Otsego city commissioners will hold a public meeting to explain the city’s public safety millage.
The meeting will be Wednesday, July 13, at 7 p.m.
Commissioner Stacey Withee said, “We’re there to answer questions and to hear their suggestions; if we don’t pass this, then what do we do?”
City officials will show an informational presentation on the millage, which lost by six votes at the May election.
Commissioners chose to put the millage—which seeks a 10-year, two mill tax increase—on the August ballot soon after the May vote.
Elected officials sought the millage, they said, because cuts to state revenue sharing and less property tax revenue meant that the city was bringing in much less over the past 10 years and further cuts would begin to severely impact services.
In the lead up to the vote, city officials detailed a number of capital projects they said were needed and hadn’t been done because the city had prioritized keeping services, especially in the police and fire departments.
The city’s budget passed in May included a deficit and a number of the forecasted capital purchase cuts.
The millage vote will be at the Tuesday, Aug. 2, primary election.
Contact Dan Pepper at dpepper@allegannews.com or at (269) 673-5534 or (269) 685-9571.
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