Council expected to vote on budget at regular meeting on June 9
By Megan Kelley
Editor
mkelley@mihomepaper.com
CLARKSTON — At its meeting on May 27, the Clarkston City Council held its required public hearing for the proposed 2025-26 fiscal year budget.
Council heard a presentation from City Manager Jonathan Smith regarding the budget which included much of the same information presented to council at its last meeting on May 12 when council discussed upcoming budget challenges the city anticipates for the upcoming fiscal year.
In that meeting, Smith highlighted five potential challenge areas: Oakland County police services, Oakland County assessing services, new city attorney, building and inspection services and administrative staff salaries.
According to information provided by Smith, the overall percentage increase anticipated between all five categories is 20.9%, or $72,641.
Also in that meeting, Smith suggested one potential way to help alleviate some of the financial burden, would be to remove the current reduction on the Clarkston Independence District Library Millage, which was reduced by .691 mills from its original 1.25 mills back in 2014. The rest of the millage has been paid for by the city since its inception.
The proposed budget includes an increase in the total mills levied by the city up to the maximum amount which is 11.4923. Currently, the city levies 10.9787 mills, according to the Oakland County Assessor’s Office.
Significant changes in the proposed 2025-26 budget revenue compared to the 2024-25 budget include the increase in taxable values, removal of the CIDL millage reduction and increase in permit fees.
The main sources of revenue include: $100,000 in the Local Road Fund, $83,200 in the current Fund Balance, $75,595 tax revenue increase and removal of CIDL millage reduction and $70,000 in the Parking Fund.
The suggested uses for this money are: $170,000 for the repaving of E. Church Street and W. Miller, $35,000 for document scanning, $33,180 for administrative salary increases, $25,000 for storm drain repairs and pipe lining, $8,620 to convert the current part-time DPW laborer to full-time and to re-open the city offices on Fridays.
While some residents spoke against the administrative wage increases, other items such as the repaving of city roads and storm drain repairs saw more support.
City council is expected to vote on the budget at its next regular meeting on June 9 at 7 p.m. at Artemus M. Pappas Village Hall, located 375 Depot Road.