Placement of a millage proposal on the November ballot aimed at improving Addison’s deteriorating gravel roads was voted down 4-3 by township officials Monday night.
‘From what everybody’s told me how they feel about our roads, I think this is a disservice to our citizens,? said Trustee Christine Sypitkowski, who proposed the new tax.
‘We’re putting a senior citizen (center on the ballot) that for sure will get voted down. I don’t see how that one’s going through from everybody I’ve talked to,? Sypitkowski said. ‘And you won’t put this to the citizens? I am mad.?
Sypitkowski proposed asking voters to approve a four-year, 1-mill tax to purchase high quality crushed stone and improve the township’s 61 miles of public gravel roads.
‘I realize that asking for a tax millage now is almost insane,? she said. But ‘I believe this is something that affects everyone who lives in Addison outside maybe a very few people who live on one of the three paved roads.?
Lakeville, Rochester and 32 Mile are rural Addison’s only paved roads.
With an approximate cost of $19,000 per mile to improve a gravel road with 21AA crushed stone, it would cost approximately $1.159 million to redo all 61 miles of the township’s roads, according to Sypitkowski.
Doing a little quick math, Trustee Claudia VonDrak calculated the millage could raise approximately $1.304 million over its life. ‘So, we could conceivably do all the roads in the township in four years,? said VonDrak, who supported the proposal. ‘I think our roads are in despicable repair and a huge problem.
Sypitkowski said technically the Road Commission for Oakland County is ‘liable? for the 12 miles of ‘primary gravel roads? in the township ? which includes Mack, Oakwood, Leonard, Lake George and Hosner, north of Oakwood ? but she included them in her calculations ‘because I don’t trust that they would come and do those the way they should because they haven’t so far.?
‘I included all 61 miles of our public roads,? she said.
The millage money would be used to help Addison take advantage of the Tri-Party Program in which road projects are funded with a third of the money coming from the county, a third from the road commission and a third from the township.
Tri-Party ‘gives us the most bang for our buck,? according to Sypitkowski. Addison currently has about $200,000 in Tri-Party money sitting unused because the township hasn’t been able to come up with the matching third necessary to utilize the available funds.
Unlike some other millages, Sypitkowski said her tax proposal ‘is something everyone in the township benefits from.?
‘It’s not something that goes out to a certain group,? she said. ‘It’s not for seniors. It’s not for people who like the parks or people who want the library. This is something that affects every citizen who lives in Addison Township.?
Sypitkowski said the tax proposal isn’t just about residents tired of ‘driving on bumpy roads?
‘It’s for their safety and welfare,? she explained. ‘Some of the roads are near impassable? and this can delay fire trucks and ambulances getting to a scene.
‘It can be a matter of somebody’s life when our roads get that bad. So, I think it is a public safety issue.?
‘God forbid an ambulance has to get to somebody who’s having a stroke or a heart attack when the roads are in bad shape (during) winter,? Sypitkowski said. ‘You’re going to have people dying.?
Sypitkowski’s proposal was met with opposition from most board members for one reason or another.
‘I just think it’s the county’s job to take care of the roads,? said Treasurer Dan Alberty.
Sypitkowski explained the road commission is ‘short on funds? because it’s a ‘separate entity? from the county government and does not benefit from property taxes.
‘None of those taxes that any of us pay for our homes goes towards road improvement,? she said.
The road commission receives its funding from gasoline taxes, which all go to Lansing for redistribution to the county road commissions. While ‘most places get all their tax money back,? Oakland County doesn’t because it’s considered a ‘donor county.?
‘We don’t get all our tax money back,? Sypitkowski said. ‘The road commission has less to work with than what they even should have.?
Limited financial resources has forced the road commission to prioritize which roads receive attention.
‘The big roads with all the traffic that need repair are going to get looked before us,? Sypitkowski said. ‘Our gravel roads are lowest on their priority (list).?
‘That’s the way it is. We might not like it, but those are the facts,? she noted. ‘If we want to do anything about it, it’s us that has to do it.?
Trustee John Sutphin noted it’s the road commission’s maintenance methods that are ‘part of the problem? with Addison’s roads. ‘I’ve watched them fix the road that I live on (Drahner). I’ve watched them bring gravel out, put it on the road and then turn around and plow it off the road,? he said. ‘As long as I’ve been on that road, I’ve watched them not only add gravel, but cut about 2? feet off the top of the road. Until I see that’s going to change I can’t vote for this.?
Trustee Ed Brakefield was also critical of the road commission and using millage money to have the public agency improve Addison’s roads.
‘Having the road commission take care of it is kind of like putting the fox in the chicken coop,? he said. ‘They’re doing a crappy job right now, so were going to pay them to a better crappy job.?
But Sypitkowski said she’s not proposing the roads be fixed by just dumping the cheaper regular gravel on them and grating it as is done now by the road commission.
‘What they’re doing really is nothing,? she said. ‘That’s like putting a Band-Aid on a boil that’s festering. And it does nothing to get rid of the problem.?
‘We get one rain and they’re back to (a) washboard (surface),? Sypitkowski said. ‘They come. They try to smooth it out and it does nothing. We’re going in a vicious cycle and it’s getting worse and worse.?
She proposed fixing the roads the correct way by purchasing 21AA crushed stone ? a more expensive, higher quality, stronger material than ordinary road gravel ? and using it to build the roads back up to where they have a crown, which means the road’s high point is in the center while the sides taper down to allow the water to run off.
‘When you get the roads built back up to where they should be, it’s a whole different maintenance,? Sypitkowski explained.
Right now, the problem is ‘most roads? are essentially ‘ditches? where the water settles on the road. ‘That’s why we get such bad roads,? Sypitkowski said.
Some officials were concerned about putting too many tax proposals on the November ballot. As it is, Addison voters will be facing millage requests for police services and a tri-township senior center.
Supervisor Bob Koski, who noted he agreed with ‘everything? in Sypitkowski’s presentation, said he was afraid of ‘overloading? the ballot during a ‘bad time? in the economy and having voters say ‘to heck with all of them.?
‘I guess that would be my concern,? he said. ‘It’s certainly not your proposal nor the way you voiced it and presented it.?
Trustee Ed Brakefield expressed the same concern.
‘I’m afraid people are going to get gun-shy and they’re going to walk in and say, ‘I’m just going to vote no on everything? without even reading it,? he said. ‘I want to avoid that. We’re in a bad time. It’s just a bad time. People are losing their jobs right now. Stack up all the millages and it gets to be pretty heavy.?
Sypitkowski said, ‘If everything is really presented to the voters, I think this has a chance.?
‘Even though nobody wants increases in taxes and even though now is a bad time to be asking for it, the people I have talked to said that they would be for it if they knew it was just going to the roads and not to anything else,? she said.
Despite her efforts, a majority of the board remained were not persuaded. Koski, Alberty, Sutphin and Brakefield all voted against placing it on the ballot. Sypitkowski, VonDrak and Clerk Pauline Bennett voted for it.