Rochester Hills considers larger pathway millage to accelerate repairs

At the July 7 Rochester Hills City Council meeting, Finance Director Joe Snyder presented options for renewing and possibly increasing the voter-approved pathway millage that funds pathway maintenance and construction across the city.

Snyder said the current voter-approved pathway millage (approved in 2006 for 20 years) is in its 19th year and "there is no official vote at the end of this presentation" but the council needed direction for whether to place a renewal or increase on an upcoming ballot. He told the council the existing levy (0.1715 mill, as presented) generates roughly $875,000 a year for pathway funds, of which about $400,000 is available annually for pathway construction and rehabilitation. "The city has 100 miles of pathways throughout the whole city," Snyder said, noting at the current pace of about one mile of major rehabilitation per year "it would take a hundred years" to cycle the system.

The presentation outlined options: renew the existing millage at the same rate (estimated to fund about one mile per year), renew for a shorter term (5 or 10 years), or increase the millage to finance a faster replacement cycle. Snyder presented a scenario that would fund roughly five miles of pathway rehabilitation per year — a 20-year replacement cycle — requiring an increase of about 0.3285 mill (to roughly 0.5 mill total) and generating an estimated $2.0 million a year for construction. Using the examples shown by Snyder, that 0.5-mill level would raise the annual tax for an owner of a $400,000 home from about $34 to about $100.

Council members focused on priorities and tradeoffs. Councilmember John Blair asked whether there are economy-of-scale savings for building multiple miles at once and whether a higher millage would allow snow removal or increased plowing capacity; Snyder cautioned the latter would require additional staff. "I guess what I'd like to know is, you know, what's the current condition... are we going to immediately be doing all that $2,000,000 or gonna ramp it up," Blair said. Vice President Carlock confirmed pathways can be bid along with road asphalt projects to get efficiencies.

Councilmember Erin Mangioli said she favors prioritizing safety while avoiding untargeted tax increases and noted several grant programs that can be applied to safety enhancements. "Safety, however, is the city's first strategic objective," she said, urging the council to prioritize rehabilitation of existing pathways before adding new miles. Several council members asked staff to identify grant opportunities, clarify how gaps in rights-of-way are addressed (property owners must donate or sell frontage to fill gaps), and provide a multi-year funding and rehabilitation plan.

Snyder advised the council of key deadlines: the existing millage authorizations run through fiscal 2026; to get new language on the November 2025 ballot would require direction at the July 21 council meeting; a last chance to place renewal language on the November 2026 ballot would require decisions by about July 2026. He recommended a 10-year renewal as a likely middle ground, or an increase if the council wants a faster replacement cycle. No formal vote was taken; Snyder said the next steps could include referring the matter to the Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee for further review and then returning to the council with a final proposal and proposed ballot language.

The discussion combined operating, maintenance, capital transfer and potential sources of matching funds: Snyder said the operating program, including crack sealing, mowing, tree work and snow plowing, accounted for a significant share of millage-funded expenditures, and that gaps in the system often require acquisition of private frontage to construct missing segments. Councilmembers asked staff to model alternatives that combine increased millage with expected grant revenue and to provide condition-assessment data showing which segments are nearest term for rehabilitation.