Mayor warns of countywide busing ballot and GLWA rate meeting; schedules dam public meeting
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Summary
Mayor told the council Wayne County will place a countywide busing/transportation question on the August ballot that could add nearly a mill to local taxes if approved; he also flagged a proposed ~5.5% GLWA water-rate increase with a public meeting Feb. 25 and plans a dam-focused public presentation.
In his report the mayor told the Flat Rock City Council that a state law change requires Wayne County to hold a countywide ballot question in August on whether communities participate in county-managed busing/transportation. The mayor said the ballot will be all-or-nothing for county residents and that, if approved, Flat Rock could face nearly an additional mill on taxes to pay for the transportation system. He said Wayne County aims to present a plan before the vote and that he will invite county staff to present to the council or at a rec-center meeting for the public.
On water rates, the mayor said the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) is considering a proposed increase of about 5.5 percent and identified a GLWA meeting scheduled for Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. (in-person and via Zoom) as a public opportunity to review details; the mayor emphasized that GLWA is a regional authority and not the city's water department.
The mayor also said environmental testing has been completed at the dam site and that the city plans a public meeting by the end of the month to present findings and take resident questions, pending weather-related scheduling constraints.
Context and next steps: The mayor described Wayne County’s approach as wanting to have a plan in place before asking voters to decide and said the county’s ballot item will be part of the August primary election. The mayor encouraged residents to participate in GLWA public processes and to attend the forthcoming local meeting about the dam and any purchase details the city will present.
