Really well stated!

I plan on voting no an additional $200 tax on top of the nuisance fees I'm already paying (i.e. parking meters in front of the post office) is too much. Keeping the size of public safety budgets low and the costs associated with staffing (i.e. pensions and benne) is in R.O. tax payers best interests. You're not going to be able to scare a yes vote out of me...

Royal Oak currently has less police officers per resident than any of the surrounding cities. This isn't about keeping the size of the budget low, this is about the budget being far too small already to maintain low crime rates. If this fails, expect to see crime rates in Royal Oak surpass those in Ferndale, Madison Heights, Southfield, etc. in the years to come.

OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE!
Our Royal Oak Police are understaffed. We have been lucky so far, but luck is something I don't want to rely on when protecting my family and property. While on topic...Royal Oak bars and restaurants should pay an additional surcharge for police services.

The downtown district does pay an additional tax which I believe is right around 2 mills. Also, higher tax assessed values in the downtown area result in them paying higher taxes.

I do not know what percentage of taxes come from the downtown area, or the percent of the city's budget they consume, so I have no idea if they are paying their "fair share" or not, but they do pay an additional tax for being in the downtown area.

I am not opposed to taxing the downtown bars and restaurants more if they really are consuming more of the budget than they are contributing, I just haven't seen any information to make an educated decision on this matter.

Great discussion! In my opinion, on the surface, this seems like a chicken or the egg argument. The problem is that if we wait for the local govt to be voted out or do the right thing, well be waiting a while. In the meantime I don't have a problem paying more to support the people who, even short staffed, do an incredible job.

The police chief has recommended against liqour licenses for a lot of people and been over ruled every time. Going forward, whoever he supports for election gets my vote.

Ms Campbell - You are misguided, misinformed and misled. Your information is inaccurate and your accusations toward this mayor and the commission are ridiculous.
Their is no "sucking " of police from the neighborhoods to patrol the downtown. If you were to check the facts - which you don't seem to care about - you would know that at no time did any call go unanswered in a residential area during any downtown incident. The downtown patrols are paid for by DDA funding and overtime for the extra officers. Their is no reduction in coverage to the neighborhoods because of our downtown.
Furthermore your accusation that the commision has a pro bar majority is blatantly false. If you were to check the commission votes on liquor license related items since January 1st ( I have ) you will note that most of the votes were unanimous and / or were moved and seconded by Commissioners Poulton and Cappello. Or maybe I am mistaken and they are part of your alleged "pro bar " group.
You and others who would like to bring down our city should get your facts right and stop the negative, fear mongering, blatant misinformation and borderline slanderous statements.

When "all units" are called to the downtown, and it happens nearly every single weekend, just ask a Royal Oak cop, then police are sucked from all four corners of this community.

Don't be bullied, Ms. Campbell. You've obviously struck a nerve.

Mr. Ripinski, you are the one fanning the flames with inflammatory language and charges. You need to be respectful, or take your crayons and go home.

No one wants "to bring the city down". How ridiculous to make such a statement? There are a lot of people concerned that the city has built an entertainment district when we don't have the money to service an entertainment district, and I'm one of them.

I, like Ms. Campbell, would consider supporting a police millage if I was confident that the police would be patroling my neighborhood. Right now, I'm not very confident that my additional tax dollars would be spend to patrol my neighborhood. I'm afraid it would be spent to pay for more police in the downtown, or that the city council would continue adding bars into the downtown.

I like the idea of connecting the millage request to a bar moratorium. None of these things were talked about when the last moratorium was voted on. Heck, I even voted against the moratorium back then. I've changed my position based on my personal experiences and observations of what goes on in the downtown.

Now be an adult, and quit the name calling.

I think it is fair to say, the City Commission did not cause the housing collapse, the subsequent devaluation of local real estate and the considerable drop in taxes paid to the city by home and business owners as a result. I also think it is fair to say that we have a couple problematic alcohol serving establishments in our city. The irony is, the problematic locations are places that have been around for many years and the new city commission had nothing to do with them. However, whether we are talking about new or older establishments, I think it is incredibly unfair to pin the financial problems plagueing the city on a few bars. I look forward to supporting the millage to restore adequate public safety staffing levels that were drastically reduced as a result of a financial collapse.....not a few bars.

Ms Campbell and Mr or Mrs Ross ( not sure )
I hardly considered my statements to be "name calling " however if they were recieved that way I do apologize. On the other hand I would recommend that if you are going to join the debate on this issue it might be wise to be thick skinned. And Mr or Mrs Ross I loved the "crayon " comment, now that is some reall funny stuff.
Finally I will ask again the question I have asked a few times on this and other threads. ( sorry for the caps ) HAS THERE EVER BEEN ONE CALL THAT WENT UNANSWERED IN A RESEDENTIAL AREA WHEN THERE WAS AN INCIDENT IN DOWNTOWN?

..... Oh I almost forgot. The parking money that you said .."amounts to almost nothing " was $1 million ( per City Manager Johnson ) added to the general fund which is eaten up almost entirely by public safety. That money "thrown into the pot" as you say pays for an extra 10 police officers. And where is the parking revenue generated? Oh yeah in the downtown district. Gee I guess I need to take my crayons and go home! ;-)

public safety? there are more red light runners in this city & when was the last time you seen a speed limit enforced??? hows bout a reality check by actually driving our local roads.they are doing the best they can w/lack of manpower.sure isn't the rack & files fault for funding shortfalls.w/4k parking meters where is the revenue going?

Mike, the parking fund money was never intended to supplement the general fund. If it was, the parking ordinance would have been written that way.

The parking fund is being used like a crutch during these tough economic times. By draining the parking fund, the city will pay the price down the road.

Additionally, city manager Johnson has stated that the parking fund will be drained at some point down the road.

Has the Commission EVER--discussed the number of additional police officers the DDA will be required to pay for with the downtown taxes they capture? All the Mayor and Commission talks about is the number of police officers they expect the rest of us to pay for.

If the DDA paid for the downtown police unit with the taxes they capture from the downtown bars the millage amount could be lower--not be such a burden, particularly to seniors on fixed incomes—We shouldn’t succumb to scare tactics, and vote for a millage that subsidizes security for the bars. The Commission needs a contractual agreement requiring the DDA to pay for the dedicated downtown police unit with the downtown taxes they capture before we vote in November.

Like I said before I’ll gladly support a millage to pay for cops for the neighborhoods –Just don’t run a scam pretending residents have to pay for cops for the bars too --The ball’s in the Commission’s court—They need to choose to do the right thing and stop treating residents like we’re suckers-

And sure M Ross I agree—Why not add a moratorium question to the ballot —
--I sure bet it would pass this time around-

No one has mentioned the nice little Christmas gift the commission is trying to give to the good citizens of Royal Oak.

We've already been mailed our July 2012 tax bills. If this millage increase passes in November, the city will send an additional tax bill in December 2012 for the new levy.

Royal Oak's Christmas present is getting the addition bill just in time for the holidays. Merry Christmas!

Is there a group to contact to support our police and how can I contact them? Bottom line we need more police. A teenage boy was run down in a hit and run last night and we need more police to patrol the neighborhoods and inforce traffic laws.

Hi Stephanie,

Direct your questions to:
ROPoliceandFireMillage@yahoo.com