Although Orion Township board members felt it was important to give the public another opportunity to speak on a proposed millage for the parks and recreation department, officials only heard from one resident during a public hearing, held at the June 7 board of trustees meeting.
Parks and recreation advisory committee member Joe Bird made a presentation to the board in support of the millage prior to the hearing.
‘I firmly believe this is the right thing to do, and the right time to do it,? he said, adding that the committee hoped to see a proposal for a millage of .75 mill, for five years, placed on the November 2004 ballot.
According to Bird, several studies had shown the committee that residents looked for good parks and recreation opportunities when choosing a community. Such opportunities also raised the values of homes in the community.
‘Budgetary restraints have made it difficult for parks and recreation to provide consistent programming,? he said. ‘The board currently funds (parks and recreation) at $600,000 a year. It’s not the intention of this recommendation to have both the millage and this continued level of funding.?
Bird believes potential residents looked less at the structure of government (is the community a township or city) and more at recreation opportunities and other things when choosing a place to live.
‘In the four years since the (2000) census, Orion has probably (outgrown) Independence,? he said. ‘Orion has four full-time parks and recreation staff…The department has done a great deal with very little.?
Bird said of the operating budgets for parks and recreation in surrounding communities, Orion’s was one of the lowest although the community was growing to be one of the largest.
‘Two of the surrounding communities have millages (for parks and recreation),? he said. ‘The minimum millage is .725 mill…A relative percentage of the dollars spent on residents in Orion pales in comparison (to the surrounding communities).?
The placement of .75 mill on the November ballot would collect an estimated $1, 164, 180 for parks and recreation in the first year.
‘Our main goal is to use that for our $1.5 million in capital improvements already submitted in our (master) plan,? Bird said.
Projects parks and recreation plans to put millage funding towards include: A skate park, more athletic fields for baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse, improvements to existing basketball courts, an amphitheater at Civic Center Park (Joslyn Road), additional basketball courts, additional restrooms, restrooms at the amphitheater and ball fields, and increased parks and recreation programming.
‘I imagine the citizens would be very concerned for allocating more tax dollars when there’s money already in the budget,? Bird said, adding that the committee had some suggestions for how the township could spend the $600,000 that would be added to the general fund if the millage was approved.
‘Buy open space, increase funding for the senior center, and add additional Civic Center parking,? he said. ‘In the current economic climate, the thought of spending additional tax dollars on a ‘luxury? item may be questionable…But parks and recreation is not a ‘luxury.?
‘It may cost a few dollars more…but the net affect to everyone will be to increase their property values.?
Miller Road resident Jim Delavan spoke at the public hearing, opposing the millage proposal.
‘I don’t see at this time why we should be asking for a millage,? he said. ‘Not everyone uses parks and recreation…it’s not fair to people who don’t use it.?
Delavan suggested that perhaps the township should look into a ‘private country club,? if they wanted extra parks and recreation opportunities.
‘A lot of the people won’t be using it,? he said. ‘And wouldn’t be happy to part with the extra tax money, as it stands…People are out of jobs right now. This is something to take to consideration.
‘We have a surplus, let’s use it wisely, and not be digging into other people’s pockets,? Delavan said.
Saturn resident and Lake Orion Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel was unable to attend the public hearing, but sent a letter to be read into the record instead.
She said she was concerned that village residents would be asked to support a parks and recreation millage for the township, to whom they also pay taxes, to increase recreational opportunities that might not include them.
‘There are no facilities in the eastern half of the township, other than the Paint Creek Trail,? she said in the letter. ‘There are none planned…the village has six, and four of them are used by township residents as well as village residents.?
Van Tassel said the closest township facility is four miles from the village, while the village had facilities a half mile from township residents.
‘If the millage proposal will not include (village residents), I will encourage village residents to vote against the parks and recreation millage,? she said.
Van Tassel encouraged the township board to consider entering into an agreement with the village to share the parks and recreation millage.
‘To me, it’s only a matter of fairness,? Van Tassel wrote.
Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk said the board had until Aug. 10 to decide if they wanted the proposal to go on the Nov. 20 ballot.
‘Maybe we should take some time to digest,? he said.
‘I guess I’m somewhat disappointed we didn’t have more public comment,? said clerk Jill Bastian. ‘There are several options…it doesn’t have to be a huge burden to the taxpayers.
Bastian said although the board couldn’t come out as for or against a ballot proposal, there should be some type of support group rallying the community.
‘Sometimes they start working on a proposal two-three years before it’s on the ballot,? she said.
The board will continue discussion on the millage at their June 21 board meeting.