Riverview council adopts resolution to explore 2-mill public safety special assessment

Riverview — The Riverview City Council on March 24 adopted a resolution of intent to undertake a citywide special assessment to raise funds for police protection and public safety and directed the city manager to prepare cost estimates, Council members said.

The resolution, introduced under the Police and Fire Protection Act 33 of 1951, passed in a roll-call vote with five yes votes and two council members excused. Councilman Brian Pray moved the resolution; Councilman Michael O'Neil seconded it. Councilman Workman, Councilman Robbins, Councilman Pray, Councilman O'Neil and Mayor Swift voted yes; Councilman Webb and Councilman Gagnaga were recorded as excused.

Council leaders framed the move as a step to shore up funding after Riverview’s landfill revenue declined and the city faces a roughly $60,000,000 post-closure liability for that facility. “This is what Riverview looks like without a landfill,” Mayor Swift said, noting staff had trimmed other budget items but a gap for public safety remained.

City Manager Jeff (no last name given) told the council the assessment is intended to help fund police apparatus, vehicles, equipment and personnel after several years of deferred replacements. “This is to offset and basically help fund the police department,” Jeff said.

Finance staff provided budget figures to explain the shortfall. Anne (finance director) told the council the general fund operating rate is about 14.627 mills and generates roughly $6.2 million. She said the police budget in the current draft is about $5.3 million and represents about 86% of tax revenues generated for operations; an additional fire mill of 1.407 generates about $626,000 while the fire department’s operating budget on the draft is roughly $4.6 million. With the proposed 2-mill assessment, staff estimated about $852,000 in additional revenue; even with that, officials said police and fire would still be short approximately $107,000 under the current figures.

Council members emphasized the request is to authorize preparation of cost estimates and to register the city’s intent under statute; it is not a final levy. “It’s not a tax increase. It’s just the renewal of the 2 mills,” Mayor Swift said during the discussion.

A member of the public, Sally Sutherland of Hamilton Street, asked whether recent news coverage about potential changes in Michigan’s landfill tipping fees — including a reported proposal to increase surcharges from $0.37 to $5 — would affect Riverview’s landfill revenue. The council and staff responded that Riverview has no contracts to accept Canadian trash and that, while higher state surcharges would raise statewide rates, the surcharge revenue mechanism would largely flow to the state and might be redistributed for mitigation; staff said Riverview does not expect the proposed surcharge to change the city’s timeline to close the landfill.

The council’s formal action was limited to adopting a resolution of intent under the Police and Fire Protection Act and directing the city manager to produce cost estimates and related materials for the potential special assessment district. No final millage or implementation date was set; details about the proposed assessment district boundaries, ballot timing (if required), or required public-notice steps were not specified in the meeting record.

Next steps noted by the council: staff will prepare detailed cost estimates and budget analysis for the proposed public safety special assessment and return with materials for further council consideration. The council did not set a schedule for those follow-up materials during the special meeting.