Township Exploring Options after Fire Assessment Ruling

A rare ended without any definitive decisions from the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees regarding putting a fire services millage on the Feb. 28, 2012 ballot.

The meeting was the first for the trustees since that a petition circulated by the Citizens Action Group of Plymouth Township had the number of signatures required to force the board to place a 1-mill tax to pay for fire services on the Feb. 28 ballot.

The board met in closed session for a little more than an hour with its attorney, Timothy Cronin. Township Supervisor Richard Reaume would not say whether the board will ask Cronin to file an appeal to Baxter’s ruling.

“We’re exploring all of our options,” he said. Cronin declined to comment about the possibility of an appeal.

Waiting for the next move

Marvin Stempien, an attorney advising the citizen’s group, said he believes the board should honor Baxter’s ruling and place the fire services question before voters.

“Any further delay would be a waste of the taxpayers’ money,” he said, adding that because Baxter ruled that the number of valid signatures represented 10 percent of the township’s property, therby meeting the state's requirements.

The petitions call for 1-mill tax for five years, which would raise more than $1 million in revenues that would be used exclusively to maintain fire services and staffing. The tax would replace a revenue stream that was lost when the City of Plymouth, which had participated in a fire services agreement with the township, severed the agreement because city officials wanted to save money.

The agreement officially expires at the end of this year, after which the city will enter into a partnership with the Northville Fire Department.

The loss of Plymouth as a partner means that there could be layoffs as a result of the revenue loss and a loss of work as a result of the city opting out of the agreement.

The International Association of Firefighters, which represents the 24-man Plymouth Township force, also objects to a plan put together by officials that calls for part-time firefighters and subcontracting with Huron Valley Ambulance for medical runs.

No relief for 2012

Reaume said that even if voters approve the tax for firefighting services in February, the township will not be able to collect any monies until after tax bills go out in December 2012 – leaving the township in a monetary lurch for most of 2012.

“We would have to wait until after the election,” he said.

Greg Mangan, the treasurer of the IAFF local 1496, said the plan presented by the union will see the township through 2012.

“We presented a plan to balance the budget for 2012, but the township doesn’t want to do it,” he said.

The township will again take up the issue at a at 7 p.m.