The village manager is suggesting the implementation of a Special Assessment District (SAD) system to solve the financial woes of the village. This concept is based on a user or benefactor paying for their share of the service or asset. I’d like to suggest that this philosophy could and should apply to the business district. […]
A guest column by Molly LaLone, Lake Orion DDA executive director What do we need? MORE PARKING! Where do we need it? DOWNTOWN! Who wants it? WE DO! When do we want it? NOW! If there were a cheer squad for downtown matters, this would be the cry heard through downtown Lake Orion, complete with […]
The same people who fought against the waste dumping in our community in the 1970s are now in their retirement years. I remember as a child that they protested against the said dump that is now in Lake Orion. The Palace, home of the Pistons, moved back to Detroit for many reasons, one because of […]
At the April 10, 2023 meeting the Village Manager provided his proposed 2023-2024 budget to the Village of Lake Orion Council. It was not provided to the public, so I requested it. As provided, it does not comply with village charter requirement 8.2 as the document is incomplete, containing NO information about next year’s DDA […]
Well, it’s certainly a sin against humanity and totally unfair for the DDA to take village resident tax money (almost $500,000 a year) away from the village, then forcing an unnecessary council vote on a (proposed) village citizen special tax assessment. “Say it isn’t so” to quote a famous phrase applicable in this case because […]
Lake Orion’s village council meeting April 10 was so dysfunctional. Council members disparaging remarks toward each other and unprofessional posturing not only demonstrates a disrespect for the elected office, but disrespect towards the meeting presenters and attendees. The behavior continued until after 11 p.m. with constant interruptions between council members making it difficult to follow […]
In response to Michael Lamb’s’ letter regarding the Special Assessment policy. It seems it’s a good time to revisit the fact that Lake Orion is undoubtedly doing very well, particularly the downtown, where I dare you to find a parking spot after 5 p.m., or anytime on the weekend, due to the huge influx of […]
Your taxes and water bills are going up. I told you so. Here are key points from the Lake Orion village manager’s proposal to the village council on April 10, 2023. (Agenda Packet page 167) “WHEREAS, the Village of Lake Orion is facing millions of dollars of public improvement needs, including but not limited to […]
Last Monday, a very courageous village council member stepped up to the podium at the village council meeting and put on a presentation that told the painful truth of the extremely poor financial condition the Village of Lake Orion has found itself in. Despite the current real estate boom the village coffers are nearly empty. […]
It is three weeks after Sunshine Week, an annual event to promote open government. No one in the Village of Lake Orion government participated. In the Village of Lake Orion, Freedom of information Act (FOIA) requests are denied because what should be readily available government information does not exist. The village manager said it was […]