Independence Township wants to know if residents are willing to pay for local roads after the Proposal 1 sales tax increase failed in May.
At a July 21 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved a request by Supervisor Pat Kittle to look into alternative options to pay for road repair.
“The condition of the township roadway infrastructure is continuing to deteriorate,? said Kittle.
“Virtually all of the five primary township roadways identified by the Road Commission for Oakland County have gone downhill quickly over the past few years.”
The roads, Maybee, Clarkston, Clintonville, Sashabaw, and Waldon, have gone from “green” and “yellow,” meaning “good” and “fair,” to “red,” meaning “poor,” in the county report.
After Proposal 1 failed, the supervisor received numerous calls asking what the township was going to do with local roads.
In recent Independence Township Times sections of The Clarkston News, Kittle asked readers if they would support a two mil special road millage only to be used to mill and repave 25 miles of primary roads in the township. Kittle received 23 replies ? 16 were in favor.
“This special road millage would sundown after four years. The cost per mile to mill and repave, which was done on M-15, was estimated at $500,000 per mile,? Kittle said. ‘To do the same type of work on about 25 miles of primary roadway in the township would costs around $12.5 million.?
A two mill special road tax would collect $3.1 million annually, or an estimated $12.5 million for the repairs.
To move forward with the concept and ask voters to approve a local road millage, Kittle will explore various RCOC services, including road rehabilitation projects, meet county representatives to discuss local road millages, grants, and cost sharing opportunities, and other types of partnerships between the county and township.
Kittle will also invite the road commission director to address the board regarding the condition of township roads in the future.
A survey to solicit additional input from citizens regarding the concept as well as a citizens advisory committee and appointees will be discussed at a future meeting. Preliminary work also includes costs and ballot language. The supervisor hopes to have a ballot proposal ready for the November 2016 election.