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Mary Fields urges the city to monetize long‑held parcels; another resident questions TAC millage
Summary
During general public comment, Mary Fields urged the commission to review long‑held city properties as potential revenue sources and offered a list; an unnamed resident questioned a TAC 2.66‑mill levy and said they see little service improvement despite paying extra taxes.
At the Dec. 2 Battle Creek City Commission meeting, Mary Fields, of 89 Lathrop, called on the commission to examine a list of city‑owned properties she provided and consider turning long‑held parcels into revenue rather than continued expense.
"A lot of them don't have a sales history, which means maybe they were owned in the eighties... When you own them, you don't get revenue. You get expenses," Fields said, urging the commission to review maintenance costs and the opportunity cost of holding obsolete parcels. She told the commission she has copies of a property list and said she would leave copies for the mayor.
Another resident (not named in the transcript) raised concerns about a TAC millage, saying nearly $62 of their bill goes to TAC at a 2.66 millage rate and asking who the service will actually serve and what changes will be in summer service. The resident said they have not used transit in their district and questioned whether the tax is producing visible benefits.
The transcript records the public comments and the chair thanked speakers and moved the meeting along; there is no record of a commission response or follow‑up directive in the meeting text. The public comments were made during the general comment period; the transcript does not show that the commission took action on the issues raised at that meeting.
What happens next: The comments were recorded in the meeting minutes; the transcript does not indicate any immediate staff follow‑up or scheduled return of the items to an agenda.
