Free Press: Bloomfield Twp. & Troy Tax Hikes - NO!

Posted: Feb. 21, 2010
Bloomfield Township, Troy: Officials, residents debate merits of proposed tax increases for services
BY GINA DAMRON and KORIE WILKINS
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

Comments (1) Recommend Print E-mail Letter to the editor Share
Facebook Twitter FarkIt Digg Del.icio.us Reddit Newsvine Buzz up!
Single-page viewNext Page1| 2Previous PageCrucial tax increases or scare tactics by financially strapped communities?




This is what voters in Troy and Bloomfield Township will have to decide Tuesday when they vote on millage proposals.
While some residents see the tax hikes as necessary to protecting police, fire and quality of life amenities, others accuse Troy and Bloomfield Township officials of presenting doomsday scenarios to force voters' hands.
Troy officials said if voters don't approve a 5-year, 1.9-mill tax increase, cuts would be made to public safety and some facilities, including the library and nature center, could be shuttered. Likewise, Bloomfield Township officials said there would be several layoffs in police and fire if a 10-year, 1.3-mill increase isn't OK'd.
"They're using scare tactics," said David Eisenbacher, a Troy resident and former city councilman. "The only things that are being targeted are the things that are popular with the residents."
Officials in both communities deny trying to scare voters, asserting that their financial situations are dire.
In Troy, even if the millage passes, city officials have said cuts are still inevitable. City Manager John Szerlag said the city also is considering privatizing services and layoffs. Bloomfield Township cut staff, sought concessions from employees and implemented wage freezes.
If the proposal in Troy passes, residents with houses that have a $103,000 taxable value -- the estimated average for 2010 -- will pay an extra $38 a year in city taxes. But, despite this increase, the average homeowner will see an overall reduction in their total tax bill of $392, city officials said.
Bloomfield Township officials say if the tax increase passes, the average homeowner's taxes are expected to be about $6,964 this year -- a decrease from roughly $7,492 last year. The reason, officials say, is because of an overall decrease in homes' taxable value.
Officials in the communities have published literature about the proposals, which some residents in Troy accused of being less informational and more biased in favor of the millage. Troy also has held several public meetings. And citizen movements for and against the proposals have grown strong financially.

[Page 2 of 2]


The Save Our Services group in Bloomfield Township, proponents of the issue, has collected more than $83,000 in contributions. Roughly a third of the money has been used, according to campaign finance reports.




In Troy, a political group against the proposal -- Troy Citizens United -- has raised $10,000, while proponent committee Keep Troy Safe has collected more than $14,000. Troy Mayor Louise Schilling loaned $3,000 to Keep Troy Safe, of which she is a member.
Peter Treboldi, a Troy resident and treasurer of Keep Troy Safe, said voters have to decide one thing: "What kind of a city do you want to have?"
The answer for Calvin Gilbert, though, is one without tax increases. The 79-year-old, who is against the millage, doesn't think council members will make all of the cuts they've said would be made if the proposal fails.
"They'll find ways to get around it," he said.
Some residents in Bloomfield Township feel the same.
When Paul Stenquist, an 18-year resident, saw snow plow drivers out in his neighborhood after only a dusting of snow, he decided he would vote against the tax increase.
"I figured if they could afford that, there were cuts they could make without raising taxes," said Stenquist, 61, who is part of the Bloomfield Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility -- a group of residents opposed to the millage.
Officials said the township is facing a 12% property value decrease this year. By 2011, the township will have lost $6 million from declining tax revenues. "There's no place else left to cut," said Supervisor David Payne. "These are not idle threats. This is reality."
Payne said township officials have cut 18 staff positions since 2007 and instituted wage freezes.
Contact GINA DAMRON: 586-826-7269 or gdamron@freepress.com

http://www.freep.com/article/20100221/NEWS03/2210475/1001/NEWS/Bloomfield-Township-Troy-Officials-residents-debate-merits-of-proposed-tax-increases-for-services-