Clinton Township board receives favorable audit opinion

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The Clinton Township Board of Trustees received and filed another “unmodified” audit for its 2024-25 fiscal year.

Delivered by a team from Plante Moran at the Sept. 22 board meeting, certified public accountant Ali Hijazi issued the township “clean, unmodified opinions on both the financial statements as well as (the township’s) compliance with federal grant programs.

“(An unmodified opinion) is the highest level of assurance we can issue on these audits,” Hijazi said. “It means you complied with your grant program (and) your financial statements are presented in accordance with the accounting principles.”

The audit upholds the information of the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2025, which shows a steady slight decline in general fund revenue as well as expenditures over the rest of the decade, among other details.

 

Public safety funding
Trustees approved two measures regarding funding for township public safety departments. First, trustees approved renewing the police and fire special assessment millage at 5 mills for the Police Department and 4 mills for the Fire Department from real property as well as 2.5 and 2 mills respectively from industrial facility real property. The combined assessments will raise over $35 million between the two departments.

Trustees then approved budget amendments for the Police Department. The department requested $15,444 spread across $3,000 in part-time salaries and $12,444 in costs related to the police academy. Of that, $9,100 will be reimbursed through the state of Michigan’s public safety academy assistance appropriation funds. The funds from the amendment will cover the cost of two police academy candidates.

Trustee Julie Matuzak was curious if providing township funds to academy candidates would allow the township to compel said candidates to remain with the township Police Department, which is something Capt. Anthony Coppola said the department is working on.

“We’re working with our human resources department to establish some protocol that, in a certain period of time if an individual decides to seek employment elsewhere, they’re responsible for 100% reimbursement to the township,” Coppola said. “If they stay for a couple years it’s 75% … We’re working hard to make sure they stay with us and we stay competitive in our arena.”

 

George George Park projects
Trustees also approved steps for two projects at George George Park, located along Moravian Drive.

First, trustees approved an application for a Transportation Alternatives Program grant from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments in order to rehabilitate pathways as well as the bridges spanning the Clinton River and Harrington Drain. The project, estimated to cost $2.5 million with $500,000 in township-matched construction funding, aims to bring the bridges and pathways up to current accessibility and federal nonmotorized size standards.

Trustees then approved a $300,000 contract — in township-provided funds — with Utica-based Beninati Pools to rehabilitate the fountain at the park. According to a letter from the Department of Public Services, Jim George had pledged to cover all costs over $300,000 so long as Beninati Pools was awarded a non-bid contract for the work (Beninati Pools constructed the fountain) and that permit fees would be waived for the project. Trustee Dan Kress expressed skepticism about awarding a non-bid contract for the work. Kress and Trustee Shannon King ultimately voted “no” on the matter.