Thursday, October 18, 2012
Chief Chuck Nebus said the move signals 'the end of staffing and service reductions'.
Five new Farmington Hills Police officers – Jason Erickson, David Geffert, Derek Sturdevan, Matthew Theisen, and Mark Umerlik – were sworn in by City Clerk Pam Smith during a ceremony held at City Hall on Oct. 10. In a press release, the department also announced hiring a dispatcher, Jennifer Jordan. Police Chief Chuck Nebus noted the department is filling positions left open by retirements. “The recent hirings do not increase the size of the department, but signify the end of staffing and service reductions,” Police Chief Chuck Nebus said. Farmington Hills residents in 2011 approved 1.7 millsdedicated to funding public safety, which officials said would help maintain service levels in both the fire and police departments. The release …
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Richard Harpster took information from the city website to dispute a presentation made by city manager Steve Brock.
Richard Harpster has lived in Farmington Hills less than a year, but already, he has made an impression on city officials. Harpster has taken a close look at the information officials are presenting about a public safety millage on the Nov. 8 ballot. Officials voted to put the 1.7 mill question to voters, due to a steady decline in revenues from property taxes and state revenue sharing. After learning city manager Steve Brock was going to talk about the millage at a homeowner association meeting, Harpster said, "I decided I'd go research his presentation." Using information he said is readily available on the city's website, Harpster came up with a presentation of his own, which he brought to the Oct. 24 Hills city council meeting. (…
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
More than a dozen people showed up for Monday's City Council work session discussion about a public safety millage.
Farmington Hills officials met Monday in a study session to talk about the possibility of putting a dedicated police and fire millage on the ballot in November. Even though council members would make no formal decision, a group of residents showed up to let officials know they oppose any new taxes. But officials say without additional revenues, the city's budget will plunge into the red within the next five years. City Finance Director Dave Gadja presented budget projections showing two scenarios: both 3 percent and 4 percent increases in expenditures over the next five years. Property taxes, he said, will continue to decline over the next few years, which also means a drop in city tax collections. Gadja doesn't expect property values to …
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Declining property values will cost the city more than $1 billion over a 10-year period ending in 2016-17.
Unless revenues rise or expenditures drop drastically, the City of Farmington Hills can expect to see a major hit to its general fund – and, therefore, services – in the coming years. City Finance Director Dave Gadja shared the results of a 5-year financial forecast at a city council study session Monday night. He detailed the effects of a downward trend in revenues that is not expected to change until at least 2015. Gadja recommended officials ask residents for a special millage on the November ballot, .68 mills, to fund public safety. The city aims to keep services at 2011-12 levels, keep the city's fund balance between 10 and 15 percent of total expenditures and restore the public safety millage to 2007-08 levels, Gadja said. These …
Richard Harpster
9:38 am on Wednesday, November 9, 2011
I want to thank Joni and her news organization for their willingness to try to make the voters aware of all the facts surrounding the Public Safety Millage. In an attempt to get the additional facts out that the city refused to put on their website, I contacted numerous news organizations and although some expressed interest, unlike Joni they did nothing. I will be a reader of the Farmington/… more ›