Voting 'No': Residents Speak from the Lectern Against Millage

Nearly 20 people stood up during the call to audience portion of Monday night's Ferndale City Council meeting. A few of them had events or fundraisers to announce, but most of the residents wanted to talk taxes.

Here are the comments from the lectern by those who are against the millage proposal on the May 3 ballot (to read residents' comments in favor of the millage go ):

"I promised Councilman (Mike) Lennon to keep my minutes below three," said resident Sean House, co-chair of (F.A.C.T.), the group campaigning against the millage. "We have been working so our tax rates don't get out of hand. … Vote carefully. Find out yourself what your own value is." In Ferndale, the tax rate is about 48 mills, the third-highest in the county. However, the average tax bill, which is based on the value of a home, is in the bottom quarter of taxes paid, .

Ferndale business owner and Bloomfield Township resident Dave Leonard is also a co-chair of F.A.C.T. "I don't think you've looked deep enough, far enough," he told the City Council. "The police and fire have been here long before the Center and before the (Downtown Development Authority). … That's what you threaten us with every time you have a little budget crunch."

When Mary Fredricks, a Ferndale resident and supporter of F.A.C.T., got to the lectern, she was angry. "I wasn't really angry until a few minutes ago," she said. "I am with Sean (House) and all of us against the Headlee (Override) and a no vote, and I'm very upset with you as a City Council." Fredricks said that Keith Dalton, who spoke before her and in favor of the millage, had personally attacked those voting no with his comments and that council didn't intervene. She said he had sarcastic things to say about those voting no, and she started to address him personally while at the lectern.

"Now you're addressing him," Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter told Fredricks, asking that she focus her time toward the council. He added that Dalton wasn't personally attacking anyone but was making general comments about a no vote.

Fredricks also said her homeowners insurance would not go up if closed, as . She told the council that her insurance agent said her rates wouldn't go up as long as she lived within five miles of a fire station. Fredricks concluded her time with: "This weekend, a lot of info will be going out, and I wouldn't believe everything you read."

Al Richards has been a resident since 1959, and he told the council that he is dead set against the increase. "This is a battle cry for all the cities around here. When we want an increase, (you threaten that) we are going to lay off firemen and police. In the schools, it is sports and music – now it's police and fire. Before you cut any fire or police, cut some other places around here."

Richards said there was a "big ol' white elephant" sitting across from City Hall called the . "See that," pointing in the direction of the library, "close it down. Close down City Hall two more days. … Let's cut to the bone."

The Ferndale Public Library is a separate authority and does not affect the general fund.

Kay Watson of Ferndale mirrored comments by resident Dan Martin, who spoke in favor of the millage, about having a great police and fire department, but she disagreed with him on the work of the council. "We do have a great police and fire department," Watson said. "But we need to stop some of our exorbitant spending. We can dream dreams, but until we have money..."

Dawn Ptaszynski is voting no. She said it's a time to cut back. "Sacrifice doesn't have anything to do with a big-screen TV," she said. "I have to decide which $3,800 medical injections I have to cut back on."

Ptaszynski told a story about her son, who had to move to Madison Heights because he couldn't find a house in Ferndale that was affordable. "We can't do anything about gas prices, but we have to pay it," she said. "This 38 percent tax increase is something we can do something about." If the millage passes, it would increase overall tax bills by about 6 percent this year and about 5 percent over the next four years.

Alan Soave is voting against the millage May 3. He suggested that the council look to Detroit and its approach to not raising taxes off the bat. "I wish the city of Ferndale would take the same approach," he said. Soave added that if you're on the fence about the millage, to please vote no and then take another look at it in November.