Voters will decide whether going green is worth an extra $765,000.
Independence Township trustees voted unanimously April 15 to put the 0.45 mill property tax increase up for a vote Nov. 4. The money would be used to buy property and preserve it as undeveloped, green space.
‘Well, I’ve got to say, I’m very, very pleased considering that they (board members) all said ‘yes,?? said Jim Reed, a member of Independence Goes Green and the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy.
‘Between now and probably the Fourth of July, we’ll be trying to line up some of the local organizations to get behind us. We’ll be talking to the Rotary, the chamber, the Lions, anybody we can get to listen to us and explain why we think it’s important that they get behind us.?
Henry Woloson, township resident and financial advisor, spoke against the proposal at the township board meeting.
‘It is inappropriate that the tax payers should be paying for this when there are mechanisms available for private citizens who believe in this,? Woloson said.
Township residents already pay for open space preservation: 0.25 mill to Oakland County Parks since 1966 and another 0.25 mill to Huron Court Clinton Metro-Park Authority since 1939, he said.
Taxpayers also paid for open spaces around schools, he said.
‘As a financial advisor I have to deal with people on a daily basis who are losing their jobs, who are being required to cut back their income,? he said. ‘The foreclosure rate alone in both our state and township is an indication that individuals simply cannot afford to have an additional tax burden placed on them ? it’s the wrong idea at this time. We don’t need it.
‘The public needs have already been met. If the private needs have not been met, than it’s up to private parties to pay for it with private funds,? he noted ‘That’s the way it’s done.?
Independence Goes Green raised more than $9,000 to conduct a phone poll in February. The poll, conducted by TelOpinion of Virginia, surveyed about 400 people.
The original plan was to put 0.6 mills on the ballot, but only 49 percent supported it. However, 60 percent of those surveyed said they supported 0.45 mill, which would collect around $765,000 per year, Reed said.
‘I think they’ve done what we’ve asked them to do,? said township Treasurer Jim Wenger. ‘They did their study and have adjusted it based on public input and now it’s time for the public to decide.?
Trustee Dan Kelly agreed.
‘If the people that come in front of us demonstrate to us that there is a significant amount of people in the community that wish for this to be on the ballot, then the public has a right to have issues like this voted upon,? he said.
Kelly said board approval was needed to put the issue on the ballot.
‘In cities and statewide you can get these on the ballot by having enough signatures and then it’s forced onto the ballot,? he said. ‘However the only way to get them on a ballot in a township is a board vote, as indicated by our township attorney.?
Township Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen said if the millage passed, there would still be many details to work out, such as identifying priorities, adopting a preservation ordinance, develop application process, and appoint a review board.
‘I really do think it’s a great step for our community, to have that vision of what’s going to happen in the future,? she said. ‘I think what it’s going to do is protect those sensitive environmental areas in the township, the wetlands, floodplains, and culvert areas.?
VanderVeen also suggested developing a program to educate the public about open space.
‘I think people though they are well intentioned don’t know how they’re affecting the environment,? she said.
Reed said they will meet this week to work out campaign details.
‘We’ll have to layout a plan in timing and hopefully we’ll recruit some more people to work on our group,? he said.