Resources:
August 6 Official List of Proposals
August 2024 Primary Results: Ballot Proposals in Washtenaw County
Transcription
David Fair: This is 89 one WEMU, and welcome to a post-primary election edition of Issues of the Environment. Washtenaw County yesterday put three ballot proposals before voters, all of which touch on the area of environment in one way or another. I'm David Fair, and as we've been reporting, Proposals A, B and C all passed on Tuesday. Joining us to talk about the election and the impact these measures will make is one of the people who helped decide to put them on the ballot. Yousef Rabhi represents the eighth district on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. And, Yousef, I'm imagining all smiles on your end of the line!
Yousef Rabhi: Well, that's absolutely right, David! And it is always a pleasure to be on with you! Very excited about the results. The voters overwhelmingly decided to support these millages. It's going to be huge for Washtenaw County!
David Fair: Well, let's step back for just a moment. Why did county administration and then, ultimately, the Board of Commissioners feel that putting these particular measures on the primary ballot was all for the best?
Yousef Rabhi: Well, what's interesting about this year is that, as you know, a lot of our millages last for different periods of time. And what happened this year is a bunch of our millages that were made for six, ten years, all converged to be due for renewal all in the same year. And so, that's what's kind of happening. You've seen the first round of these three millages. They're all renewals. So, none of them are new taxes. They're all renewals. Just asking the voters to continue some of the really good programs that Washtenaw County is providing. And like I said, obviously, the voters close to 70% in each seat for each ballot measure, passed.
David Fair: Yeah.
Yousef Rabhi: So very, very excited about that! Parks seems to have done the best. But we also got that conservation millage and the roads millage passed as well.
David Fair: Well, I want to look at these proposals for a bit in specific. Proposal A is a four-year half-mill renewal for road preservation, maintenance and construction. First of all, some might question why this can be considered an issue that touches on the environmental health of the county, but it was my contention, it does. Where do you stand on that?
Yousef Rabhi: Oh, it absolutely does! In fact, when we first put this on the ballot in, I believe, it was 2014 and 15 was the year that we were debating it. I actually was this one of the swing votes on this to put it on the ballot the very first time. There were four in favor, four opposed. And I was kind of that on the fence. One of my conditions for getting this on the ballot was the provision that has that 20% off the top of the millage that goes to the non-motorized Border-to-Border Trail. So, it actually goes to the Parks Commission to fund the Border-to-Border Trail. And that is a big part of why we've been able to get this Border-to-Border Trail connected throughout Washtenaw County. So, absolutely, it has to do with the environment. Obviously, our trails in Washtenaw County for biking, for walking and hiking. These are really important for our green economy, and they're important for environment. And that is part of this millage. So, when the voters voted yes, they didn't just vote for roads for cars. They voted for these non-motorized trails as well.
David Fair: The passage of Proposal A means the tax is going to be levied from 2024 through 2027, and it's expected that, in the first year of collection, will raise nearly $11 million. So, as a commissioner, what will be the process for the board to determine how best to allocate the money?
Yousef Rabhi: Well, so the money allocation is largely provided for in the millage language. Like I said, that 20% off the top goes to parks and the Border-to-Border Trail. The remainder is divided among road agencies. So, the county rotates, and it's all proportional to the population of every community. So, most of the cities in the county have their own road department. They will get their own dedicated pot of money for road repair. And the rest goes to the Washtenaw County Road Commission, which provides road services across the rest of the county. One of the things I was actually going to say as well that relates to this component about the environment is another provision that I had put in all those years ago was a provision that actually requires that a certain percentage of every project in cities. It's a higher percentage in rural areas. There's also a percentage that needs to be dedicated to non-motorized components of the road project. So, in addition to that 20% off the top for just non-motorized trails, there also has to be a certain component of a lot of these projects that we're funding with this money that have to be crosswalks, widened shoulders, bike lanes, things like that to allow for more pedestrian and cyclist access to our transportation system in the county.
David Fair: This is Issues of the Environment on 89 one WEMU. And today, we're talking with Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners member Yousef Rabhi. Proposal B is for the Washtenaw County Conservation District tax levy that will be in effect from 2026 through 2031. How has the Conservation District millage benefited county residents to this point in your estimation?
Yousef Rabhi: Well, the Conservation District does actually really amazing work in our community, and what they do largely is educational, but they also provide resources for farmers, property owners, and other citizens in our county that are looking to help further conservation goals within our community. And it's things sometimes as simple as they have a really expansive rain belt program. They try to really get tree and shrub planting out there, in terms of property owners helping to encourage and support property owners to plant more trees and shrubs and also native plants. They have an extensive program to try to get more native plants planted because, of course, we know that those plants help to retain soil. They soak up moisture. Obviously we're having all these massive rain events, like we had the other day. We need more native plants. We need more trees. We need more shrubs. We need more rain barrels and things like that to really help preserve our environment in Washtenaw County. And that's what the Conservation District does. This is a relatively small millage. And so, I think, total for annually, it raises about half a million dollars, but it goes a long way in terms of helping to further those goals.
David Fair: We've talked about Proposal A, we've talked about Proposal B, and now we want to talk about Proposal C, which you mentioned earlier, perhaps the most popular of the ballot issues yesterday. The ten-year, quarter-mill renewal request for parklands and recreation passed by a wide margin nearly 70% of voters approving. The money generated is going to be used to acquire, develop, maintain and operate parklands and recreation facilities throughout the county. I want to again look back for just a moment. As you reflect on the past ten years of this particular levy, how has it improve the quality of life for residents in Washtenaw County?
Yousef Rabhi: Well, as you see by the overwhelming support and popularity at the ballot box, the parks in Washtenaw County have done just such phenomenal work, not just over the last decade, but, since the 1970s, when this millage was actually first put in place and the Parks Commission was first created. I mean, everything from facilities that you know and love, like Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, Rolling Hills Water Park, Pierce Lake Golf Course, Independence Lake and Blue Heron Bay--the water park there. There are so many things that the county provides. And then, there's all these other parks, like County Farm Park and parks scattered all throughout our community that are providing resources and that are providing amenities for our residents. People love the parks, and the parks are always looking for ways to engage and make sure that we are providing resources and spaces that are relevant to our constituents throughout the county and that we provide those green spaces and we provide those recreational opportunities for everyone. And we've been able to do that and deliver this amazing level of service to everybody in our county. And we are always expanding. And so, part of what this millage helps to do is create more parkland and more preservation opportunities because, obviously, parks are important for a number of reasons. They're important for us as humans. And they're also important for our natural environment and our ecosystem, our plant and animal wildlife, which, in turn, even that preservation side helps us as humans because it provides all these ecosystem resources, like, again, when we have these big rain events or helping to reduce air pollution. These are important features of our community--incredibly popular. People love our parks. And I've been honored to serve on the Parks Commission, actually, since I came back to the county board starting in January of 2023. It's been a real honor to be there and to see the work up front and up close. It's really cool!
David Fair: Well, you've been working in the area a long time and on these issues for a long time. Do you kind of have a mental picture of how Proposal C will help alter the Washtenaw County landscape over the next decade of collection?
Yousef Rabhi: Well, first of all, let me say this. I can't imagine what would have happened if it didn't pass. I don't want to think about it.
David Fair: And you don't have to!
Yousef Rabhi: And I don't have to because it did! But this millage will help us to continue that work that we've done and expand on those services. So, we're actually in the middle right now of a comprehensive master planning process where we have actually engaged the citizens of our community in a conversation of what comes next. How do we envision the next ten years of our organization and provide the services that are the most relevant? What do people want? Obviously, things like pickleball is something that people love right now. People love the trails. They love hiking. They love natural areas. And so, we're getting all of that information through this process--through this engagement process. And that's kind of how we're going to look to the future and say, "This is what our community wants, and this is what we're going to invest in." And so, it's a really iterative process, and it's one that I encourage everybody to be engaged in. Our Parks Commission meetings are open to the public. Anybody can come to our meetings, make public comment, tell us what is exciting to you, get engaged in the process and use our parks. Obviously, they are resources that are available to everyone. And we want folks to come out and recreate. Oh my God! There's so many cool programs. Recently, we acquired the folk school. And so, people can actually take courses at the folk school, I was looking at a course that they are providing to make basically stain glass windows, just like all kinds of cool stuff. As a community member, you can find a place to connect with our county parks. You will find something of interest to you. And if you don't, I would be shocked. But come to a meeting. Send us an email. Get involved. Tell us what you want to do. These parks are for you. They are the people's parks. And this is a resource that will live on for the next decade and hopefully for many decades after that.
David Fair: This is 89 one WEMU FM, Ypsilanti.
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