Pittsfield Township public safety director lays out case for police and fire millage

If passed, the 10-year millage would cost the owner of a home with a $100,000 taxable value about $195 annually. That averages to roughly $3.78 a week or 54 cents per day for the typical resident, about double the current amount of 27 cents per day. The $3.3 million the millage is expected to generate can be used for operating expenses, equipment and training upgrades and capital projects.

The board approved the wording for the millage request last month, about a week before the deadline to submit ballot proposals to the state. Voters will also decide police and fire millages in Dexter Township, a police protection millage in Northfield Township, a fire millage in Sharon Township, and the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s special education millage on the May ballot.

Harshberger began his appeal to the public with a 20-minute-long presentation Wednesday night and will deliver the same message at a series of public forums beginning March 22.

“Our main goal is to maintain our current level of service in this difficult economy, which won’t be possible without this,” Harshberger said. Plummeting property values have decreased the amount coming in from tax revenue, while population growth has created an increased demand for services, he said. Interest revenues alone on township bank accounts have fallen sharply from $798,583 in 2007, to $13,332 last year, Harshberger said. State revenue sharing has declined by roughly $1 million since 2000, and nearly half of the township’s general fund balance was used to pay for land purchases between 2006 and 2008.

This year, the current public safety millage will support 33 positions in police, fire and dispatch. The millage covered five officers and a community coordinator position in 2003. But at that time the Public Safety Department enjoyed support from the township’s general fund, which is no longer feasible in current economic conditions, township officials say.

Harshberger said the department’s operating budget for this year is roughly $7.9 million, 88 percent of which is tied to salaries and benefits. Last year, most public safety personnel agreed to zero-percent wage increases for four years during contract negotiations. The department has not filled four vacant positions, ranging from dispatcher to deputy fire commander, collectively saving $182,789 this year.

Harshberger said the average cost per officer is $110,291, which includes salary and benefits, all overhead and overtime. That is less than other townships pay for Washtenaw County sheriff’s protection, and even if passed, Pittsfield would still be among the lowest public safety millage rates countywide, officials said.

Trustee Gerald Krone asked what would happen if the millage failed. Harshberger said the township would have to start a dialogue with stakeholders to determine new expectations for service.

Supervisor Mandy Grewal was more candid.

“There will be layoffs. Service cuts and layoffs,” she said. Neither would detail the cuts, but fire fighting, road patrol and special units would all be impacted, Harshberger said. None of the roughly two dozen people in attendance specifically addressed the millage request during the meeting. But some said the public forums need to be more informative, if not more convincing.

“It doesn’t seem too outrageous, but I didn’t come here with all the facts and still don’t know all the details,” said Pat Lennington.

The forums are scheduled for:

• March 22 at the Pittsfield Branch of Ann Arbor District Library at 6:30 p.m.
• March 24, 6:30-8 p.m., at Carpenter Elementary School, 4250 Central Blvd.
• April 14, 6:30-8 p.m., at Harvest Elementary School, 155 Campus Parkway.
• April 17, 1-3 p.m., at the Pittsfield Township Open House.
• April 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Pittsfield Township Parks and Seniors Building, 701 Ellsworth Road.

A website with more information on the millage is now up at http://www.pittsfield-mi.gov/public-safety-millage.html.

Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.