The Village of Laurium is asking voters to approve a reduced Department of Public Works millage that would expand how the funds can be used.
The current DPW millage collects 2.5 mills from property owners to support equipment purchases. The ballot proposal would replace that with a rate of 2.25 mills between 2027 and 2031, raising $79,000.
Village Manager Ian Lewis said the expanded language is crucial for the department’s needs.
“We’re hoping to expand the language so that’s not just for the purchasing of equipment, because not every time do we need to purchase something new, but we need to repair what we just got,” Lewis said. “And I think the village is starting to show that we’re seeking these millages, but we’re also trying to reduce millages.”
Lewis pointed to recent efforts to lower the tax burden on residents. Last year, the village eliminated its fire department apparatus millage, which was 1 mill. This year’s DPW proposal represents a 0.25 mill reduction from the existing rate.
“We were able to offload our fire department apparatus millage this past year, which was one mill. This year we’re seeking to replace the old DPW millage and reduce it by 0.25,” Lewis said.
The DPW millage proposal will appear on ballots for the Nov. 3 election.
Voters should remember to flip over their ballots, as many municipal and county items appear on the back. For more information about voting in Michigan, including sample ballots and voter registration details, visit the Michigan Voter Information Center website for more information on voting in Michigan.
