By Spinal Column Staff | on August 24, 2022

At a special meeting on August 10, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted, 13-7, to put a 10- year, .95 mil county-wide transit millage on the November 8 election ballot.

According to the Oakland County Executive Office, the proposal would replace three existing transit millages, including the expiring SMART millage in areas where that is in place and would expand suburban and rural services.

Commerce Township Treasurer Molly B. Phillips, MiCPT, CPFIM, did the math on this.

“If your home is worth $200,000, you would expect the taxable value to be about half, or $100,000. With a $100,000 taxable value, the cost for the first year would be $95.”

If approved by voters in November, which is expected to happen, the millage would generate $66,163,000 in the first year, $37.9 million of which goes to keeping and maintaining current transit services already in place around the county. This includes $33.3 million for Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), $2 million for West Oakland Transit Authority (WOTA), $2 million for North Oakland Transit Authority (NOTA), and $1 million to Older Persons Commission (OPC). The remaining funds will go to improve and expand suburban and rural transit service ($20.4 million); capital improvements ($7 million); and county administration ($.8 million).

Immediately following the vote, County Executive Dave Coulter issued a statement:

“This proposal is a positive step toward building and expanding such a transit system across Oakland County. This solution is essential for workers trying to get to jobs and businesses that are facing a serious shortage of employees. It is also critical that our older residents have full access to on-demand services throughout the county.” The transit proposal also has the support of Representative Haley Stevens (D), Turn Oakland County Green, and Oakland Forward.

While the proposal had bipartisan support, those voting “no” included County Commissioners Eileen T. Kowall (R-District 6), Christine Long (R-District 7), Phil Weipert (R-District 8), and Robert Hoffman (R-District 2); the latter moved to table the measure, but that failed, 11-9.

Long requested an amendment to the resolution that would add $1 million towards People’s Express, which is used by Commerce, Milford, Wixom, Lyon, and South Lyon, which also failed. Commerce Township, the Village of Wolverine Lake and the City of Wixom have been “opt-out” communities thus far, as has Milford Township. Highland Township, White Lake Township and the City of Walled Lake all belong to WOTA.

Municipal leaders react to vote

Various municipal officials offered their opinions of the ballot proposal as it was approved.

Commerce Township Supervisor Larry Gray, who spoke during public comment, said: “All I want to hear is the specific plan and there is no plan in place. This proposal did not follow the six P’s: Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performances.”

Steve Brown, City Manager for the City of Wixom, explained: “Consistent with Wixom’s status as an opt-out community on the existing transit millage, our City Council passed a resolution opposing a millage without opt-out provisions. It is my understanding that, nonetheless, the Commission voted to place a County millage question without an opt-out option before voters. I am sure we will learn more about what this Commission vote will mean, but those are the facts right now.”

Dave Gillam, Village of Wolverine Lake administrator, stated on August 16: “The Oakland County Board of Commissioners discussed the proposed public transit millage publicly for the first time less than two weeks ago. As of today, the Village hasn’t received any detailed information about how the revenues from the millage would be used. There is nothing to indicate at this time that our residents would receive better service than what they currently receive from People’s Express through our partnership with Commerce Township.”

On August 17, the Milford Township Board of Trustees passed a resolution declaring “vehement opposition” to the current millage ballot language as proposed. Don Green, Milford Township supervisor, said in an Aug. 8 e-mail to The Spinal Column, “There is no plan in place as to how to spend this money. They will get $1 million from Milford Township. I run our transportation system for $100,000 a year. Where does the other $900,000 go? They will collect $66 million per year from county residents with no plan as to how it will be allocated.”

At that August 17 meeting, Green stated several township supervisors and county commissioners who are against the millage have an “emergency meeting” set on Aug. 18 with senators Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) and Ruth Johnson (R-Holly) to discuss the transit millage.

Rik Kowall, White Lake Township supervisor, said the millage would be a hard sell in his community. “Oakland County is making an effort to have county-wide transportation and the county’s current administration feels it’s a priority,” Kowall stated. “I am a believer in public transportation as a co-founder of the Western Oakland Transportation Authority (WOTA). However, during this time of high inflation, I think a .95 millage may be difficult for White Lake residents to support.”

Dennis Whitt, City of Walled Lake city manager, had a different, more positive take on the November millage vote. “We in Walled Lake are pleased the citizens finally get a vote on the level and type of public transport service they want to provide,” said Whitt. “The passage of the millage will provide for a continuation of public transportation. If the proposed millage doesn’t pass, there will be challenges with providing public transportation that many in Walled Lake, and county-wide, have come to expect.”

Highland Township Supervisor Rick Hamill concluded, “I have looked at the language and it gave me assurance that the transit service would be for all of Oakland County. While I’m not jumping up and down about the cost, this needs to happen and I think it can work.”

Anne Seebaldt and Julie Freer contributed to this article.

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