Shores council opts for tax hike
to bolster road repair, fund balance
Grosse Pointe Shores residents will be paying an additional 1 mill in property taxes in the coming year, and as in the Woods a month earlier, the discussion that preceded the city council's vote was anything but smooth.
Shores residents packed the meeting room at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House for the regularly scheduled city council meeting Tuesday (June 16) to discuss the budget and proposed tax increase, earmarked for road repair and fund equity. Prior to public comment Mayor James M. Cooper warned that no “booing, clapping or heckling” would be tolerated.
Residents who spoke at the hearing opposed the tax increase, suggesting that more attempts to privatize and/or consolidate services with nearby communities are in order, as projections of true economic recovery in this region are years away. Resident Bob Lee noted that at the time of the vote to approve the new city charter earlier in the year, residents were assured there was no intent to raise taxes, “yet in three months that is precisely what you are doing.” The Shores' legal bills last year were greater than the salary of an attorney general, he said, adding, “if our governor can take a pay cut, why can’t we?” As Lee left the podium he held up a sign that read, “More taxes equals recall.”
Councilman Brian Hunt, who supported the increase, said it was necessary to maintain the unique character of Grosse Pointe Shores, where residents are accustomed to a high level of city services.
Council newcomers Ted Kedzierski and Dan Schulte opposed the increase, which passed by a vote of 5-2. Kedzierski noted that city salaries will increase by $65,000 in the coming fiscal year, even though two long-term employees retired and that we would be contributing several hundred thousand dollars from the general fund to fund our pension costs. “Why did our employees get a 3% wage increase this year when there were no wage increases in Grosse Pointe Woods? We need to cut expenses,” he said. Cooper and members of the finance committee asked Kedzierski for specific proposals regarding budget cuts.
City Manager Brian Vick said the administration did all it could to achieve a balanced budget, noting that the city will delay replacing some police vehicles for at least another year. Vick also said he will be responding to a request by the labor unions to discuss their contracts, as they do recognize these are difficult economic times.
Grosse Pointe Shores residents will pay 15.89 mills in property taxes in the coming year.
The 1-mill increase will affect 60% of residents while 40% of residents will see no change in their tax bills. The road repairs are set for Lochmoor, Moorland and Crestwood. Vick noted a healthy fund balance assists in bond ratings and could conceivably be used for matching funds for certain sorts of grant applications, if they become available.
