An open letter to the Village Council and DDA Board,
The dreadful lumberyard plan that has been promoted by the DDA with taxpayer funds, is not really the plan for the lumberyard property and they don’t have a budget to do any of it.
The DDA has budgeted $250,000 to get this far. They may have spent more, but when asked, they did not say.
There are insufficient funds in the recently approved preliminary DDA budget to pay the bond. At least $200,000, possibly $400,000 or more in DDA activities and services will need to be cut. This budget is in the information for the February 21, 2023 DDA meeting for all to read.
The requested $5 million bond is the maximum amount the DDA can ask for. It has no documented relationship to the lumberyard project costs. The bond will cost the taxpayers almost $7 million over the next 18 years. If costs increase, the DDA will have to cut more services to pay the bill. Currently, this is all money from the taxpayers in the DDA tax district.
The public has never been able to vote for or against having a DDA and it seems the Village Council and Administration want to make sure we never do.
The public does not elect or vote for the members of the DDA Board and has no say on how they spend almost $1,000,000 in taxpayer funds every year.
For reasons I cannot comprehend, there are many people that think this is all wonderful.
The Committee for a Better Lake Orion is forming to address these and many other issues in the village. It is time for our village officials to act responsibly.
Cory Johnston
Village of Lake Orion
The Devil is in the Details – Takeaways from the May 7 DDA Lumberyard Presentation added by mmkelley on
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To all readers, the new sight in Goodison on Orion rd IS NOT a BOAT Launch, it is Get ON- GET OFF parking area for the POLLEY ANN TRAIL, sorry about the MISINFO
Way to go J E looks like there might just be a CHAT, THOUGHT, COLUMN started hear and I say, WAY too GO, ITS YOUR MONEY speak up, KEEP IT UP until they lission (VILLAGE COUNCIL, DDA, PLANNING COM, EPA(no retention pool for surface water from village streets going into Paint Creek, a DNR trout stream) +DNR putting new boat launch on Paint Creek, ever wonder WHY the DNR had old damm at RUdd’s Mill removed to better the TROUT fishing?? you bet that was the reason, it was removed (stone,concrete, to clear path for footings for NEW LEG of POLLY ANN FOOT TRAIL across P.C. and connect to main path (good ol boys club at work????) Lets go readers, READ IT and comment, you know you can do it with 3100 res. in the Village AND free REVIEW, lots of room for NEW PRINT
No one is listening Cory. No one hears you or cares. The Village Council who hasn’t earned their position in the Village by any other way but name recognition is the first to show they don’t. To sit and have residents voice opinions and concerns week after week and disregard them part and parcel should show everyone of us what is obvious, there is not enough knowledge or consideration for us.
No one in the village has suggested a better way to handle the the distrust the residents voice. I love my neighbors and town but boy this isn’t going to last long , is it?