Oxford residents aren’t too happy about paying extra taxes this winter to help fix a leaky dam, and they want the Oakland County Drain Commissioner’s Office (OCDC) to know just how mad they are.
At last Wednesday’s Oxford Township Board of Trustees meeting, a room full of residents affected by the Oxford Multi-Lakes Dam, located off W. Drahner Rd., attended to voice their concern.
According to the OCDC, 642 Oxford residents on the ‘Stringy Lakes? may have to fork out about $178,000 in taxes next February instead of the usual $6,100.
Pam Phelps, who owns a 5-acre island and 6-acres along the waterfront, was greatly concerned on how much this project would cost her.
‘Will there be a cap on this expense or are we going to pay by the foot as well, because that would be just unbelievable,? she told the board. ‘This is, for me, totally unaffordable.?
Because the dam is located in a special assessment district, residents are responsible to pay for regular operation and maintenance.
But Bill Daneluk, like many other residents, wanted a breakdown of where the $6,100 they usually pay for operation and maintenance has been going to and why that money wasn’t used when the leak first occurred a while back.
Julie Bocquet, a resident on Squaw Lake, agreed with Daneluk.
‘The drain commissioner’s office, who we have trusted to take care of our dam, has obviously not taken care of it, is not being held accountable and is expecting us to foot the bill and to trust their judgement,? she told the crowd.
Because the board couldn’t answer the residents? many questions and address their concerns, Treasurer Joe Ferrari made a motion, which was approved 6-0, to have Oakland County Commissioner Brad Jacobsen (R-Oxford) talk to the OCDC on behalf of the township about holding a public hearing after the bids for the project come in Oct. 24.
At press time, there hadn’t been a response from the OCDC regarding a public hearing.
Jacobsen, who lives on Tan Lake and will be assessed the extra tax, told the board he’s been ‘having constant conversation? with the county treasurer and executive offices and the OCDC trying to find a way to get rid of the one lump-sum payment.
As mentioned in last week’s Leader, the OCDC claims they do not have a large pot of money where they can pay all of the contractors up front for the project, thus needing the taxpayers to do so.
‘Overall, it doesn’t look good for spreading this over time,? Jacobsen said.
To help lessen the blow of the extra taxes this winter, Jacobsen suggested residents send extra money with their monthly mortgage payment with a note to roll the extra money it into their escrow account for this one-time fee.
Keep reading The Leader for more up-to-date information about the ongoing dam issues.