Orion Township voters will get their chance to say whether or not they want a dedicated millage for the parks and recreation department when they go to the polls and vote on Proposal P on Nov. 2.
Parks and recreation director Rock Blanchard, who has been on the job for eight years in Orion Township, said the proposal, for three-quarters (3/4) of a mill for five years, would provide dedicated funding for parks and recreation that could not be affected by any future state revenue funding cuts.
‘With past and possible future cuts to the township, it’s important we secure some dedicated funding,? he said. ‘Some other communities have had to close their (parks and recreation) departments (due to state revenue cuts).
Blanchard said with area schools also cutting back on their services due to budget cuts, people will depend more on the parks and recreation departments.
‘We may be safe right now, for the budget year 2005,? he added. ‘But even last year, we had mid-year budget cuts.
‘With our growing population and increased demand, it’s getting increasingly difficult for us to keep up with that.?
The millage would cost each homeowner; based on a $300,000 fair market home value, which Blanchard said is considered average for Orion Township; about $112 per year, or about 31 cents per day.
‘When you think about what people spend just to go to a movie now…this is for the whole year,? Blanchard said.
With the millage, Blanchard said his department would have an operating budget as well as money for capital improvements that have been in their master plan since 1999.
‘We have added some facilities, but when you look at how many new schools we have, it’s not really enough,? he added.
Parks and recreation currently has a $680,000 operating budget, and about $50,000 for capital improvements. If approved, the millage would generate $1.2 million in the first year.
‘In 2002 and 2003, combined, we’ve spent close to $1 million,? Blanchard said. ‘But that’s coming out of the general fund for capital improvements.?
The parks and recreation advisory committee has proposed several projects to be completed with millage funds. Blanchard said multi-purpose athletic fields would be added, as well as building an amphitheater, where the department could conduct its summer concert series, which usually serves a little over 100 people.
‘This would not be an amphitheater like Freedom Hill or anything like that,? Blanchard said. ‘We could also expand to a summer drama program there.?
The advisory committee would also like the department to purchase property in the southeast portion of the township, which currently does not have a park.
‘We’ve also talked about a skate park, and there is a developer who has agreed to build one, but that doesn’t cover the maintenance or operating costs,? Blanchard said. ‘His donation might not even cover all the building costs.?
That developer, James Faycurry of Dutton Partners, LLC, said he is bound by court agreement as part of the consent judgement with Orion Township to contribute up to $200,000 for the building of a skate park.
The consent judgement is part of his settlement with the township regarding property he wishes to develop on Squirrel Road, and had previously proposed annexing to Auburn Hills.
‘I agreed to contribute money to build a skate park on township land,? Faycurry said. ‘The exact location of the property would be of the township’s choosing.?
As part of the settlement, Faycurry will also donate 15 acres or more of land on Squirrel Road for a park.
‘It will have different amenities, which are to be decided by the township,? he said. ‘I’ll also be contributing another $400,000 to the township’s general fund, which is intended for parks and recreation.?
‘The majority of the cost (with the skate park) will come later when we have to maintain it,? Blanchard said. ‘We also would like to add restrooms in the parks, increase programming for teens and youth, and increase our maintenance of the parks.?
According to Blanchard, the need for more maintenance comes as the department sees usage increase.
‘That means more wear and tear,? he said. ‘Also, my time and my staff’s time comes out of the parks and recreation budget.?
Orion Township Trustee Michael Gingell said it is important for people to know that once the township finalizes the agreement with Faycurry, there will be a skate park.
‘We are going to get a skate park and an additional park with soccer fields as part of this agreement,? he said. ‘I just don’t want the parks and recreation department to tell people they want this millage for a skate park…it’s misleading.?
If approved, the parks and recreation millage would replace the budget currently allocated for parks and recreation in the township general fund. Trustees, as of their Oct. 4 meeting, had yet to decide what to do with the allocated parks and recreation funding if the millage is approved.
‘Look at all the good the safety path millage has done,? Blanchard said. ‘Without that, we wouldn’t have any of those paths.?
Blanchard stressed that the capital improvement fund was not guaranteed funding for the department.
‘If the millage doesn’t pass, we’re depending available funding through the township general fund, and with state revenue cuts, (the improvements) are big questions,? he said.
‘Those improvements might not happen and maintenance becomes difficult. And we couldn’t add those programs.?
Once the five years of the original millage expires, Blanchard said the parks and recreation department would have to go to the voters again to renew it.
‘If property values increased, it would go up,? he said. ‘But costs go up every year too.
‘Over the past eight years I’ve been here, we’ve done everything to stretch the tax dollars,? said Blanchard. ‘We’ve gotten grants and donations, both monetary, in-kind and labor…we use boot camp labor.
‘We’ll definitely continue to do that if the millage passes.?
Blanchard said compared to what other communities are spending on parks and recreation per person, most of them are spending 2 1/2 times more than Orion.
‘With the millage, we could spend $31 per person,? he added. ‘The population will get bigger. We spend about $20 per person now.?
Blanchard said it is important for people to know that the millage-support group ‘People for Parks? is separate from the township.
‘We have nothing to do with them,? he added.
For more information on Proposal P, visit www.orionparks.org.