Reduced millage to be recommended

Goodrich – When the finance committee recommends approving the village budget next month, it will be based on a tax rate of 5.3251 mills.
If the budget is approved by the village council, residents will see the new lower millage on tax bills this July, reduced from the 7.6073 mills village residents currently pay.
Under the proposed reduced millage, taxes on a home with a taxable value of $130,000 will drop from $989 to $692. Taxes on a home with a taxable value of $280,000 will drop from $2,130 to $1,491.
Committee members will present recommendations to the council at a special June 6 budget meeting. A 7 p.m. budget hearing will be held June 13, followed by the regular council meeting at the second-floor community room above the GoodrichLlibrary, located at 10237 Hegel Road in downtown Goodrich.
Village of Goodrich Administrator Jakki Sidge prepared the reduced-millage budget at the prompting of the newly-elected council, which was presented to the finance committee in an orientation session, along with the current budget.
In addition to comparing budgets, finance committee members spent their first two meetings studying budget breakdowns and electing officers.
Richard Walker, known to local residents as astronomer at Flint’s Longway Planetarium, was elected chair of the finance committee. Norman Bass was elected vice chair.
Other committee members are Angie Adamec, Carol Christensen, Jay Clothier, Pete Morey, and Rod Pierson.
Walker, the newest member of the recently-formed committee, was appointed after former committee applicant Suzanne Taylor declined participation. Walker’s letter of application was the only letter on file when the vacancy became available, said Sidge.