TRAVERSE CITY — A city commissioner's quest for lower taxes next year won't be realized, and residents will see a minor increase over this year's levy.
The city is close to finalizing its 2010-11 budget, and residents' total levy will increase about 0.38 mills over 2009-10, thanks to a dedicated police and fire pension millage.
That means an increased tax of about $28, based on an average residential property taxable value of $75,351.
Commissioner Mike Gillman in recent months pushed to see the city lower its millage rate. The city stands to be more competitive in attracting business and residents if it lowers its tax burden, he figured.
But City Manager Ben Bifoss said a lower millage could have jeopardized commissioners' plans to spend a hefty $1 million on infrastructure next year, so Gillman abandoned the idea.
"I reluctantly gave up this year the millage decrease idea, but I have not given it up as a long-range goal," he said.
Gillman also was behind a proposal to guarantee at least $1 million in infrastructure spending a year for the next 15 years. A lower millage would have damaged the infrastructure plan within the confines of next year's budget, but Gillman believes it's possible in coming years to both lower taxes and maintain infrastructure spending.
The solution: Find savings elsewhere. Gillman was a member of the Citizen's Operational and Financial Analysis Committee, or COFAC, a local citizens group formed in 2007 to examine city finances.
Among COFAC's ideas was orchestrating savings by merging the city's fire or police forces with neighboring departments. Gillman, part of a growing chorus of residents calling for a change in police and fire structure, thinks it's something that needs to be explored.
"I think it's obvious that the (potential savings) are in the public safety arena," he said.
Bifoss couldn't say what will happen with police and fire in the near future. As for a tax reduction, he said commissioners could cut the city's millage in half, if they wanted. Reductions are always possible, but are tied to service.
"We could operate on half the levy, but there'd be half as much activity going on," he said. "It's just a matter of what level of service people want ... Could we (cut the millage)? Absolutely. Could it affect services? Absolutely."
Region
Levy to increase .38 mills
City is close to finalizing budget for 2010-2011
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Possible millage for TC schools
Traverse City Area Public Schools could ask voters this fall for millions to upgrade several aging schools and facilities.
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Benzie Sheriff candidate reprimanded at work
A candidate for Benzie County sheriff received multiple reprimands for inappropriate behavior at his high school job, but contends he’s still the best man for the law enforcement post.
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Spelling bee competitor goes out with a bang
Jack Pasche misspelled “idiosyncratically,” but he certainly knew how to act it out.
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Police arrest two in separate assaults
The Traverse City Police Department responded Sunday to a reported assault at a home on Leeward Court. A 38-year-old man told officers that his girlfriend, 39, punched him in the eye. He suffered a facial fracture requiring additional treatment.
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Boaters' safety class to be held
The class will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 2 at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center. To register, call the department's marine division at (231) 922-2112.
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Audit preparations for TCL&P begin
Consultants have until mid-June to submit plans for how they would conduct a Traverse City Light & Power audit.
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Man charged with more crimes
James Anthony Simpson, 26, of Traverse City, is charged with third-degree home invasion, larceny in a building and malicious destruction of a building after a May 15 incident at a Garfield Township residence.
Continued ... - Wednesday, May 30, 2012
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Housing project 'moving forward'
Traverse City commissioners recently approved what officials expect to be the last change in long-running negotiations to sell city property near the former railroad depot off Eighth Street to two affordable housing agencies.
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Septic tank tax appears inevitable
A $30 to $40 yearly tax assessment on properties with septic tanks in Grand Traverse County and Leelanau's Elmwood Township appears inevitable.
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DEQ seeks public input on Brown Bridge Dam removal
The state Department of Environmental Quality seeks public comment on Traverse City's request for a permit to remove Brown Bridge Dam and restore three miles of Boardman River channel.
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Man charged in Crystal Lake incident
A downstate man who attempted to evade authorities by jumping into Crystal Lake spent his Memorial Day weekend in jail.
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Traverse City to expand TC Saves energy program
The city is expanding a program designed to help residents save on their energy bills.
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Elk Lake boat launch closed for repairs
The Elk Lake boat launch located three miles south of Kewadin is temporarily closed for repairs.
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Suspect arrested in parking meter thefts
Police arrested a man they said stole parking meters in Traverse City.
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TC Central, West on another 'best' list
Two Traverse City high schools made another national list of the best in the country.
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Traverse City man faces theft charge
A Traverse City man faces a criminal charge after police believe he stole cash and other items from a friend's parents.
Continued ... - Tuesday, May 29, 2012
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Video: 'Taps' at Memorial Day service at Oakwood Cemetery
An excerpt of horn player Don Sattler and drummer David Sattler performing "Taps" at the conclusion of the Memorial Day service at Traverse City's Oakwood Cemetery on Monday, May. 28, 2012.
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Memorial Day: Traverse City honors heroes
A Memorial Day ceremony included a recitation of the Gettysburg Address, a rifle salute, the playing of "Taps" and a speech from Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners Chairman Larry Inman.
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Get to work without using your car
- Monday, May 28, 2012
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City to discontinue spring cleanup
City crews will stop collecting residents' clutter each spring.
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Terry Wooten: WWII soldier's story told in poems
Jack Miller, a survivor of the Bataan Death March and a POW during World War II, won't be in any Memorial Day parades today.
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Remembering the fallen veterans
Below is a list of military veterans from the region who died during the past year (May 28, 2011, through May 25, 2012).
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Memorial Day events
A roundup of Memorial Day-related events in northern Michigan:
Continued ... - Sunday, May 27, 2012
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Travel season begins
Tourism analysts at Michigan State University project a 3 percent increase in Michigan travel volume this year.
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Restored cemetery to be honored on Memorial Day
The "Old Ones" buried in the once-overgrown and abandoned Onominese Indian Cemetery near Northport will be honored in a Memorial Day service and traditional re-dedication ceremony.
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