Orion to Take Comments on 2013 Budget

The 2013 budget will be the subject of a public hearing before the Orion Township Board of Trustees on Monday, Dec. 17. After the hearing, the board is expected to adopt the budget in this, its last scheduled meeting of the year.

The board held two special budget workshop sessions on Dec. 5 and 12. The proposed budget calls for a millage levy of 6.5809 for township operations, including the library. That’s up 1.0168 from 2012 due to voter approval of an increase in police funding.

There is some good news for customers of the water system. Because the township built a water reservoir to reduce demand during peak times, the rate the township pays the city of Detroit for water will go down. In a memo, Orion Public Works Director Bill Ireland said the township can expect to save $764,841 on water next year. “The future annual savings … to our customers is projected to be 30 percent annually,” he wrote.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the township hall.

Also on the agenda, the board will hear from three auditing firms seeking to conduct the next township audit. The board is also expected to authorize the supervisor to seek proposals to update the parks and recreation master plan, and to decide whether to participate in the NO HAZ hazardous household waste drop-off program next year.