Police commission proposes 1.92‑mill replacement to restore staffing to 24 officers

Eric Ranka, a member of the Grosse Ile Police Commission, told township trustees during a May study session that the department currently staffs 22 people — nine patrol officers — but needs 24 to operate 12‑hour shifts safely.

Ranka said chronic overtime (about $158,000 a year when the department has 23 staff, versus roughly $50,000 historically at 24) and turnover are driving costs up. He also said a federal DEA position must be staffed to preserve forfeiture dollars and that forfeiture funds (he estimated roughly $1 million on hand) are legally restricted and cannot be treated as an unrestricted operating reserve.

Using the township’s tax base assumptions, Ranka said one mill yields about $88,000. He presented a multi‑year budget projection showing the police operating budget near $4.975 million and concluded the township will need roughly 6.15–6.65 total mills in coming years to sustain a fully staffed department under current assumptions. Ranka added that voters had previously approved 6.6 mills but that the township currently collects about 5.73 mills because of the state rollback effect referred to in the presentation as "Headley." He said that gap produces a recurring shortfall.

Ranka outlined three options trustees had considered: (1) a Headley override (which he said is not feasible because the largest general allocated mill cannot be overridden and because it would require multiple separate ballot questions), (2) a consolidated single mill (high voter‑education burden and political risk if it fails), and (3) let Police Millage 3 (1.00 mill, currently collected at about 0.97) expire and replace it with a new 1.92‑mill police mill to recover the roughly 0.92‑mill shortfall.

"If we collect at 6.65 mills over the next six years, that gets us back to a stable operating position for a 24‑person department," Ranka said, summarizing the projection and the calculus behind the 1.92‑mill proposal.

Trustees asked procedural questions about ballot language and timing. Ranka said the replacement measure could be placed on the August primary ballot and — if it failed — could be tried again in November. He told trustees the board would need to vote on ballot language in time to meet county deadlines; he said staff had identified May 12 as a key board‑vote date for the August schedule. Clerk Jameson confirmed absentee ballots go out 60 days before an election, a consideration trustees said would shape outreach timing.

Ranka warned of service reductions if voters reject replacement or renewal proposals: one scenario he outlined would reduce staffing to about 21 officers and likely eliminate the DEA position, with the accompanying operational impacts on island coverage.

Ranka recommended the police commission finalize a recommendation, work with the township attorney on ballot language, and support a community outreach program — including multiple town halls — if the board approves placing a replacement millage on the ballot.

The trustees did not vote on any millage measure during the session; Ranka said the commission would next vote on a recommendation and return ballot language for board consideration. The board indicated it would need a formal action before the county filing deadlines.

Next steps: the police commission will consider a formal recommendation, staff will draft ballot language for review with the township attorney, and trustees said they want an outreach plan and town halls if a replacement millage is placed on the August or November ballot.