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Resident criticism and fiscal report highlight budget pressures; trustees urged to consider shared services
Summary
Public commenter Brett Rose criticized trustees for not seeking voter approval to raise taxes for services; fiscal officer reported a likely homestead-related revenue shortfall (~$100,000), a cash/investment balance across funds, and a planned potential $4 million transfer to cover fire and police for one year.
A resident and the township's fiscal report put budget pressure and the prospect of levies at the center of public and board attention on Oct. 14.
Public comment: Brett Rose, a Lakewood resident, criticized trustees for not putting a levy before voters earlier and for what he described as insufficient fiscal leadership. Rose urged trustees to pursue additional revenue and to consider budgetary sacrifices by elected officials. He also questioned past administrative spending and suggested exploring alternative funding such as crowdfunding for larger capital projects.
Fiscal report and budget context: The township's fiscal officer reported several revenue and fund-balance figures for September and year-to-date items. Staff said the county's one-year homestead doubling for tax year 2025 will reduce township receipts next year and estimated the effect at about $100,000 (staff described this as an estimate for budgeting purposes). The fiscal officer reported a checking account balance of approximately $5.9 million and an investment account balance of about $15 million; combined total fund balance across funds was stated as about $21 million. Year-to-date revenues were reported at $15.2 million (about 99% of budget) and expenditures about $12.7 million (about 52% of budget). EMS billings to date were reported at $733,000.
Potential transfer: Staff said the board was likely to consider a transfer of $4 million from the general fund to make the fire and police funds whole for roughly one year; the fiscal officer noted this would reduce general-fund balances but provide a short-term liquidity solution.
Regional concerns and shared services: Trustees and staff discussed larger county and regional risks, including possible state-level property-tax changes and a voter initiative that could reduce or eliminate property-tax revenue streams. An official who attended OKI and other regional meetings warned that such changes could be "catastrophic" for townships and urged looking at shared services and cost-saving partnerships (for fire, police, payroll or other back-office functions) as long-term responses.
Ending: The board heard the public comment and financial update; no levy or transfer was formally approved at the Oct. 14 meeting. Trustees asked staff to continue budget work and return with options and more detail in upcoming meetings.
