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City launches Livonia Built information campaign ahead of August millage vote
Summary
City staff described an active outreach campaign for a proposed $150 million Livonia Built bond, including a breakdown of project allocations and locations for informational materials; residents urged contingency planning and voter outreach during public comment.
Rob Drzywicki, director of government affairs and outreach, told the Livonia City Council that the administration is running an active public-information effort around the proposed $150 million Livonia Built bond and urged residents to use the city’s official site, livoniabuilt.org, as the authoritative source.
The outreach includes printed brochures at City Hall and libraries, banners and QR codes around town, informational tables at community events and open houses at the library and fire station. “We’re using every available method, to inform the public,” Drzywicki said.
Drzywicki gave a breakdown of how the proposal would allocate funds: “Police and fire, the building, renovating, and expanding, 55% of those funds are going there. The building of the library is 25% of those funds. Park plaza and amenities … is about 13% of that. Infrastructure … 7%. And retail and residential is 0%.” He told council the administration has renderings available and that staff would speak to homeowners associations and other civic groups on request.
During audience communication, several residents urged vigorous voter outreach and contingency planning if the August millage does not pass. “Please have a backup plan,” said Patrick Brockway, a Melrose resident, who noted the low turnout typical of summer elections and urged neighbors to remind each other to vote on Aug. 5. Council members responded that placing an alternative bond on a later ballot would face legal and scheduling hurdles and is not straightforward. “It takes years to work with bond counsel,” Councilman Donovic said, adding he did not believe a near-term replacement could be readied for November.
The council and administration reiterated that campaign-style outreach is intended to direct voters to factual materials; Drzywicki said the city is producing weekly FAQs in response to resident questions. The council did not take any formal vote about the bond during the session covered in this report.
Why it matters: The millage would fund multiple civic projects, and the administration’s outreach and residents’ requests for contingency planning could affect turnout and public understanding before the August vote.
