Officials are reconsidering a shared-service study after an acrimonious start threatened to thwart efforts and redraw old battle lines between Clarkston and Independence Township.
‘We had a really good positive meeting with the city (of Clarkston),? said Independence Township Trustee Dan Kelly, who proposed the feasibility study in March, claiming taxpayers could save as much as $1,000 annually if the two municipalities became one. ‘I found the three council members to be open minded, and trying to do what’s best for the city.?
Kelly, who met with Clarkston City Council members Cory Johnston, Kristy Ottman and Jim Brueck, along with township Trustee Charles Dunn, said collection would be the primary goal of the proposed study, with a focus on the current exchange of fees and services.
Kelly has said he owes it to Independence Township residents to make sure the township is receiving a fair price for the services it provides to the 962-resident village.
The township currently levies a fee of $154,365 for fire protection, and $36,725 for library services to Clarkston residents, including a 10 percent administrative fee of about $19,100.
‘There really is no relationship between the services provided and how we’re charging for them,? said Kelly. ‘There’s no rational basis for (the current system of) charging amounts based on (Clarkston) property values, and charging the same as we would charge our residents.?
The city also paid $31,700 last year for midnight police protection by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, but that contract will end July 1 when the city reverts to fulltime policing by its own department.
The proposed feasibility study’paid for by Oakland County’s Capital and Cooperative Initiatives Revolving Fund’helped fuel a tense situation, however, when Clarkston City Council members learned of Kelly’s bold consolidation proposal through secondhand reports.
‘I take some responsibility for that,? said Kelly. ‘I thought coming forward and showing the city I could save as much as $900 or $1000 a year per home would be enough, but obviously the process is going to be a little longer.?
According to Kelly’s estimates, residents in Independence Township and Clarkston could save a combined $300,000 annually in taxes through such a measure.
Still, Kelly said, community reaction’most of it negative’illustrated that many Clarkston residents are willing to pay higher taxes to preserve the community’s historical features.
Kelly said he was eager to move forward, and revised the study application to remove any direct reference to consolidation.
‘This study is going to produce beneficial results to both communities,? he said. ‘We’re going to have greater sharing of resources and we’re going to save taxpayer money as a result of this entire initiative.?
Although Clarkston officials were willing to sit back down with the township, any talk of consolidation was a deal-breaker, they said.
‘We had a long discussion about that,? said Councilman Cory Johnston, part of a three-member committee formed to address the issue on Clarkston’s behalf. ‘Since we became a city (in 1992) there hasn’t been a lot of discussion about anything between us and the township. To go back now and consolidate would be ridiculous. We need to start with something smaller.?
Clarkston residents and officials alike have argued that while township does provide services city residents rely on, the city also provides many benefits to the community at little or no cost’Art in the Park, Taste of Clarkston, Concerts in the Park and a number of parades, for example.
Johnston said he favored a study to look at better ways to structure agreements between the two municipalities’in a way that would benefit both parties.
However, an interest expressed by Springfield Township and Clarkston Community School board members at a June 7 Leadership Clarkston meeting may have changed the study’s direction.
‘It is my opinion, and I believe that of the other committee members,? said Johnston on Momday, ‘that if we can make this study benefit more people, and in a greater way, it would be a better use of funds and services offered by Oakland County.?
Johnston said he thought direct involvement of schools and other municipal governments would give the study potential for ‘a truly unique and cooperative effort? and ultimately save more taxpayer money than the original proposal or other previous initiatives.
‘We are now working out exactly what would have the most benefit to everyone,? Johnston said.
It was clear Monday, however, that each entity had individual ideas about defining a ‘benefit?’outside the broad goal of saving money, overall objectives had not been established.
Springfield Township Supervisor Collin Walls said last week he was interested in the possibility of taking part in a study, but noted many questions were yet unanswered.
‘If Clarkston and Independence Township are interested in broadening the scope of their study, or submitting a request for a second study, it would behoove Springfield Township and the schools to sit down and talk to them about it,? said Walls. ‘But before we involve Oakland County or anyone else we need to have representatives narrow the scope so we can mutually agree on what we want to accomplish.?
As written, he said, the application for the feasibility study does not apply to Springfield Township.
‘It’s entirely possible we could be talking about’and maybe we should be talking about’two different studies,? he said.
The first, he said, could involve Clarkston and Independence Township exploring costs for current shared services.
Later, he said, a second study could include Springfield Township and the local school district in a study to look at potential for area-wide collaboration.
Walls said he previously contacted Oakland County officials regarding the possibility of joint purchasing between government, schools, and businesses, but the venture did not come to fruition.
‘There are programs, activities, and services we provide to our taxpayers that we could do more efficiently, or at less cost, or both, by working together,? he said. ‘Taxpayers have a right to expect that the people they place in leadership positions can work together to solve mutual problems without taxing them to death and providing duplicate services.?
Those taxpayers, he said, are seeing reduced or eliminated services and programs as businesses go under and local governments and school districts struggle to cut budgets in careful, creative ways.
Springfield Township is currently working on a program with Rose Township, Holly Township, Groveland Township and the Village of Holly for shared fire service.
Walls described ideas for beginning or increasing cooperation across a broad spectrum of local organizations ‘joint purchasing, combined police, fire and DPW services, and central building maintenance services, for example.
But, he said, 30 years of experience in local government has shown him nothing is accomplished when elected officials and other leaders ignore their true roles.
‘Optimum collaboration can only happen if we forget our parochial interests and the boundary lines that divide us,? said Walls, ‘And look at what we have in common, and what our purpose is’and that’s to serve our residents.?