is also awaiting information from Consumers Energy regarding the feasibility of taking over condominium street lighting, she said.
Condo residents, who had discussed separating from the village, decided to meet with other village residents when Wartella contacted the association, offering to help if the group changed its focus to dissolving the village, she said.
An election held in February 2005, if the only issue on the ballot, would cost village residents an estimated $2,500, said district election coordinator Tere Onica.
‘If people can think this through logically and understand what they’re getting, I don’t think we can lose,? said Hawthorne Ridge resident and Vacate the Village committe chair Phil Jackson, a former IBM manager. ‘We are paying a lot of money for nothing. It really hurts people in this community, and there’s a lot of elderly people being hurt. Personally, I had to sell my place up north because I couldn’t afford to pay my taxes here.?
‘I’m always amazed at the people who choose the Village of Goodrich to live in’which I think is great, I love Goodrich’but they’re not here for a long time when they want to change things,? said Rockafellow. ‘It happened with the dump on Jordan Road. Everybody knew it was there. They’d build their house there and then and say, ‘I can’t stand living next to that dump.? It doesn’t seem they’re working to be on a board or be a part of government. I see this as a negative step.?
Vacate the Village committee members will circulate petitions seeking signatures to dissolve the village beginning Sept. 12, said Jackson.
Contact the Goodrich Village Office at (810) 636-2570. Contact Vacate the Village members Patti Wartella at (810) 636- 2552 or Phil Jackson at (810) 636-6116.