Charter Township of Alpena residents will be asked in November to support a millage for the township’s fire department – the same one that was voted down just last week.
Township trustees voted 5 to 2 Tuesday, to place the identical millage language on the November ballot.
The request failed during last Tuesday’s primary election on a vote of 1,446 to 1,191. Trustees Russ Rhynard and Norm Poli voted against a motion to place the millage request on the ballot a second time. Trustees Cash Kroll, Nathan Skibbe, Steve Lappan, Laura Ellery-Somers and Michele Palevich voted yes.
Kroll noted that last week’s vote “was fairly close.” He told True North Radio Network that fire service is mandated and the millage is the only way to provide a proper fire service to citizens. He said that presenting even a slightly smaller millage to residents would only reduce the size of the fire department and the ability to adequately respond to emergencies.
Township voters will once again be asked to support a six-year, three-mill levy for fire department operations and equipment acquisition. The millage would raise an estimated $1,134,359 in year one.
