Kalamazoo County to vote Tuesday on law enforcement and safety millage - WWMT-TV
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Voters in Kalamazoo County will decide the fate of a law enforcement and safety millage renewal in the Tuesday, May 3 special election.
The millage was first approved in 1980 and has been renewed every six years since then.
The money would go towards making improvements and maintaining functions for the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office, Kalamazoo County Circuit Court, 8th District Court, the Animal Services and Enforcement Department, and the Office of Community Corrections.
“37% of the employees in the sheriff’s office are paid for by this law enforcement millage," Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Getting said. "48% of employees in the prosecutor’s office are dependent on the law enforcement millage. 48% of animal services [are also dependent], significant portions of the circuit court and district court are supported by this millage. A failure would be catastrophic to public safety here in Kalamazoo County.”
The money from the millage has helped the county continue to improve operations over the last several decades, Getting said.
“Our courts and the prosecutor’s office are facing historic backlogs as a result of the COVID pandemic," he added. "This funding allows us to continue to address those backlogs. I think what you will see is a continuation of the top-notch services this community already benefits from.”
If passed, the millage would raise $13.6 million in 2022 and would continue through 2027.
There would be no tax increase to voters. In fact, Getting said the millage rate is less now than it was decades ago.
“The law enforcement millage is something that Kalamazoo County has benefitted from for years and is something that is something they should feel comfortable voting for," Getting said. "There is no organized opposition to this. Everyone, no matter where they fall on the political spectrum– the left, the right, the republicans, the democrats, the taxpayer groups– all are in favor of passing this law enforcement millage.”
The full list of proposals on the special election ballot can be found here.
source: https://wwmt.com/news/local/kalamazoo-county-to-vote-tuesday-on-law-enforcement-and-safety-millage
Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.