By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
ssoldan@mihomepaper.com
Ortonville — During the public hearing on June 23, the Ortonville Village Council unanimously approved a road millage levy for village residents.
The increase would be 2.8 mills for an initial period of two years, beginning in the 2026 fiscal year, which begins July 1, with the option to levy for a third year.
“The overall goal is that in three years, we will repave every paved surface, we will mill and resurface every paved road in the village,” said Village Manger Matt Ryan.
“We understand that the village roads have been an issue for some time, they have been deteriorating, we have not kept up with them or had the resources to keep up with them in a satisfactory way. And this year, the rating of those roads made it evident that we needed to take action.”
The increase would cover a resurfacing of all of the roads within the village, instead of completely reconstructing the roads. The resurfacing would reduce costs, and would be able to be completed quicker, meaning all of the roads would be resurfaced within the two or three years that the additional funds would be levied.
“Some of you may not know that the roads inside the village limits are not supported by the state, they’re not supported by the county, the road commission does not touch them, we are solely responsible for our roads here in the village,” he said.
The cost would be around $1 million, including the work that began on Wednesday in phase one. That work has already begun on Church St., Allen St., East Ridge and Davis Alley, as well as two municipal parking lots. This phase is expected to take around two weeks.
Currently, the village levies 8 mills of the 16.5 mills they are able to levy. The increase would equate to $280 per year for a home worth $100,000, or $2.80 for every $1,000 of taxable value. The roads are expected to have a lifespan of 10-15 years following repaving.