On May 3, 2011 Pittsfield Township residents voted to approve the 1.95 Public Safety Millage that will be effective 2012-2021.

POST ELECTION MEDIA COVERAGE

• Pittsfield Township residents approve public safety millage with 72 percent of the vote, Ann Arbor.com Article, 5-3-2011
• Pittsfield Township Voters Pass 10-Year Public Safety Tax, Patch.com Article 5-4-2011
• Voters Approve Public Safety Millages, WEMU, 5-4-2011

PUBLIC SAFETY MILLAGE FORUM

View the PDF of the Public Safety Millage Forum presentation.

COST PROFILE

The reason we are asking for a higher millage is to compensate for declining revenues and a commitment to maintaining existing level of services.

• Nearly 60% of the cost for police, fire, and dispatch services is drawn from the Township's General Fund. The ability to continue supporting public safety services at this level has been severely compromised in recent years because of cutbacks in revenue sharing by the state, fall interest revenues, and a general fund that was burdened, in the last 10 years, by debt as a result of numerous land purchases.
• The remaining 40% is drawn from the Public Safety Millage Fund (which is currently set at 1.0 mill and expires this year.) As a result of the General Fund's reduced ability to support public safety services, the costs have been shifting over to the Public Safety Millage in the last few years, which is going to need more revenues to maintain existing level of services.

Why 1.95 mills?

*Jobs are estimated to grow, between 2005-2035, from 19,889 to 29,339
** This is all-inclusive; including costs for equipment, vehicles, maintenance, and personnel.

How does 1.95 mills impact my budget?

On average, residents are paying $8.54/month for a 1.0 mill. With 1.95 mill, you will pay, on average, $16.66/month. This amounts to a difference of about $8/month. The 1.95 mill translates to 54¢ a day.

How does Pittsfield Township Compare?

Pittsfield Township has one of the lowest crime rates in Washtenaw County AND one of the lowest costs of providing public safety services.

*Police costs only

Costs for Public Safety Employees, 2011

*In a show of partnership and commitment to maintaining existing level of services, most public safety personnel accepted 0% wage increases.

Union contracts were settled in 2010, within a period of six months, for five years.

Costs for General Fund Employees, 2011

General Fund Administrative Cost Savings in 2011

As a result of such administrative controls, Standard & Poor's upgraded Pittsfield Township's bond rating to its second highest category of 'AA'

SERVICE PROFILE

What Services Can I Expect with 1.95 mills?

*Reducing staffing of the fire department will raise Pittsfield's ISO rating that will, in turn, be reflected in higher insurance rates which could be as much as 10% per household per year.

CRIME

Crime Rates from 2008-2010

At a time when most communities are seeing an increase in crime, crime rates in Pittsfield Township have declined in the past two years because of our heavy engagement with the community and a focus on crime prevention.

In order to continue providing you with one of the cheapest and most responsive police, fire, and dispatch services that ensure one of the lowest crime rates in Washtenaw, we require 1.95 mills.