Shelby Township Supervisor Pledges ‘No New Taxes, No Reduced Services’ in 2013
Supervisor Richard Stathakis said the township will need to further reduce its spending to maintain a balanced budget in the year ahead.
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With no state or federal windfall expected in 2013, Shelby Township will continue its efforts to reign in spending, which includes reforming police and fire pensions, and work to balance its budget while preserving residents’ present quality of life, Supervisor Richard Stathakis said.
Stathakis joined Sterling Heights Mayor Richard Notte and Utica Mayor Jacqueline Noonan Wednesday at the annual Heritage Luncheon hosted by the Sterling Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce to provide an overview of 2012 and highlight the pros and cons the township will face in 2013.
More: Utica Mayor Pushes for 'Collaboration, Consolidation' to Reduce Costs in New Year
“Our No. 1 priority is to reform police and fire pensions,” Stathakis said. “We couldn’t afford these programs 30 years ago and we absolutely cannot afford them now. The out-of-control pension program is running us broke.”
With “six fiscal conservatives” re-elected to the township board, Stathakis said the township plans to concentrate its resources on re-negotiating the contracts tied to these programs and balancing the budget without adding taxes or reducing services.
Although the township will continue to face challenges in public safety, the supervisor noted that Shelby did complete its new $4 million police station at 52530 Van Dyke and shut down the sale of K2 at the Citgo Gas Station on Van Dyke Avenue and 21 Mile Road and at Woodstock Tobacco in 2012.
“K2 is a growing problem and we promise to tackle this,” Stathakis said.
As for improving the quality of life in Shelby Township, residents can look forward to more concerts and outdoor movies, additional mountain bike trails in River Bends Park, an expanded bike path from Stony Creek to Lake St. Clair Metropark and completion of Gene Shepherd Park, formerly Soccer City Park, in 2013.
“We’re not going to raise taxes in Shelby. Period. We’ll do what we can with what we have,” Stathakis said, adding that the township reserves the right to lay off employees as needed to stay within budget.
Ernest Berger
6:06 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Don't do as I do, do as I say! Politicians think they know everything but never walked the walk.
YOUR priority Mr. Supervisor should first be to work a 40 hour week, Monday through Friday 8:30 - 5:00 like everyone else does. Priority #2 should be to eliminate some expenses that YOU created such as consultants? How much has this township spent under YOUR leadership on consultants and legal counsel defending this board on foolish decisions such as the towing contract? This is why I did not vote for you this last time, YOU cannot make a decision without a consultant telling you what to do. I elect people to make decisions, not pawn them off & blame someone else for the hardships put onto the employees. Pensions are not the #1 problem in Shelby Township just like K2 isn't. Mark Manquin ring a bell, for those residents that don't know him, he is another outside consultant that Mrs. Flynns company used for consulting prior to him coming into Shelby. How much have we paid him or the company he works for in the last 4 calender years? How many more multi-year tax abatements are we going to allow? Is it true the police millage is paying rent on the parking lot at the township building? You are making a joke of the system if this is indeed happening. Has this township already laid some people off? Wake up residents, the supervisors top 10 wish list every year is a joke. He picks the ones that seem like easy targets and goes after them, but the board never completed ANY 10 in a year.
Matt Guarnieri
3:39 pm on Saturday, January 26, 2013
Huh? Your rant doesn't make sense. The "consultants" have saved millions in tax dollars, that's money in the pocket of each and every tax payer. The abatement's have brought millions of dollars of NEW investments into the township. The police millage doesn't pay for the police and fire pensions as they should, instead that money comes out of my pocket separately. This is a TOP priority. Let's either cut the pensions or make the police and fire pay for the short fall out of their current budgets. No excuses!!!... No taxpayer bailouts, no more digging in my pocket to pay for others mistakes!!!
Geoff Hoffman
10:40 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
@Matt, your rant doesn't make sense. You only say that because you don't agree with Mr. Berger. The same can just as easily be said about your rant. The abatement's have NOT brought millions of dollars of NEW investments into the township. The last round of abatement's were to businesses that already reside in Shelby and by their own admission are thriving. Why do we need to give further abatement's to businesses that are thriving? Abatement's were created to attract new businesses to Michigan but have merely become tools that businesses use to pit one municipality against another.
John Lang
4:23 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
I didn't see the Supervisor talking about abatements in the article unless I missed it; are you talking about the tax abatements that were given to businesses like Century Plastics?
http://shelby-utica.patch.com/articles/looking-for-work-shelby-township-company-hiring-for-100-plus-positions
If so, maybe you should ask some of the people that this place wanted to hire for the princely sum of $8.25 per hour about the millions of dollars in new investments.
Romney2012
10:30 am on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Typical Matty G defending $thatkis. Where are you getting your inflated figures from, Matt? Consultants have saved Shelby "millions" (emphasis on the plural)? I find that impossible to believe. It's almost as ludicrous as Karl Rove on Fox News on election night. Matt--why not say the consultants have saved us "BILLIONS"? That sounds better and is just as believable.
judy Martin
6:37 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
you know if their lips are moving,they are lying.
Robert Golda
10:40 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
Are you kidding me???????? Possible cuts in Police & Fire, yet this insane BIKE Pathway through Holland Ponds Park, that will definitely Kill every Heron in the largest Great Blue Heron nesting site in S.E.Michigan will continue to get funding from the Township? That's just plain stupid. The recent $300,000 given from the state DNR to get this BIKE Pathway to nowhere finished, will take at least triple those funds from Shelby Twp. to finish only to the new Park they are still constructing on 23 mile rd. It will take millions to get it connected to the Macomb Orchard Pathway, which is their goal. WHY? Destroy Shelby Twp. most prestigious Natural resources site with the Heronry at Holland Ponds, all for more BIKE Pathways? We are told they will bring in all types of business money and increase our private lands worth. yet after they segments from Sterling Heights went in two years ago, we are talking about Police & Fire cuts due to a lack of money. The DNR and these BIKE Pathway promoters told us we all would be rolling in money with these new Pathways. Two years....Nothing. So invest millions more in the same stuff? Great plan.