Washtenaw County put three measures before voters and all three passed by a about a two-to-one margin.
Proposal A is a four-year, half-mil renewal for road preservation, maintenance and construction. It will be levied from 2024 through 2027 and will raise nearly 11-million dollars in the first year of collection.
Proposal B is a six-year, .02-mill renewal for the Washtenaw Conservation District. It will be levied from 2026 through 2031. The nearly 450-thousand dollars it will generate in the first year of collection will continue support for programs that assist residents in the protection of surface and groundwater quality. Portions of the money will also be used to increase wildlife habitat, reforestation and tree planting and to strengthen the local food system by promoting sustainable agricultural practices, among other things.
Washtenaw County voters also passed Proposal C. The 10-year, quarter-mill renewal for parklands and recreation. The money generated will be used to acquiring, develop, maintain and operate park lands and recreation facilities in the county. The current levy expires in 2026 and the renewal will be collected from 2027 through 2036. It’s expected to generate almost $5.7-million in the first year of collection.
Voters in the city of Saline narrowly defeated a measure that would have changed residency requirements for mayor, city council and appointed members of board and commission members. There were 1,137 “No: votes to 1,123 “Yes” votes. As it stands, to serve in any of those positions a person must be a Saline resident for two years. Had the measure passed, it would have gone to one year.
In Bridgewater Township, voters said “yes” to a four-year, half-mill renewal to fund contracted fire services. 65-percent of voters gave their approval. It allows the township to collect over 61-thousand-dollars in the first year. The levy will be imposed through 2027.
Nearly 71-percent of Saline Township voters gave the thumbs up to a roads maintenance millage. The one-mill levy will be in place for a period of four years, beginning in 2025. It is expected it will generate nearly 164-thousnad dollars in the first year of collection.
Voters in Scio Township were asked to renew and restore a millage that provides funding for public transportation services. It was originally passed by voters in 2015 and will expires at the end of this year. This time around, voters approved the measure by a about a two-to-one margin. The 10-year, .36 mill renewal will be collected from 2025 through 2036 and should raise nearly 617-thousand dollars in the first year of collection.
In York Township, voters responded in the affirmative to a police and fire millage renewal request. Wither over 75-percent approval, the 1.4-mill measure passed voter muster. It will be collected for five years, beginning this year and running through 2028. It is expected to bring about 860-thousand dollars for public safety services in the first-year of collection.
Voters in Webster Township had two measures to decide and approved both a new tax and a tax renewal. Proposal A is a new levy that passed with 56-percent voter support. The 10-year, .82-mill tax goes to road improvements and maintenance. The levy begins with the December tax collection this year and is expected to bring in just over 470-thousand dollars in the first year.
Proposal B asked voters to renew a farmland and open space millage but at a reduced level. They did with nearly 66-percent approval. For the past 10-years, it has been a half-mill levy. With yesterday’s passage, Webster Township will collect for another 10-years but at a millage rate of just over .47 mills. The new levy will be enacted in 2025 and in the first year should raise over 270-thousand dollars.
Voters in the Whitmore Lake School District rejected a $53-million-dollar bond issue, with about 60-percent saying “No.” The district wanted to issue unlimited tax bonds in order to raise capital for improvements to buildings, classrooms and upgrades in equipment and facilities.
The Manchester District Library won voter support for a levy to support operations. Voters gave better than 65-percent approval Tuesday to a 10-year, nearly one-mill renewal to be collected from 2025 through 2036. It is expected to generate $580-thousand dollars in year one.
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