Plymouth City Officials Unveil Revised Parks and Recreation Millage Proposal for November Ballot

City park improvements illustration

Plymouth Proposes New Parks and Recreation Millage for November 5 Ballot

Plymouth, MI

Plymouth city officials are putting a new parks and recreation millage proposal on the ballot for the upcoming November 5 election, following the rejection of a more extensive plan last year. This time around, the proposal aims to raise funds for local parks with a lower cost to taxpayers.

If approved, the proposal would introduce an 8-year, 1.2 mill increase, generating an estimated $834,000 in the first year and totaling $7.2 million over its duration. For homeowners with properties valued at around $300,000, this would mean an annual tax increase of about $180.

Revising After Community Feedback

Last year, a more ambitious plan that included a 12-year, 1.75 mill increase was presented but ultimately rejected by just 66 votes. Of the votes cast, 1,368 (or 51.2%) were against the plan while 1,302 (or 48.8%) supported it. This slim margin highlighted the need for city officials to reconsider how they approach future funding proposals.

Plymouth Mayor Suzi Deal stated that the current proposal reflects feedback collected from residents through surveys and community forum discussion groups hosted by the city commission. “We listened to what residents were saying and the reasons why maybe they were not in support of it,” said Deal. “Then we redesigned the millage…and the key things we needed to focus on.”

What’s Included in the New Plan?

The revised plan does not include the controversial purchase of the former Lumber Mart site located at 639 S. Mill St., a move that had intended to develop a new park with sports fields. Instead, the new proposal is concentrated on four main components:

Deferred maintenance and replacement of equipment at city neighborhood parks
A multi-purpose artificial turf field created in partnership with the property owner
Reactivation of Point Park off Starkweather Road, which serves as a primary entrance to the city
Future renovations and ongoing maintenance of the Plymouth Cultural Center, including replacing all windows and acquiring a new, fully electric Zamboni for ice maintenance

Mayor Deal emphasized the importance of neighborhood parks, stating, “Not very many communities have these little pocket parks within your neighborhood; they’re the beauty of the city and what makes Plymouth Plymouth.” She is optimistic that this new proposal provides the chance for the city to take care of these valuable spaces.

Leveraging Additional Funds

City officials have expressed that the funding derived from this new millage proposal will serve as “seed money” to help the city qualify for additional matching grant funds. Plymouth City Manager Paul Sincock explained, “The availability of grants will affect the overall spending plan. If we have a dedicated revenue source, then that will help qualify for matching funds for large projects.”

Next Steps for Residents

The city is currently developing a dedicated website to inform residents about the parks millage proposal. Additionally, several community forum meetings are planned to engage with the public and gather further input before the election.

As residents prepare to vote in November, they will have the opportunity to consider whether this scaled-back proposal better aligns with their priorities for Plymouth’s park and recreation services.