Politics & Government
St. Clair Shores Voters Approve Millage Hike in Aug. 2 Primary [UPDATED]
City officials warn that without increase, first responder budgets face cuts; critic says city is using police and firefighters as "pawns."
Updated. ST. CLAIR SHORES, MI — Voters easily approved a renewal and increase in a supplemental mill levy to fund police and fire operations, according to unofficial Macomb County election results.
The question won 70 percent approval by a margin of 7,046 votes for the renewal and increase, and 3,041 votes against it.
Our earlier report: Voters in St. Clair Shores will be asked in next month’s primary election to renew and increase a supplemental mill levy to fund police and fire operations, relieving some pressure on the city’s general fund, which heavily subsidizes the emergency operations.
Find out what's happening in St. Clair Shoresfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Currently, St. Clair Shores taxpayers are paying a 2-mill levy to support the $11.2 million and $6.5 million budgets of the police and fire departments, respectively. The measure on the Aug. 2 primary ballot asks for a 3-mill increase, to 5 mills, which would bring in about $7 million a year.
City officials say property tax revenues have sharply declined in the post-Recession recovery, and the increase is necessary to maintain staffing and services at current levels.
Find out what's happening in St. Clair Shoresfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“If we could collect what was the assessed value, we wouldn’t need this millage,” City Manager Michael Smith told The Macomb Daily. “If this passes, the average taxpayer will still be paying less in property taxes than they did in 2009.”
If approved, the owner of a $100,000 home will pay about $150 more in annual property taxes.
Former St. Clair Shores councilwoman Erin Stahl accused officials of trying to trick voters into thinking they’re supporting police and fire operation when the money generated by it supports the general fund.
“They (voters) are being told it’s for police and fire, but it’s not,” Stahl told the newspaper. “I’m upset the city is using the police and fire as pawns.”
However, Mayor Kip Walby said there’s no deception, and that it’s well-known that “the police and fire millage “has never carried the police and fire departments budgets.”
» For more on this, go to The Macomb Daily.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
