Residents complain about tax and water-rate increases; council reiterates limits on local fireworks enforcement

A Garden City resident used the public‑comment period Monday to criticize recent property‑tax and water‑rate increases and to say the increases were excessive and possibly unlawful.

"The water rate itself is over 50%, which I thought was a little excessive," the resident said, adding that fixed charges and a 1.5‑mill increase on homeowners’ bills were not clearly explained on mailed tax statements.

Council members and staff responded with explanations and directions for follow up. City staff and council members said the city manager and clerk are available to explain lien procedures and water‑billing collections. In the council comment period, Council member Kara Fotis stressed legal limits on municipal authority over fireworks and urged residents to contact state lawmakers to change state law.

"If you want to change the firework laws in the state of Michigan, then you need to contact your state rep," Fotis said. She and other council members described operational limits: local police must witness fireworks being ignited to issue many citations, and the department handled hundreds of calls over the July 3–6 period.

A council speaker said the department received 253 calls about fireworks and noise during that interval, and that officers issued warnings and some violations where staff observed violations. The speaker said the department added extra personnel to respond but could not reach every caller in time. Council members encouraged neighbors to discuss concerns with each other and to contact the police for repeat or ongoing incidents.

No council action resulted from the public comment; council members noted the substance of the concerns and pointed residents to administrative staff and the city clerk for billing questions.