By Jim Newell

Review Editor

The Lake Orion Village Council will hold two Truth in Taxation public hearings and a public hearing on the proposed 2022-23 fiscal year budget during its May 9 meeting to hear residents’ input.

The Truth in Taxation hearings – one for the General Operating tax millage rate and the other for the Police and Override tax millage rate – are at 7:30 p.m. in council chambers at Lake Orion Village Hall, 21 E. Church St.

The proposed 2022-23 fiscal year budget is available for review on the village’s website, lakeorion.org, or at the office of the village clerk in Village Hall. The village’s fiscal year runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

The Truth in Taxation format is prescribed by State Law to highlight the added revenues with the 2022 taxable value increases. The net increase is in part based on the increased taxable value (TV) that is limited and capped by the Headlee Amendment to the Consumer Price Index, which as 3.3 percent for this year, said village Manager Joe Young.

Young added that residents will not see an increase in their tax rate; but will likely see an increase in their taxes because the property values in the village increased, Young said.

The current village tax rates total 12.6756 mills (per $1,000 Taxable Value for a home) for General Operating (9.7844 mills) and Police Fund (2.6899 mills) and Police Override (.2013 mills) are to remain the same millage rate for this proposed budget, Young told the council.

The village property taxes for a home with a $100,000 taxable value would be $1,267.56 or $105.63 a month for our local police department, our own public works department, parks, general government and other services, he said.

Property values in the village have increased almost six percent, Young said, adding that he just received the updated property tax values from the county.

During the council meeting on Monday, Young asked the council to schedule two more budget work sessions before presenting the budget to the council in May.

The council will hold budget work sessions beginning at 6:30 p.m. April 18 and April 20 at Lake Orion Village Hall. The work sessions are open to the public to attend but are not televised or streamed online.

The budget includes three new full time positions: a new full time police officer, a full time operator/laborer for the DPW and consolidating the zoning and planning and code enforcement positions into a full time position.

The council is also expected to discuss financing upcoming infrastructure projects – phases 3 and 4 of the water main replacement project, road repairs, lift stations and the Paint Creek Bank Stabilization project – that will likely exceed $20 million in costs.

“There are several things going on and several things that still need to be done,” Young said. “We’re hoping to get grants to pay off some of our existing bond issues. One thing about grants: many of them have matching components.”

For example, if the village received a $500,000 grant, they might have to “match” 10 percent, or even 20 percent of the grant – $50,000 to $100,000.

The village could sell $3.9 million in bonds “today” council members said. The village did bond $6.1 million for the first two phases of the water main replacement project.

Also at the meeting:

Young informed the council that LIV cannabis has indicated that the company would be willing to fund the trolley between Lake Orion and Oxford for the 2022-23 fiscal year.

The trolley runs from 4-9 p.m. on Thursdays and noon-9 p.m. on Saturdays between downtown Oxford and downtown Lake Orion and is part of the two communities’ “Stronger Together” campaign.

LIV cannabis, 453. S. Broadway St., retail is expected to open soon in the building formerly occupied by Broadway Grill.

Online: livcannabis.com/lake-orion.