Some residents will see fees on their summer tax bills
By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
LAKE ORION — The Lake Orion Village Council approved two budget amendments and supplemental appropriations for the village’s sidewalk improvement program on June 23.
The amendments provide funds to cover the 2025 sidewalk improvement program’s district one project, according to village documents.
The improvements will be completed before June 30, which requires the village’s general fund to cover the costs of the project until special assessments are collected on residents’ summer tax bills.
“That’s to make sure that our new sidewalk improvement fund does not end up in a deficit situation, which the Michigan Department of Treasury would not look favorably on,” Village Manager Darwin McClary said.
The project will be paid by special assessment, and the special assessments will be placed on the village’s tax roll for collection. McClary said in May that the revised special assessment roll is based on the unit prices contained in the bid.
The first amendment provides for a $22,504 supplemental transfer to the program’s fund for the district one project, while the second provides for a supplemental revenue transfer worth $22,504 from the general fund to the sidewalk improvement fund. The supplemental appropriation moves $22,504 to the contractual services account for the program’s district one project.
“Over the summer months, we will be collecting the special assessments from property owners in district one for their share of the project,” McClary said, adding the village will collect around $15,000 in special assessments that will go back into the sidewalk improvement fund.
“The village will be able to use those funds to then defray the village’s share of future costs of sidewalk improvements,” McClary said.
Balances not paid in full in the first year will be subject to 6% interest rates for each year thereafter. Property owners may pay their assessments in full by the 2025 summer tax due date and incur no interest costs, and opt out of the program by notifying the village.
McClary said district one’s work is “preliminary” finished, but there are some parts of the work that need to be corrected.
One resident who spoke during public comment said a tree near the Ehman Center was not properly removed before work was completed. Public Works Director Wesley Sanchez said the tree is on the contractor’s list to fix.
District one includes sidewalks on Church Street between Broadway and Lapeer Street on the south side of the road, to sidewalks on Hauxwell Street from Flint Street on both sides of the road all the way north, to sidewalks on North Slater Street from Jackson Street to Church Street on the east side of the road, to sidewalks on Washington Street from Shadbolt Street to Jackson Street on the east side of the road, and to sidewalks on Florence Street from Flint Street north into Blanche Sims Elementary School.