Brandon Twp.- A millage restoration proposal that was on the Aug. 8 ballot and failed by a 4-to-1 margin will not make a repeat appearance on the November ballot.
‘When it gets beat 4-to-1, it’s clear the public is not ready for it at this time,? said Township Supervisor Ron Lapp. ‘The board feels there is no community support for it, even though it is not a tax increase. I guess we’ll have to tighten our belts more.?
Voters in 1978 authorized township officials to levy 1.41 mills. With the ballot proposal, officials hoped voters would restore the township’s ability to levy that amount, which is currently down to 1.0119 mills levied as a result of the Headlee Amendment, which rolls back millages fractionally.
However, the measure to restore the .3981 mills was defeated substantially, 1,290 no votes to only 345 yes votes.
Now, township officials are working on preliminary 2007 budget numbers and recommendations to the board on which areas to trim.
‘We will trim overtime, education, equipment costs, operating supplies, and discretionary travel,? said Lapp. ‘That’s a start. But we’ll have to make difficult decisions regarding other programs.?
Lapp was reluctant to speculate on what programs or services may be cut.
The township generates about $500,000 from the 1 mill they levy, supplemented by state-shared revenue and building fees. The 1 mill funds the senior center (including the senior van and newsletter); the recreation department; the building department; about $75,000- $100,000 worth of gravel on the roads (in addition to what the county provides) and supports programs such as Spring Clean-Up, NO-HAZ collection, and the fireworks show.
Police and fire operations have their own millages, as well as the schools, and their is a separate millage for library debt.
A purchase of land on M-15 that the township is currently considering for the future building of a fire hall would not be affected, says Lapp, since the land would be bought with money budgeted by the fire department, although the land will be titled to the township. If the township should decide in the future to use a portion of the land, they would reimburse the fire department.
Dates for budget hearings have not been set.