Public safety millage renewal on August ballot

By Lisa Brody

Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved placing a millage renewal for public safety on the August 6 primary ballot at their meeting on Wednesday, April 24, for an expiring public safety millage of .6474 mills.

Township treasurer Michael Schostak explained Bloomfield Township has three millages for public safety, and the one expiring in 2025 is the smallest of three, representing 10 percent of the total tax revenue captured for public safety. He assured the board and residents there would be no increase in taxes whatsoever; in fact, when first levied, the millage was 1.0 mills, but due to Headlee rollbacks, it is now at .6474 mills, and the new millage renewal requests an authorization of that levy. The township continues to require dedicated taxes for police, fire and public safety protection.

The last collection of the current public safety millage is December 2025, with the first collection of the new millage in December 2026. The millage is for 10 years, and it would generate $4 million in its first year.

“We are asking for the renewal now because we want to get ahead of it and put it on a regularly scheduled election rather than hold a special election,” Schostak explained. “The renewal is at the rolled back rate.”

The language for the approved ballot language reads as:

Shall the Charter Township of Bloomfield renew and continue to levy the voter authorized public safety tax levy of .6474 mills, due to expire in 2026, authorizing a levy of $.6474 per $1,000 of taxable value to finance the Charter Township of Bloomfield’s continued providing of fire, police and public safety protection, for a period of 10 years, with the renewed millage to be levied commencing in December 2026. This renewal public safety millage will be subject to applicable statutory and constitutional tax limitation provisions at the time of the levy and will not exceed the above stated rate. It is estimated that this proposal would result in the authorization to collect $4,000,000 in the first year if approved and fully levied. Shall this proposal be adopted?