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Rochester Hills council explains move of fire millage to August ballot, urges resident outreach
Summary
Vice President Mongioli told the council the fire millage was moved from November to the August 4 ballot to improve grant alignment and to give the measure clearer visibility; the council encouraged absentee voting and outreach ahead of the election.
Vice President Mongioli said the council voted at its May 11 meeting to move a proposed Rochester Hills fire millage from the November ballot to the Aug. 4, 2026 ballot to better align with grant opportunities and avoid competing millages that could dilute voter attention. "Finding the right time to ensure the fire millage receives the attention it deserves is extremely important," Mongioli said.
She told the council the department has data showing the increase is needed now and stressed the request is "not a wish list or a blank check, but a necessary increase in fire services to support our growing community." Mongioli urged residents to request absentee ballots from the clerk’s office and to watch forthcoming informational materials as the city prepares outreach for the August election.
Mayor Barnett and other councilmembers endorsed the decision at the meeting and asked staff to provide FAQs and tax-calculator resources. Administration later pointed residents to two informational pages the city created ahead of August: rochesterhills.org/firemillillage and rochesterhills.org/pathwaymillillage.
The council’s action to place the millage date change on the August ballot occurred at a prior meeting; Mongioli summarized the rationale and next steps for residents during the June 8 council meeting. No formal vote on the millage itself was taken during the June 8 session.
