Suburban mayors: We need new taxes

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) - Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll has held a series of informational meetings, fielding questions from residents on the need for more money to support the city's police and fire departments.

And like similar gatherings in other communities looking for a way out of their budget problems, the crowd gave the mayor an earful during one recent session.

"Being unemployed for two years, I've learned to live on a budget. And that's where the city is wrong," said one participant. "They haven't learned to live on a budget."

But Mayor Poll said the city has cut the workforce by 20% since 2004. Workers still on the payroll have seen wages cut and health care contributions increased.

The mayor said it's not enough to make up for the millions lost to reductions in the tax base, from state shared revenues and other sources.

"Enough is enough," Poll said. "We're at the lowest we feel we can go. We're lower in numbers per capita than most every city in the state of Michigan." He calls the proposed tax an investment in the city. .

"People come to a community looking for things like good adequate public safety, good parks. They're looking at things like this. And in order to get our community to remain stable, where it is today, we need to keep the level of protection we have."

On Wyoming's May 4 ballot, voters will be asked to approve a 1.25 mill increase in property taxes. Wyoming has a calculator on their website that tell residents exactly how much the new tax will cost them.

If passed, the millage would raise $6 million a year over the next five years for public safety.

If not, the mayor said resident should expect more cuts in police and fire.

"A decrease from our current level of 81 police officers, reducing that by approximately 15. And our fire department probably. Currently we're at 24, (and) we'll reduce (it by) six or seven in the fire department."

It's the same story in the city next door.

Kentwood is asking its voters to add two mills to their current police and fire millage, for a total of 6.2 mills. Like their neighbor to the west, Kentwood officials say they've cut dozens of people and benefits since 2006, including police officers and fire fighters.

"I believe we're being prudent, we're being responsible," said Kentwood Mayor Richard Root. "But it is a very difficult time and some very difficult decisions are yet to be made."

Another question both mayors often get when they ask voters for more money:

Why can't they run their cities like businesses? When sales are down, cut back on production to balance the books.

But people who run cities say it's not that easy.

Income may be down, but demand for their products -- from police and fire, to water and sewer, to streets and parks -- doesn't change.

"Ask yourself what happens when that commode doesn't flush, when that water doesn't turn on, when that street isn't repaired, when the parks don't open," Root said.

On the Net:

Kentwood proposal information

Wyoming proposal information