Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The absence of a public comment period makes many Woods residents angry at last night's Town Hall.
The Grosse Pointe Woods Town Hall meeting began with City Treasurer DeeAnn Irby giving a presentation that outlined the tax increase proposals that residents will see on the November ballot. The Proposals The city is asking residents to approve two millage increases in two separate proposals: Each mill equals about $600,000 in revenue for the city. For a property owner, a mill is equal to 1/1000th of a dollar so for every $1,000 of taxable value a property owner pays $1 in property tax. For a home with a taxable value of $100,000, homeowners would pay $185 annually for the first millage request and $214 annually for the second millage request. The council could have approved a 0.4 mill increase without voter approval, but instead decided …
Monday, September 24, 2012
Grosse Pointe Woods to Hold Town Hall Meeting Tonight to Discuss Proposed Tax Increases.
Here are the highlights of what's happening this week in the Grosse Pointes: 1. Tonight, the Grosse Pointe Woods City Council is holding an informational Town Hall meeting in the Community Center to discuss the 2012 Millage Proposal Overview at 7:00 p.m. and again at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27. On November 6, 2012, Grosse Pointe Woods voters will be asked to consider two millage proposals: 2. According to the Grosse Pointe Park city website, tonight’s council meeting has been rescheduled for a date to be determined. 3. The Grosse Pointe Public School System Board will meet tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Brownell Middle School. According to the agenda, the board will take action on the following among other items: 4. Kick-off fall in style…
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Grosse Pointe Woods officials will host one nighttime and one daytime town hall for residents to review the tax millage increases being requested for approval by voters in November.
After approving final ballot language for two millage increases in Grosse Pointe Woods that must be voter-approved in November, officials have set two town-hall style meetings intended to provide residents with information. Setting the town hall meetings came with some discussion about whether council should be present, the need for multiple meetings versus just one and some concern about the turnout related to opposition. Ultimately, the council decided during a Committee of the Whole meeting that two informational sessions--one at night and one during the day--would suffice. City employees will be presenting basic information about the millage requests and answer questions of residents. The first town hall meeting is scheduled for …
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Following about 90 minutes of public comment against the 2012/13 proposed budget, the Grosse Pointe Woods city council approved it unanimously without discussion Monday.
One after another, residents of Grosse Pointe Woods took the podium Monday to detail why they oppose the proposed budget and requested the council do more to make appropriate cuts. Their comments took about 90 minutes in total and then in less than two minutes, the council unanimously approved the $12.2 million 2012/13 fiscal year budget. The vote did not include Vicki Granger, who was excused from the meeting after alerting the mayor earlier in the day that she would be late or not in attendance at all. The budget calls for the approval of voters in November for a 1.85 Headlee Amendment override to the tax rate as well as approval from voters on a road construction millage that would be for $10 million during 10 years. Residents young and…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Grosse Pointe Woods council will vote on the Headlee Override next week following their decision this week as the committee of the whole. They intend to ask voters for a 1.85 millage increase in November.
The Grosse Pointe Woods committee of the whole made a decision this week regarding a tax increase that must receive voter approval in November under the Headlee Amendment as it will exceed the amount allowed solely under council's descretion. Discussion regarding a millage increase began in December but has evolved in finance committee meetings and most recently in committee of the whole meetings. The council, absent of Vicki Granger and Rich Shetler, voted informally as the committee of the whole to seek a 1.85 millage rate increase for 10 years. In addition, they also voted informallly to seek approval from voters on a road construction millage that would be for $10 million during 10 years. Their informal votes are essentially …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Grosse Pointe Woods council members will continue their discussion concerning the headlee override and a road construction millage next week, with the goal of making recommendations for their official vote to follow on May 21.
The Grosse Pointe Woods committee of the whole decided to put off making recommendations Monday concerning the Headlee Override and a road construction millage they intend to ask of voters in November. The discussions related to the Headlee Override have been on-going for a few months at least among finance committee members and about the same length of time for the council's work session committee, called the committee of the whole. Woods Comptroller/Treasurer Dee Ann Irby recommended the millage rate the city should ask of voters is 1.86 mills, which will help the city close the more than $600,000 budgeting gap between revenue and expenses for the 2012/13 fiscal year. The shortfall is not as large as officials originally thought as the …
Friday, March 30, 2012
Three former Grosse Pointe Woods city council members share their opinion about the Headlee Override officials intend to seek approval on from voters in November.
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Friday, March 30, 2012
March 30, 2012 Editor: Our friends and neighbors in Grosse Pointe Woods will be wise to keep their eyes open and a tight grip on their purse strings when the Woods’ mayor and council come begging for a blank check for several million dollars in Headlee Override money. Millions? Yep. The city’s treasurer says a “Yes” vote approving the Nov. 6 Headlee Override will cost Woods’ taxpayers a minimum of $2.1 million--in the first year alone. And overrides are forever. A word to the wise: There’s no such thing as a temporary tax. A blank check? Aren’t the mayor and council promising to use the 3.6 mill Headlee Override windfall to make repairs to our crumbling residential roads? Read the fine print, please. Under Headlee, which was designed to …
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The Grosse Pointe Woods council is first of Pointes to roll up sleeves on a budget that's coming up short due to decreasing property values and tax revenues
Budget talks continued Monday with Grosse Pointe Woods city officials going nearly line by line through the 2012-2013 spending plan, looking for any final cuts and savings before going to voters for a tax increase in November. With a $1.1 million shortfall in the proposed $29.7 million budget and delayed spending on roads and equipment, voters will be asked if they'll approve a tax assessment of an additional 3.65 mills, Mayor Robert Novitke said after Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting. The committee is a subcommittee of the council and is for preparation for formal council meetings. The next council meeting is Monday, April 2. There, City Controller Dee Ann Irby will formally present the budget to the council, though it is not …
Monday, January 30, 2012
A few of the happenings in the Grosse Pointes scheduled for this week.
Here are a few of the events scheduled for this week in the Grosse Pointes: 1. Today is the last day to register to vote in order to be allowed to do so in the Feb. 28 presidential primary race. One local issue is slated to be on the ballot as well--a millage increase for the Grosse Pointe Public Library. Registration may be completed at either the appropriate city clerk's office or with any Michigan Secretary of State office. 2. The Grosse Pointe Woods finance committee will meet tonight beginning at 7:30 p.m. The most significant item on the agenda relates to the Headlee Override the council intends to request from voters to help increase the budget. The committee will discuss the potential uses for the money, including road improvements…
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Grosse Pointe Woods finance committee met Monday but delayed their decision abuot just how much of a millage they should ask voters for in November until a meeting later this month.
A final decision to ask Grosse Pointe Woods voters to approve a higher tax rate to cover a budget that's expected to come up about $1 million dollars short for at least the next three years remained at the committee level Monday, but will almost certainly be OK'd and sent to the city council for approval next month. The finance committee postponed a decision until it receives more detailed information about future expenses for needs such as road repairs, equipment replacement and other city services. The committee, which will send its recommendation to the city council for approval before the issue can be put on the ballot, also is asking to see various budget scenarios based on different amounts of millage assessments. The millage rate …
John Hetzler
9:32 am on Wednesday, September 26, 2012
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