My no vote on the police and fire millages is not out of disrespect for those brave people who serve our community, but is out of disrespect for the administrators of both departments and our township board.

My reasons are as follows:

1. In each millage, your elected administration has combined both a renewal and an increase in one proposal which I feel should be separate proposals. Also, the language in the fire proposal is so ambiguous (which I believe is on purpose) that most voters won’t realize what they are voting for. The proposals represent a 56 percent increase in the current fire millage, and a 20.6 percent increase in the current police millage. This comes at a time where many residents are in financial difficulty due to COVID-19. Also, the timing of these proposals when the quarantine has prevented public hearings is suspect.

2. The township board always relates low crime figures to the police funding, but I believe it is a reflection of the good character of the majority of the township residents.

3. In reviewing the weekly crime report in the Lake Orion Review, it appears a significant number of incidents are by nonresidents and are also related to businesses (latest example is the Chipotle incident). I believe most residents are unaware that the township board created the Orion Township Corridor Improvement Authority for the Brown/Baldwin projects and they are keeping 50 percent of new development tax revenues to be spent only in those areas. I believe this development will create a greater need for police and fire services, so why shouldn’t the board fund the required increases from this 50 percent windfall.

4. A no vote will result in the township board placing another millage request on the November ballot, which will allow time for public hearings and hopefully separate ballot requests for renewals and increases.

Finally, please join with me in boycotting voting for local officials in the primary election (there is no choice) to express to them the disrespect they have shown Orion Township citizens in the way they have presented these millage proposals.

Thomas Sanna

Orion Twp.