Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Streets topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hillsdale council declines to suspend special assessment rule for street projects
Summary
After lengthy debate, the Hillsdale City Council voted down proposals to suspend the Special Assessment District policy and explore alternative funding, leaving the existing SAD process in place. Council discussed that eight SADs funded $5,882,819 in work between 2021 and 2025 but could not reach majority support to pause the policy.
The Hillsdale City Council considered motions to suspend portions of its Special Assessment District (SAD) policy as a way to accelerate 2025–2026 street reconstruction work but rejected those proposals on March 2, 2026.
Staff outlined that since 2021 the city has used SADs alongside Act 51 revenue, local street millage funds and grants to fund reconstruction; the minutes say eight SADs created between 2021 and 2025 enabled $5,882,819 in street reconstruction over five construction seasons. Council members discussed the trade-offs of SADs, including resident assessments versus city-funded alternatives.
Councilman Matthew Bentley first moved to suspend SAD policy requirements until August 2026; the motion received no second and died. A subsequent motion by Bentley, seconded by Councilman Robert Socha, to suspend the requirement to levy SADs until the November 2026 election also failed on a 2-6 roll call. City Manager David Mackie asked the council to allow staff to review other funding mechanisms while noting residents have paid under existing SADs.
Because the motions failed, council left the existing SAD policy framework in place and directed staff conversation to continue; the minutes do not record any immediate commitment to a new funding source or detail a staff timetable for alternative proposals.
