Once upon a time there was a sleepy village on the shores of Lake Orion where living was a vacation.
That all changed in 1985 when a well-meaning force at the time, the Downtown Development Authority, asserted itself into the politics of the village. The DDA now takes nearly $500,000 of citizens’ taxes yearly.
During the early years the DDA helped the businesses grow much stronger and all seemed good but as its power began to grow stronger it took more and more tax money away from the village.
Taxes are the lifeblood of any village, helping maintain its roads, sewers and water systems and not having to use special citizen taxations.
Instead of the village getting stronger, the DDA used nearly $1 million each year to spend on only the businesses of the downtown area and zero on the citizens of the village. From 1985 to today, the DDA has taken millions in taxes away from the village.
Thus, the village is now proposing to levy special assessments to increase taxes to operate.
To right this grievous wrong, a responsible group of village citizens have put together a petition to correct this injustice to the village and its low operating funds.
The petition will stop all taxes from going to the DDA when enough village citizen signatures are obtained and it is made law. The complete stoppage is necessary by law. We can be sure the DDA will fight this petition but it is clearly in the right.
Only then will the petition committee help the DDA recover the taxes taken away from the businesses so the DDA can continue to render aid to businesses.
Of course, the council could immediately vote to adopt the provisions of the petition which would automatically correct the problem.
Sign the Petition as soon as possible to get the wrong finally righted.
Fred Fleming
Lake Orion
A Petition for Justice added by mmkelley on
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@F.F. just a thought, the DDA came into being by a VOTE of the VILLAGE COUNCIL, not by a VOTE of the residents of the Village, SO it seams to be a problem OF and for the COUNCIL to FIX as the people had-have NO SAY they got/get NO VOTE as to what, where, how, the MONIES are SPENT/USED they the RES. of the VILLAGE only get pay the tab to the tune of a MILLION as THEY see fit with NO answers to the PEOPLE JUST PETITIONS waiting to be verified (for what?) how can you change/ fix what you did not OK? (the house has been built, TIME to REMODEL) this is the VILLAGE COUNCIL mess to fix. To meany QUESTIONABLES’ seating in on to many COMMISSION’S (conflict of of interests) business, and other local governmental intrusion.
Fred, just checking as to WHY a NEW PETITION needs to be signed, when the VILLAGE has said in one of their statements that they ALREADY have a petition in hand and are WAITING to get it verified. With 3100 res. in the village limits that does not sound like a world ending problem, but just log it in as just another SPEED BUMP.
How and where do we find such a petition? I am absolutely floored at the power the DDA has to make major development decisions on behalf of Lake Orion residents, including the five-million-dollar bond proposal, the 24K spent for “plans” for a property the city doesn’t even own, and for the plans themselves. Why are we buying the lumbar yard? Who will pay the taxes on that property, who will manage the new “multi-use” retail space, etc. Let me know where I can sign, please!