Road Commission Renewal on August Ballot

One of many road projects funded through the 2017-2020 WCRC millage. The county is requesting a renewal of this millage in the Aug. 4 election.

By Claire Pajka

On August 4, 2020, Manchester area residents – Sharon, Freedom, Manchester, and Bridgewater Townships – as well as the rest of Washtenaw County, will vote on the renewal of the proposed 2021-2024 road commission millage. Ultimately, renewing the millage would mean decreasing the amount of primary roads in Washtenaw County that are considered in “poor condition,” which currently lies at 39% of all paved roads.

In 2016, the 2017-2020 millage funding was passed by voters and provided means for projects throughout the Manchester area including the sealcoat of Austin Road in Bridgewater, limestone for Ernst Road in Bridgewater and Freedom, and the wedge and sealcoat of Sharon Hollow Road in Manchester and Sharon Townships.

Furthermore, numerous pavement maintenance projects throughout the village of Manchester have been completed over the last four construction seasons. Emily Kizer of the Washtenaw County Roads Commission (WCRC) explained that each municipality in Washtenaw County had selected its own projects for the millage
program and would continue to do so with the renewed millage; a complete list of millage projects in the Manchester area is available here.

The proposed millage for 2021-2024 includes plans for over 215 miles of road improvements on county, city, and village roads within Washtenaw County, with about 20% of the millage revenue going to non-motorized pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. According to Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Director Coy Vaughn, the estimated average annual cost for the .5 millage is $50 per year for a home with a $100,000 SEV.

For the Manchester area, the 2021-2024 renewal would cover county road projects including Pleasant Lake Road in Freedom and Sharon, Austin Road in Manchester and Bridgewater, and Schneider Road in Freedom and Bridgewater Townships. In addition to roadways, the millage renewal also supports non-motorized pathways, and one project proposed for 2022 is the construction of a walking path connecting Manchester to the Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve. This five-mile stretch of path would increase residential access to the beautiful surrounding natural area.

Kizer also explained that the WCRC has worked hard to “make each community whole in terms of revenue generated and road/non-motorized investments over the four-year period. This is true in the current millage that ends this year, and remains true if the millage is renewed for 2021 – 2024.” She went on to say that the Manchester area is estimated to receive more than $1.5 million dollars in investments over four years in both road and non-motorized improvements.

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners approved the following wording for the millage renewal vote, which will appear on the August 4, 2020 ballot: “Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed each year for all purposes on real and tangible personal property in Washtenaw County, Michigan be increased as provided in Section 6, Article IX of the Michigan Constitution and the Board of Commissioners of the County be authorized to levy a tax not to exceed one half of one mill ($0.50 per $1,000 of state taxable
valuation) for a period of four (4) years, beginning with the December 1, 2020 tax levy (which will generate estimated revenues of $8,990,680.00 in the first year), to provide funding to the Washtenaw County Road Commission, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and the various cities, villages, and townships of Washtenaw County to maintain, construct, resurface, reconstruct or preserve roads, bike lanes, streets and paths in Washtenaw County? Of the 0.5 mill, 0.4891 represents a renewal of that portion of a 0.5 mill authorization previously approved by the electors as reduced by operation of the Headlee Amendment, and 0.0109 represents new millage in the amount equal to the amount reduced by operation of the Headlee
Amendment.”

To learn more about the millage renewal as a whole before the vote in August, visit WCRC website’s Millage Renewal Page. For information about the current or proposed millage projects in the Manchester Area, link here.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.