By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
The conclusions of a closed session were clear: The Village of Lake Orion is in agreement with Orion Township to proceed with a one-year police millage contract.
Council members directed village attorney Jennifer Hill to make some minor changes to an agreement devised by township attorney Dan Kelly which the township board will review Monday.
“The language they submitted to us is acceptable, we’re just asking for some changes to the intergovernmental agreement to clarify this is a one-year millage and after that one year the township will no longer levy their police millage in the village,” Village Manager Darwin McClary said.
“We’re interested in seeing what happens Monday.”
If the township board approves the revisions, and the overall one-year police millage agreement, the township would levy the 2.9885 police millage in the village in December of this year. Monies would be received by the village in April 2017 to cover the village fiscal year of July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017.
After the one year, the village would be required to levy their own police millage. Voters could expect to see that ballot question on the November 2016 ballot, or the May 2017 ballot.
McClary said he does not foresee any change to the millage rate.
“I don’t want to predict what council will decide, but my recommendation to the council would be that the millage rate stays what it is under the township millage, the 2.8895 mills.”
McClary said that technically both entities have until August to work out the details but that the village was on board with creating their own millage, and timing is important to both communities.
The township will have the option of approving the changes, and overall agreement, Monday. If the township rejects the overall agreement, the village would have until May 10 to submit ballot language to Oakland County to be on the August ballot.
Because the fiscal years for the township and village start at different times, this could result in about a $267,000 loss of village tax dollars that fund an over-$800,000 Lake Orion Police Department budget.
“I am pleased that the elected officials in the village are working with the elected officials in the township to find an agreement. The issue before us is much too important for us not to get it right,” Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh said. “For over 24 years village and township voters have come to the ballot box to consider joint ballot language to support funding of police services in the village and township.”
Narsh said each community has a duty to educate voters about the importance of public safety, and a responsibility to find a separation of that 24-year-old path.
“Village voters supported a renewal 100 percent of that time, and I am pleased with that record, and find comfort in knowing that voters in the village and the township support public safety,” he said.