Independence Township voters will decide the fate of two millage renewal requests on the August primary ballot.
Independence Township is seeking a four-year, 0.6910 mill renewal for the library. During the first year, the millage will collect an estimated $1,138,529.
According to Township Treasurer Jim Wenger, the millage was last renewed in 2002. The request at that time included a 0.07 mill increase to bring the total to 0.6993.
The proposed millage is affected by Headlee rollback and does not include any additional funding request.
Friends of the Independence Township Library recently held a drive, ‘Renewable Resource: Independence Township Library,? in favor of the millage. At the Fourth of July festivities, volunteers passed out balloons, bookmarks and memo pads.
According to material provided at the event, the millage accounts for 87 percent of the library’s budget. The township finance department confirmed this information.
The township is also seeking a four-year, 2.0547 mill renewal, after Headlee rollback, for police services. In the first year, $3,385,434 is the amount estimated for collection. According to Wenger, this millage was also last renewed in 2002 for 2.5641 mills and did not include any additional amounts at that time.
‘Actually, we have never levied the full amount of this millage,? said Wenger. ‘We go by the budget for the year and levy the amount needed, which could be up to the full amount.?
Independence Township contracts police services through the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
Wenger emphasized a state requirement for the ballot language which may cause confusion for some voters. He stated the ballot language includes the phrase ‘be increased? when referring to the millages.
However, Wenger emphasized these are not increases in the millages. In fact, due to Headlee rollback, both millages are less than during the previous four years.
‘The state required us to use that language because the millages are technically new,? said Wenger. ‘We only have them approved for four years, which means at the end of four years they are done. Even though we are not increasing the amount and this is a continuation, they are, in the state’s eyes, new taxes.?
Anyone with questions concerning the August 8 election in Independence Township can contact the elections department at 248-625-5111.