Board Renews $21.7 Million in Police, Fire Millages for Clinton Twp.

Clinton Township property owners can once again expect to see a police and fire millage on their winter 2012 tax bill.

The board of trustees renewed 5 mills for police and 4 mills for fire following a two-hour public hearing Monday, Sept. 10, at the Civic Center.

The police and fire millages are levied annually on all real property and have remained a constant 5 and 4 mills respectively since their adoption.

The revenue gained from these millages is used to fund the operation and maintenance costs of full-time police and fire departments. Given the current real property values of the township, approximately $9.6 million is expected to be raised for the police department and $12 million for fire.

In total, the millages will raise $21.7 million to fund the township's public safety.

The current police millage was passed in 2006 and is set to expire in 2027. The fire millage was passed in 2002 and will expire in 2021. During the two-hour public hearing on these renewals, only one Clinton Township resident addressed the board with concerns.

Simon Haddad asked that, in future, the board consider following the cost-saving example of its neighboring communities by adopting a paid on-call system rather than employing full-time fire and police services.

"It's unreasonable for us to continue to expect to spend $13 million (on fire)," Haddad said, recommending that the board also consider increasing the role of a third-party provider for EMS.

The Clinton Township Police Department is considering the cost-saving option of , though no commitment has been made to date.