keep ypsi rollin’
AY PAC asks voters to support and pass Headlee Override Amendment
In September 2009, a resolution added to the agenda by Council Member Pete Murdock obligated the City to funding of AATA through revenue generated by an additional millage requiring a Headlee override.*
Now Ypsilanti City Council, has passed a resolution putting a ballot proposal for this Headlee override request and a charter amendment to the voters on the August primary election. If passed, Ypsilanti will have dedicated funds for public transit needs which currently consist of AATA local bus service costs.
In short, if passed, homeowners taxes will go up .9 mils, or about 1.5%. In actuality however, most homeowners taxes are going down an average of 10% due to lowered property values. If the Headlee amendment passes, most would realize a net decrease of about 8.5%.
As this ballot proposal resolution was supported by the entire City Council, the vote to bring it to the voters was unanimous. Murdock initiated the amendment and had suggested that increased revenues would become necessary as long as a year ago. Mayor Schreiber also supports this and did so at the meeting with both his comments and his vote.
The concern AY PAC has is getting the voters to pass this. In this heavily anti-tax environment, any tax increase needs a strong campaign for it to pass.
While Murdock initiated the process to put it to the voters, he timed it so that his campaign for mayor is occurring at the same time. He will be busy as that race will be hotly contested. Will Murdock champion it with the voters? Pete is a seasoned campaigner, so if he does champion this tax increase, AY PAC is sure it will pass.
AY PAC joins the Mayor and Council in encouraging all voters to support this proposal on the August ballot. Let’s ensure that we pass the Headlee Override Amendment.
* Council Resolution 2009-193 (9/8/2009) – ”And Further Resolved that lacking any progress on the establishment of a regional transit authority and the accompanying scheduling of an election, the City Council will place on the November 2010 general election ballot a Headlee Rollback proposal that captures and designates the increased revenues solely for funding public transportation.” [Note that the proposal will actually appear on the August 3rd primary election ballot.]
posted by B. Bashert