The Nov. 7 vote regarding the DDA is not to eliminate the DDA, but to change the funding structure of the DDA. The DDA currently receives $500,000 a year in Village of Lake Orion tax dollars.
The vote is to return the tax dollars the DDA currently receives from the village residents back to being directly available for the use of village infrastructure maintenance and repairs.
The residents who signed the petition, not once but twice, in order to get this on the ballot, have legitimate concerns about the basic infrastructure needs of the village. There are many roads in need of repair, the pump stations on the islands are outdated, and the water main project remains unfinished.
It is my understanding that the village does not have the funds to pay for these projects. Isn’t that the purpose of our taxes, to pay for public services? Our village needs to be maintained.
The DDA can be funded in other ways, such as grants, fundraising, or a smaller tax capture area, possibly from the area being served, the business district.

Lori Pesci
Lake Orion