Harrison Township

Harrison Township to ask for one-year millage renewal

By Sarah Cormier
C & G Staff Writer

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — After much debate, officials in Harrison Township voted 4-3 to put a one-year millage renewal on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.

Residents will be asked to renew a one-year, 6.6876 millage that would help pay for general operations in the township for 2011. The millage rate is not an increase from what residents currently pay. The millage was last renewed for one year by a vote of the public in November 2009.

The debate in Harrison Township at the Aug. 23 meeting when the measure was approved wasn’t whether to ask residents for a millage renewal. Due to the poor financial climate, that’s a given. But officials had a difficult time deciding how long the millage should last — one or two years.

Township Treasurer Darrin York, Clerk Jan Jorgensen and Trustee Larry Tomenello, all of whom voted against the measure, thought the township should ask for a two-year millage. By doing so, it would force the township to look at making cuts instead of asking residents for more money. The three also believed that by asking for just a one-year millage, the other officials were planning on asking for a millage increase in 2011.

“We either buckle down more and make the necessary changes we need to … that’s what we are going to have to do,” said Jorgensen.

However, the rest of the board felt that with how rocky the economy is, it would be impossible for the board to predict a year from now what kind of millage it would need to put on the ballot.

“For us to go out two years with the radical swings … we’ve seen in the two years since we’ve been on the board, I think would not make sense at this point,” said Trustee Ken Verkest.

Harrison Township Supervisor Anthony Forlini said changes in property values, health care, state revenue sharing and union contract negotiations are just a few of the things that play a factor in how the budget for the next few years will pan out.

“To go out very far in the future would be irresponsible,” he said.

Trustee Jack Swiatkowski said it was silly on the part of other board members to think that there would be enough money saved from union negotiations and other cuts to fix the budget.

“Can we achieve all the cuts we need through contract negotiations?” he said. “I don’t believe that will take place.”

Forlini said residents should know officials are trying to muddle through what he called a “horrible” budget process this year.

“We are working very hard to make this work,” he said.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Sarah Cormier at scormier@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1095.