Royal Oak Native Helps Spearhead Keep Berkley Strong Campaign

to address the Municipal Operating, Police and Fire Millage Proposal that will be on the Aug. 7 ballot.

Royal Oak native Tim Gaudet helped orgainize the informational meeting. Gaudet, who has lived in Berkley the past 11 years, was part of a 15-member Citizens Advisory Committee that studied at the city's finances and recommended a 3-mill Headlee Override proposal to cover operating costs for the Public Safety Department, Public Library, Public Works Department, parks, sanitation and other services.

The Headlee Amendment, approved by Michigan voters in 1978, spells out various restrictions that Lansing and local municipalities must adhere to regarding tax policy, one of which includes the prohibition by local governments to add new taxes — or increase existing ones — without securing voter consent.

“Our goal is to educate the electorate on the pros and cons," Gaudet said. "If Berkley citizens were presented with the same information the Citizens Advisory Committee was, I am sure the millage would be overwhelmingly approved.”

The Berkley proposal equals $3 per thousand dollars of taxable value, which the city estimates will cost the average Berkley homeowner an extra $175 each year. If approved, residents would see the millage in their 2013 summer property tax bills.

"What I tell people is this tax is not going to fund a foreign policy or build a bridge somewhere in another city. This is for us. Residents have to remember we are the City of Berkley," Gaudet said. "This is a watershed moment for us. We have to decide what type of Berkley we want to live in."

Berkley City Manager Jane Bais-DiSessa said if the millage – which would raise $1,362,000 – does not pass, the city will have to make cuts that could include leaf pickup, tree replacement, some street repairs, code enforcement, library hours and programs, Parks & Recreation programs and Public Safety officers.

In Royal Oak, in his , Mayor Jim Ellison the Royal Oak City Commission unanimously voted to put a referendum on the ballot this November

"For the average household this millage will mean an additional $270 per year," Ellison said. "It’s time to put our money where our mouth is and show that – as a community – we are willing to financially support the services that we want, that we need, and that we’ve come to expect."

Gaudet said he is interested in seeing Royal Oak's millage pass, too.

"My parents live in Royal Oak and I want them to be safe and continue to enjoy the city services they have always enjoyed."

How do Berkley and Royal Oak compare to cities nearby?