22. April 2005 • Murph
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The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners has scheduled four public forums on “Washtenaw County’s public safety and justice needs” – an expanded jail and Sheriff’s patrols of rural townships.
The forums will be held,
> April 26, 2005 5:30 pm, Forsythe Middle School Media Center 1655 Newport Road, Ann Arbor
> May 4, 2005 5:30 pm, Washington Street Education Center 500 Washington St, Chelsea
> May 10, 2005 7:30 pm, Superior Township 3040 N. Prospect, Corner of Cherry Hill & Prospect
> May 11, 2005 7:00 pm, Southwest Council of Government, Manchester Village, 912 City Road, Manchester
The Criminal Justice Collaborative Council has several relevant resources on their website.
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The evil genius of township government is that it allows people to systematically avail themselves of urban-quality services while avoiding almost all of the costs. When it comes to acquiring amenities and services, they say “hey, we’re all one big community” but when it comes to paying for such services (or, even worse in their minds, housing lower-income people), suddenly “oh, we don’t do that out here in the townships.” State law lets them get away with this, but too often it seems cities buy into this kind of thinking as well. I’ve got a proposal for Scio Township: the City of Ann Arbor will take care of your policing needs, just as soon as you vote to be annexed.
—Phil D. Apr. 22 '05 - 07:32PM #
I’m strongly in favor of eliminating the patrol subsidy; if Ann Arbor is in the position of having to choose which services they can afford and which they have to cut, the Townships really shouldn’t have services handed to them on a silver platter.
There’s also road construction – Ann Arbor / Ypsi / Chelsea / Saline / Dexter residents are paying for most of their roads, and also paying for most of the Townships’ roads. I’m against all (new) Township road paving, most Township bridge reconstruction, and so on. If the road is good enough that you can drive farm equipment down it without damage to the equipment, it’s good enough that Ann Arbor doesn’t need to be paying anything to improve it.
—Murph Apr. 22 '05 - 09:21PM #
We used to provide road patrols for free, but we stopped that and made people pay, but it has gotten far beyond what we can afford.
So please come and let us know your feelings. “Ann Arbor address, low township taxes” in real estate ads make ne see red! and you are right about sprawl.
It is time for the townships to step up to the plate and pay their fair share.
—Leah Apr. 23 '05 - 08:59PM #
—Leah Apr. 23 '05 - 09:00PM #