PLEASE ATTEND THE AUGUST 26TH TRUSTEE MEETING TO DISCUSS:
Citizens Recommend Changes and Oversight
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For years, many residents have lamented unrestrained spending and a lack of leadership in the administration of Bloomfield Township. The defeat of the recent tax increase means that restructuring will finally be implemented, but Savoie, Kepes and Roncelli lack the insight and the will to make the right changes. Moreover, as we have seen in the past, they will act first to protect their own benefits even if that is not in the best interests of the citizens.
Therefore, we have developed a list of changes and savings that we feel must be addressed to get Bloomfield Township back on track complete with priorities. We are requesting that the administration and Trustees research and quantify the benefit of all items on the list, then start implementing them in priority order. The list includes offers categories and priorities |
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More importantly, perhaps, is that we believe in full transparency and citizen involvement so we are recommending that a citizen counsel be empaneled to provide oversight. The panel must not be stacked with "friends of Leo" as are other boards within the Township.
The list will be updated periodically to reflect additional information. Please provide suggestions for additions to this list.
The list will be updated periodically to reflect additional information. Please provide suggestions for additions to this list.
IMPORTANT for all Bloomfield Township Citizens:
Please attend Trustee Meeting on Mon. August 12
to support a significant change in leadership.
Now that the SAD is defeated, the hard work of trimming excess cost begins. Many do not believe the current administration has the skill or the will to undertake this work.
Trustee David Buckley has proposed that Bloomfield Township hire a Superintendent to restore fiscal solvency and stability. (His resolution is below.)
NOTE: Resident comment is only allowed at the beginning of the meeting, so please come early and keep your remarks very brief. (Many people are just going to say, "I support the resolution.") The meeting starts at 7PM in the Township Hall at 4200 Telegraph.
RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT POSITION
WHEREAS, Public Act 202 of 2017, requires townships in Michigan to adequately fund their retirement health and pension benefits, and
WHEREAS, Bloomfield Township has been identified as one of the worst municipalities in the State of Michigan relative to the funding status for retiree healthcare liabilities in particular, and
WHEREAS, Bloomfield Township’s current budget is not able to sustain all of the historically excellent services residents have come to expect while meeting all legal and financial liabilities imminently looming ahead, and
WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees chose to ask the taxpayers to bail out the Township’s financial shortfalls by a Special Assessment District tax proposal on August 6, 2019 without taking any action on internal savings or cost reductions, and
WHEREAS, Bloomfield Township residents overwhelmingly rejected the proposed tax increase and registered profound displeasure with the status quo in Township Hall, and
WHEREAS, The Board of Trustees is now tasked by a mandate of the taxpayers to find a path to the future with credibility and integrity, and
WHEREAS, the most logical, prudent and responsible way forward toward fiscal solvency and stability is through the establishment of unbiased, professional and experienced management for Bloomfield Township;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees hereby establishes the new position of Township Superintendent whereby the Board of Trustees shall appoint a person to serve in that role with all of the powers and duties outlined in Public Act 359 of 1947, Michigan Compiled Laws 42.10 as follows:
- To see that all laws and township ordinances are enforced;
- To manage and supervise all public improvements, works, and undertakings of the township;
- To have charge of the construction, repair, maintenance, lighting and cleaning of streets, sidewalks, bridges, pavements, sewers and all of the public buildings or other property belonging to the township;
- To manage and supervise the operation of all township utilities;
- To be responsible for the preservation of property, tools, and appliances of the township;
- To see that all terms and conditions imposed in favor of the township or its inhabitants in any public utility franchise, or in any contract, are faithfully kept and performed;
- To attend all meetings of the township board, with the right to take part in discussions, but without the right to vote;
- To be a member, ex officio, of all committees of the township board;
- To prepare and administer the annual budget under policies formulated by the township board and keep the said board fully advised at all times as to the financial condition and needs of the township;
- To recommend to the township board for adoption such measures as he or she may deem necessary or expedient;
- To be responsible to the township board for the administration of all departments of the township government;
- To act as the purchasing agent for the township or, under his or her responsibility, delegate such duties to some other officer or employee;
- To conduct all sales of personal property which the township board may authorize to be sold;
- To assume all duties and responsibilities as personnel director of all township employees or delegate such duties to some other officer or employee;
- To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by this act or required by him or her by ordinance or by direction of the township board, or which are not assigned to some other official in conformance with the provisions of this act.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said position shall be filled by appointment of the Board of Trustees by the end of 2019 through the following process:
- Advertisement of the open position shall be made through the Michigan Townships Association website and newsletter, Michigan Municipal League website and newsletter, Michigan Association of Counties website and newsletter, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Oakland Press and any other relevant recruiting tool available to Bloomfield Township.
- Applications and resumes shall be submitted electronically or by hard copy to the Bloomfield Township Clerk’s Office until the end of business on Thursday, October 10, 2019.
- Applicants will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees at a Study Session to be held on Monday, October 14, 2019 whereby the top 5 candidates will be vetted for personal interviews by the entire Board of Trustees to be held over the following 14 days.
- Education requirements shall consist of a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or a like level of education or accreditation in any other related field.
- Experience requirements shall consist of at least five years of experience in management of a municipality or experience as an Emergency Financial Manager or Administrator.
- The well qualified candidate will have experience in guiding a municipal governmental unit through challenging financial circumstances in an unbiased, no-political and honorable manner with no conflicts of interest with Bloomfield Township or its elected officials.
- Salary and benefits will be set by the Board of Trustees commensurate to qualifications and experience.
Respectfully Submitted by David Buckley, Bloomfield Township Trustee
August 8, 2019
BT Public Safety Expenses Per ResidentAre Already the Highest Among PeersThe "Protect Your Police and Fire" message from the Township is a total SCAM. Bloomfield Township already spends more per person for Public Safety than any other similarly sized city or township in Oakland County. We spend $552 per resident while the average is $239 for all municipalities that have more than 10K residents. And our crime is below average at 36 incidents per 1000 people, compared to an average of 47 per 1000. We don't need more funding for Public Safety. Look at the data yourself on Munetrix.com |
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Bloomfield Township Finances Have Deteriorated
Bloomfield Township finances have deteriorated precipitously in recent years under the current administration.
We need to stem this tide and more money is not the solution.
Bloomfield Township Math Doesn't Add Up
Looking at the numbers, any reasonable person would wonder WHY we need to collect more taxes. Four percent of revenue increases seemingly have disappeared!
Even without that, the need for a new tax doesn't pencil:
Given: Taxable Base x Tax Rate = Total Tax Revenue
TAXABLE BASE: The average "taxable value" in BT is $88,900 (compared to all other townships in Michigan which average $34,800.) That means our officials have a much higher-value group of properties to tax.
TAX RATE: BT Millage Rates are three times the average of all 1,240 townships in Michigan.
TOTAL TAX REVENUE: BT Property Taxes per Resident are double the average of all 1,240 townships in Michigan.
Are you with me so far?
So why do we need a Special Assessment? We are at the TOP of our peer group for tax base, tax rate and tax revenue. How can we possibly need the SAD?
(Unless we are spending way too much......)
Even without that, the need for a new tax doesn't pencil:
Given: Taxable Base x Tax Rate = Total Tax Revenue
TAXABLE BASE: The average "taxable value" in BT is $88,900 (compared to all other townships in Michigan which average $34,800.) That means our officials have a much higher-value group of properties to tax.
TAX RATE: BT Millage Rates are three times the average of all 1,240 townships in Michigan.
TOTAL TAX REVENUE: BT Property Taxes per Resident are double the average of all 1,240 townships in Michigan.
Are you with me so far?
So why do we need a Special Assessment? We are at the TOP of our peer group for tax base, tax rate and tax revenue. How can we possibly need the SAD?
(Unless we are spending way too much......)
Detroit NewsPresentsBalanced Viewpoint“This is not necessary; the millage is not needed,” said Mary LeDuc of the citizens group, which favors reducing employee benefits or outsourcing township services, like animal control, to Oakland County.
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Township Trustee Speaks Out on SAD Deception
Please read this post written on Nextdoor.com by one of the four non-employee Trustees on our board, Dani Walsh. She discusses the decision process which led our leaders to request a whopping 2.3 mill tax increase in the form of a Special Assessment District (a SAD.) This provides startling insight into how Supervisor Savoie and Treasurer Kepes feel about spending your money.
POSTED BY: Dani Walsh on Nextdoor.com
I am a Trustee on the Township board and was a participant in the meetings about the Plante Moran report and the survey results. If you were not able to attend the study sessions or the trustee meetings, here is a breakdown of what happened from a Trustee perspective.
Trustee Buckley and I did not think it was right to pass 100% of the tax burden onto the people, especially since poor leadership choices created the mess. Since the other 5 disagreed, a survey was done to see which opinion was correct. The survey came back with a resounding response that Trustee Buckley and I were correct about the pulse in the community.
In a study session, comments from Supervisor Savoie and Treasurer Kepes were “why should we cut the budget if the people will pay for it?” And another comment was, ”people expect us to operate this way.” This led to heated discussions about doing the right thing, following some of the suggestions from Plante Moran, & looking at other options too like cutting the free luxury vehicles and gas to the elected officials and department heads, and larger areas of savings such as enforcing the state required mandate of 20% employee contribution to healthcare.
Since Bloomfield currently waives that requirement, an employee can cover a family of 4 at about $16/month. This is obviously much lower than the standard for most people working in the state of Michigan like myself and others who pay $500+/month through their employers. Not only did they refuse to cut a single department budget, but they also gave a 2% wage increase across the board regardless of merit for every employee, including themselves as elected officials.
These raises & budget increases were added even though Savoie, Kepes, Roncelli, Barnett, & Schostak knew we had a $160+ million deficit.
The Supervisor, Treasurer, and Clerk are “full time” paid positions (although they only work 4 days a week). Their salaries and total compensation packages range from $150,000+ to over $200,000 per year. Some elected officials also benefit from the pensions directly as participants in the OPEB group.
Although this is an obvious conflict of interest, they did not recuse themselves and all 3 elected officials voted on their own raises, to do no budget cuts, and to put the disingenuous public safety tax on the ballot. All 7 trustees did agree that we will not cut police, fire, roads, or senior center.
The misleading presentation being given at the town halls was actually written by Supervisor Savoie and township employees. The plan was not discussed or approved by the Trustees. The majority of the town halls were scheduled during the day, without any input from Trustees as well. The first time I knew anything about the town halls was when the township posted it online. Since Trustee Buckley and I work full time elsewhere, we could not attend the daytime meetings to dispute his misleading presentation written by Savoie. The Supervisor meetings were also set at the senior center instead of our actual town hall to attract the senior voter base.
Another strange choice, was Supervisor Savoie and Treasurer Kepes starting the Vote Yes Political Action Committee. Typically elected officials don’t start PACs for ballot issues. At the federal level there is even the Hatch law that prohibits it. The PAC is registered to Savoie’s personal street address and Kepes is listed as the PACs treasurer.
The ballot issue of the sad is very similar to the Mega School ballot issues back in the day. The first ballot was a huge cost for an over the top school project, The majority of the township voted NO, multiple times, until the school board was forced to present something more appropriate. Voting NO didn’t prevent a school from happening, it simply guaranteed that the board would be more fiscally responsible when asking for money from the citizens. Now we have an amazing school at a much more reasonable cost.
Hopefully this helps shed some light to those that have not been able to attend Trustee meetings or watch the replays on demand.
Respectfully, Trustee Dani Walsh
POSTED BY: Dani Walsh on Nextdoor.com
I am a Trustee on the Township board and was a participant in the meetings about the Plante Moran report and the survey results. If you were not able to attend the study sessions or the trustee meetings, here is a breakdown of what happened from a Trustee perspective.
Trustee Buckley and I did not think it was right to pass 100% of the tax burden onto the people, especially since poor leadership choices created the mess. Since the other 5 disagreed, a survey was done to see which opinion was correct. The survey came back with a resounding response that Trustee Buckley and I were correct about the pulse in the community.
In a study session, comments from Supervisor Savoie and Treasurer Kepes were “why should we cut the budget if the people will pay for it?” And another comment was, ”people expect us to operate this way.” This led to heated discussions about doing the right thing, following some of the suggestions from Plante Moran, & looking at other options too like cutting the free luxury vehicles and gas to the elected officials and department heads, and larger areas of savings such as enforcing the state required mandate of 20% employee contribution to healthcare.
Since Bloomfield currently waives that requirement, an employee can cover a family of 4 at about $16/month. This is obviously much lower than the standard for most people working in the state of Michigan like myself and others who pay $500+/month through their employers. Not only did they refuse to cut a single department budget, but they also gave a 2% wage increase across the board regardless of merit for every employee, including themselves as elected officials.
These raises & budget increases were added even though Savoie, Kepes, Roncelli, Barnett, & Schostak knew we had a $160+ million deficit.
The Supervisor, Treasurer, and Clerk are “full time” paid positions (although they only work 4 days a week). Their salaries and total compensation packages range from $150,000+ to over $200,000 per year. Some elected officials also benefit from the pensions directly as participants in the OPEB group.
Although this is an obvious conflict of interest, they did not recuse themselves and all 3 elected officials voted on their own raises, to do no budget cuts, and to put the disingenuous public safety tax on the ballot. All 7 trustees did agree that we will not cut police, fire, roads, or senior center.
The misleading presentation being given at the town halls was actually written by Supervisor Savoie and township employees. The plan was not discussed or approved by the Trustees. The majority of the town halls were scheduled during the day, without any input from Trustees as well. The first time I knew anything about the town halls was when the township posted it online. Since Trustee Buckley and I work full time elsewhere, we could not attend the daytime meetings to dispute his misleading presentation written by Savoie. The Supervisor meetings were also set at the senior center instead of our actual town hall to attract the senior voter base.
Another strange choice, was Supervisor Savoie and Treasurer Kepes starting the Vote Yes Political Action Committee. Typically elected officials don’t start PACs for ballot issues. At the federal level there is even the Hatch law that prohibits it. The PAC is registered to Savoie’s personal street address and Kepes is listed as the PACs treasurer.
The ballot issue of the sad is very similar to the Mega School ballot issues back in the day. The first ballot was a huge cost for an over the top school project, The majority of the township voted NO, multiple times, until the school board was forced to present something more appropriate. Voting NO didn’t prevent a school from happening, it simply guaranteed that the board would be more fiscally responsible when asking for money from the citizens. Now we have an amazing school at a much more reasonable cost.
Hopefully this helps shed some light to those that have not been able to attend Trustee meetings or watch the replays on demand.
Respectfully, Trustee Dani Walsh
Independent Expert Blasts BT Mismanagement:
Raising Taxes to Pay Optional Employee Benefit
"Unlike pensions, these retiree health benefits are not guaranteed. ...the Township...has no legal obligation to continue to provide any post-employment benefits, including retiree health care.”
And the cost of the benefits to the township have exploded. Somehow this community of 42,200 people offered benefits to retired employees that cost $162 million, or around $3,800 per resident. That’s four times as large as the average per-capita cost to prefund these benefits in the 100 largest cities and townships in Michigan.
The annual premiums to provide these retiree benefits cost $4.8 million, according to township financial statements, so apparently, coverage of this group costs over $14,000 per recipient. This is high considering that employees would be covered by Medicare under normal retirement ages....
Instead of addressing these costs, the township wants to tax their way out of this problem......they’ve gotten in trouble over an optional, mismanaged benefit..... They’ve taxed themselves as much as they can to pay for it. And now they’re asking residents to pay more. " -
James M. Hohman, Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Read full article at:
https://www.mackinac.org/township-wants-higher-taxes-to-pay-for-optional-employment-benefit
And the cost of the benefits to the township have exploded. Somehow this community of 42,200 people offered benefits to retired employees that cost $162 million, or around $3,800 per resident. That’s four times as large as the average per-capita cost to prefund these benefits in the 100 largest cities and townships in Michigan.
The annual premiums to provide these retiree benefits cost $4.8 million, according to township financial statements, so apparently, coverage of this group costs over $14,000 per recipient. This is high considering that employees would be covered by Medicare under normal retirement ages....
Instead of addressing these costs, the township wants to tax their way out of this problem......they’ve gotten in trouble over an optional, mismanaged benefit..... They’ve taxed themselves as much as they can to pay for it. And now they’re asking residents to pay more. " -
James M. Hohman, Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Read full article at:
https://www.mackinac.org/township-wants-higher-taxes-to-pay-for-optional-employment-benefit
Bloomfield Township by the Numbers...
Compared to all other Townships in Michigan
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Bloomfield Twp Can Cut Costs and Avoid the SAD!
Please click here or go to the "Cost Cuts Needed" tab on this website to read an article written by citizens on the ways that Bloomfield Township officials can save YOUR money. These are practical and achievable solutions which our leaders would be implementing already if they were prudent and acting in the best interests of our citizens.
Township Claims: Inaccurate and Self-Serving
The Bloomfield Township summer newsletter and a recent mailer give a distorted view of the management of our Township. Why? Because the very people promoting the SAD will personally gain from it! Our Township Supervisor and Treasurer started a ballot committee in favor of the SAD which funded both the mailer and lawn signs.
Click here to get the complete response shown on the right or read below for a few examples of how the facts have been distorted:
First, officials don't want to talk about the 2.3 mill increase but rather highlight a "NET" increase in millage of 1.05 mills. Why?
Because they wish to minimize your view of the tax. If they wanted to continue the current public safety millage, they could have simply requested a renewal. They did not.
Second, officials claim a history of cost-cutting citing the number of employees, a 5 year wage freeze and pension changes.
They neglect to tell you that those changes were things that happened from 8 to 14 years ago, under previous administrations! Many of those items were overturned by the current administration. For example: a 5 year wage freeze done 11 years ago by the previous supervisor was followed by five years of 2% per year across-the-board increases for all employees under the current supervisor!
Third, officials claim that they exercise prudent financial management. These same officials refuse to gather competitive bids on multi-million dollar service contracts. An Oakland County judge chastised them for badly mismanaging our water fees and making the finances completely indecipherable. While other communities planned ahead, our officials declined to pay down the retiree health care debt until forced to by a change in Michigan law. Of the 63 municipalities (townships, cities, villages, etc.) Bloomfield Township is the 5th worst in funding benefit liability. This issue was ignored for years! The examples go on and on....
Finally, they claim to have saved "millions in legacy costs and millions in current costs" without any evidence.
Most telling is the fact that they have not done the ONE THING that would solve the budget problem: cutting their own benefits and pensions. Recent independent articles have all pointed to this as the most reasonable solution.
Don't believe a word of it. It is a complete conflict of interest and disingenuous to use public safety as a smokescreen to lobby for one's own generous benefit package. And know that your tax dollars are being used to promote their loose approach to spending.
Click here to get the complete response shown on the right or read below for a few examples of how the facts have been distorted:
First, officials don't want to talk about the 2.3 mill increase but rather highlight a "NET" increase in millage of 1.05 mills. Why?
Because they wish to minimize your view of the tax. If they wanted to continue the current public safety millage, they could have simply requested a renewal. They did not.
Second, officials claim a history of cost-cutting citing the number of employees, a 5 year wage freeze and pension changes.
They neglect to tell you that those changes were things that happened from 8 to 14 years ago, under previous administrations! Many of those items were overturned by the current administration. For example: a 5 year wage freeze done 11 years ago by the previous supervisor was followed by five years of 2% per year across-the-board increases for all employees under the current supervisor!
Third, officials claim that they exercise prudent financial management. These same officials refuse to gather competitive bids on multi-million dollar service contracts. An Oakland County judge chastised them for badly mismanaging our water fees and making the finances completely indecipherable. While other communities planned ahead, our officials declined to pay down the retiree health care debt until forced to by a change in Michigan law. Of the 63 municipalities (townships, cities, villages, etc.) Bloomfield Township is the 5th worst in funding benefit liability. This issue was ignored for years! The examples go on and on....
Finally, they claim to have saved "millions in legacy costs and millions in current costs" without any evidence.
Most telling is the fact that they have not done the ONE THING that would solve the budget problem: cutting their own benefits and pensions. Recent independent articles have all pointed to this as the most reasonable solution.
Don't believe a word of it. It is a complete conflict of interest and disingenuous to use public safety as a smokescreen to lobby for one's own generous benefit package. And know that your tax dollars are being used to promote their loose approach to spending.
Reasons to Vote NO
Your taxes will go up by a lot. A house with a taxable value of $250,000 will pay $8,625 over fifteen years if this passes.
You already pay the state maximum for BOTH property taxes AND millages. This SAD is a way to avoid trimming the fat.
Bloomfield Township already spends more money per resident than other townships in Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (see graph below.)
All cost cutting opportunities are rejected even when they are reasonable (including many suggested by a public accounting firm).
Township officials threaten to cut Police and Fire patrol personnel if this does not pass. In reality, there are many other places to trim the budget while retaining the same level of safety services.
Bloomfield Township salaries, benefits and pensions are ridiculously generous and much higher than other municipalities. Health care cost for a family of four is only $15 per month. After a 25-year career, fully-paid retirement can go on for 40 years!
We have landed in this situation because Bloomfield Township lacks accounting discipline, financial transparency, and prudent spending management.
We've been here before: Bloomfield Township sold $80M in bonds in 2013 to fully fund the defined benefit pension, but now it is also vastly under-funded. Same problem!
Bloomfield Township officials have a history of bending the numbers. In the Water & Sewer case on overcharging (which citizens won), Oakland County Judge O'Brien said that Bloomfield Township officials badly mismanaged fees. He advised us to deal with them in the voting booth!
Your taxes will go up by a lot. A house with a taxable value of $250,000 will pay $8,625 over fifteen years if this passes.
You already pay the state maximum for BOTH property taxes AND millages. This SAD is a way to avoid trimming the fat.
Bloomfield Township already spends more money per resident than other townships in Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (see graph below.)
All cost cutting opportunities are rejected even when they are reasonable (including many suggested by a public accounting firm).
Township officials threaten to cut Police and Fire patrol personnel if this does not pass. In reality, there are many other places to trim the budget while retaining the same level of safety services.
Bloomfield Township salaries, benefits and pensions are ridiculously generous and much higher than other municipalities. Health care cost for a family of four is only $15 per month. After a 25-year career, fully-paid retirement can go on for 40 years!
We have landed in this situation because Bloomfield Township lacks accounting discipline, financial transparency, and prudent spending management.
We've been here before: Bloomfield Township sold $80M in bonds in 2013 to fully fund the defined benefit pension, but now it is also vastly under-funded. Same problem!
Bloomfield Township officials have a history of bending the numbers. In the Water & Sewer case on overcharging (which citizens won), Oakland County Judge O'Brien said that Bloomfield Township officials badly mismanaged fees. He advised us to deal with them in the voting booth!
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BT Leaders Used the Same Tactics in 2010! This editorial about the BT 2010 tax hike illustrates the striking similarities to the situation today. "To persuade the residents further, they will be threatened with massive layoffs of police and firemen..." "The election is planned...when voter turnout is normally under 10 percent..." "In my opinion, prior to asking for a tax hike, one should consider personal sacrifice. In private business, we would take a pay cut first before asking our customers to pay more for our services." "Other (suggested) cost control measures include sharing services with surrounding communities..." |
Expenditures are FIVE TIMES more than the average township in SE Michigan!
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Why does the Township want more money? This graph says it all. Bloomfield Township has the highest annual, per-person expenditures of any township in Southeast Michigan by far. This is data from independent agency Munetrix, which takes critical elements of publicly-available financial data and runs dozens of calculations to generate a numerical view of the fiscal health of local communities. |
“Of the 93 Townships within the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, the The Charter Township of Bloomfield, with Total Expenditures of $66,953,385, places 1 in terms of Total Expenditures for fiscal year 2018 and 1 in terms of Expenditures per Resident. The Township spent $1,621 per capita; $1,308 more than the Regional Average for Townships.” -- Munetrix.com
“Of the 93 Townships within the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, the The Charter Township of Bloomfield, with Total Expenditures of $66,953,385, places 1 in terms of Total Expenditures for fiscal year 2018 and 1 in terms of Expenditures per Resident. The Township spent $1,621 per capita; $1,308 more than the Regional Average for Townships.” -- Munetrix.com
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"Self-Inflected Financial Problems"
The governments that have not set aside enough money ought to reconsider the benefits they offer. Governments can generally rescind them at their discretion. Creating retiree health care benefits whose costs get kicked onto future taxpayers was a mistake and a terrible financial practice….. It is a disservice to residents. And this is especially the case when everyone who gets those benefits is covered by Medicare in the first place.” -- James Hohman, 11/14/17, https://www.mackinac.org |
Misuse of Special Assessment District
Our elected officials voted to raise more money from residents through a Special Assessment District, also known as a "SAD." SADs are typically used to pay for new roads or sewers for a narrowly-defined area. This time, the Township wants to assess ALL properties, not to pay for a physical improvement, but to cover overspending. This is a questionable use of a Special Assessment and the Township has had to go back to the State of Michigan several times to get approval to use a SAD.
Officials are Big Spenders with Your Money
Over the last few years, a group of dedicated citizens attended meetings, asked questions, requested data (through Freedom of Information Act petitions) and pieced together information about spending and revenues. They found that our community overspends in ways large and small, with no hint of fiscal responsibility. Rather than exercising prudence, they just come back to us for more repeatedly. In 2010, when every municipality was cutting back, Bloomfield Township ran a campaign of fear and intimidation to narrowly pass a 1.05 mil increase. Now they want you to pay up again. Just say NO.
Maxed Out on Taxes and Millages
The Township is at the absolute top of the legal limit for property taxes and already collects the maximum allowed by the state of .10 mils, but now they want more because they have not been prudent making cuts and funding their generous benefits to employees. This has caused a $5 - 7M annual structural deficit and a $164M debt for pensions. This is on top of the $80M in healthcare debt that was funded by a bond in 2013.
Public Safety Gets the Vast Majority of Tax Dollars
With the $45 M and .10 mils already collected, the Township has plenty of funding if properly managed. Bloomfield Township spends about $30M/year on public safety, a huge portion of your tax bill. We have very high costs for a (not growing) community of 41,500 people.
The Township will tell residents that Police and Fire Patrol personnel must be cut if the SAD does not pass. This is not true. There are many other opportunities for cost cuts.
Also, the state only requires that the debt be paid yearly, and for Bloomfield Township, this bill is $2.5M per year. This money can come out of current revenue with prudent financial management.
Elected officials must live within the very high budget that already exists. Why should an additional $9M more per year be collected for 15 years when elected officials cannot work with discipline on the generous budget already provided?
Why is the Township trying to collect $9M per year through the SAD when the debt is only $2.5M per year? Where will the rest of the money go?
Don’t let the ruse captivate you. Say NO to the SAD.
With the $45 M and .10 mils already collected, the Township has plenty of funding if properly managed. Bloomfield Township spends about $30M/year on public safety, a huge portion of your tax bill. We have very high costs for a (not growing) community of 41,500 people.
The Township will tell residents that Police and Fire Patrol personnel must be cut if the SAD does not pass. This is not true. There are many other opportunities for cost cuts.
Also, the state only requires that the debt be paid yearly, and for Bloomfield Township, this bill is $2.5M per year. This money can come out of current revenue with prudent financial management.
Elected officials must live within the very high budget that already exists. Why should an additional $9M more per year be collected for 15 years when elected officials cannot work with discipline on the generous budget already provided?
Why is the Township trying to collect $9M per year through the SAD when the debt is only $2.5M per year? Where will the rest of the money go?
Don’t let the ruse captivate you. Say NO to the SAD.
You are Paying for Top-Shelf Wages and Benefits
Here are more reasons to vote NO:
1. The Township pays lavish salaries and pensions.
Employees are at the top end of the pay scale with annual pay increases and many perks. The Township pays 14% of salary for 401B plans , an extremely expensive cost for taxpayers compared to other communities, paying 2 - 8%. Retired employees hired before 2011, enjoy 75% of their annual salary which includes spikes for overtime, banked vacation time, years of service and cost of living increases. Many retirees are in the $100K/year club.
2. The Township provides extravagant health benefits.
An employee with a family of 4 pays only $15/month for complete health care benefits (medical, dental, vision and pharmacy), an extremely low cost. Retiree healthcare premiums (medical, dental, vison and prescriptions) have very low cost for retirees. In 2013 the Township sold $80M in bonds to fund the healthcare benefits for just the defined benefit retirees.
3. Bloomfield Township employees don't "participate" in the cost in the way that is common today or transition to Medicare. One of the drivers for the sharp increase in health care is the fact many don't have to contribute commensurately to the cost. E.g.: Public employees with virtually free lifetime health benefits. If you are not paying for something, naturally you will want the best at any price and health providers charge accordingly. That leads to higher health care related costs for those who pay more directly for the same services.
4. Township allows long retirement with shorter years of service.
Employees can retire at age 52 with 25 years of service. This means that the community is paying for potentially 40+ years of retirement. This is unsustainable. Example: $50K average annual pension plus average annual healthcare benefits of $30K; $80K x 40 years = $3.2M for just one retiree. Multiply this by 200 and you can see why we are in trouble financially.
5. Elected officials have not been fiscally responsible.
A public accounting firm completed a study which recommended millions in cost cuts. Those were all vetoed by Township leaders. There are many examples of mismanagement of finances within the Township.
1. The Township pays lavish salaries and pensions.
Employees are at the top end of the pay scale with annual pay increases and many perks. The Township pays 14% of salary for 401B plans , an extremely expensive cost for taxpayers compared to other communities, paying 2 - 8%. Retired employees hired before 2011, enjoy 75% of their annual salary which includes spikes for overtime, banked vacation time, years of service and cost of living increases. Many retirees are in the $100K/year club.
2. The Township provides extravagant health benefits.
An employee with a family of 4 pays only $15/month for complete health care benefits (medical, dental, vision and pharmacy), an extremely low cost. Retiree healthcare premiums (medical, dental, vison and prescriptions) have very low cost for retirees. In 2013 the Township sold $80M in bonds to fund the healthcare benefits for just the defined benefit retirees.
3. Bloomfield Township employees don't "participate" in the cost in the way that is common today or transition to Medicare. One of the drivers for the sharp increase in health care is the fact many don't have to contribute commensurately to the cost. E.g.: Public employees with virtually free lifetime health benefits. If you are not paying for something, naturally you will want the best at any price and health providers charge accordingly. That leads to higher health care related costs for those who pay more directly for the same services.
4. Township allows long retirement with shorter years of service.
Employees can retire at age 52 with 25 years of service. This means that the community is paying for potentially 40+ years of retirement. This is unsustainable. Example: $50K average annual pension plus average annual healthcare benefits of $30K; $80K x 40 years = $3.2M for just one retiree. Multiply this by 200 and you can see why we are in trouble financially.
5. Elected officials have not been fiscally responsible.
A public accounting firm completed a study which recommended millions in cost cuts. Those were all vetoed by Township leaders. There are many examples of mismanagement of finances within the Township.
Employee Contributions Could Offset the Deficit
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Help us inform citizens about the misinformation being shared by our township officials.
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We are creating materials to share information with our neighbors. We have to pay for flyers, postage, signs, websites, etc. which all cost money. We are all personally donating both money and lots of time, but we really need your support. Please take a look at what your tax increase would be if this measure passed.
If you would like to support us, please donate by:
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Help us inform citizens about the misinformation being shared by our township officials.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!