On Tuesday May 5, we will have an opportunity to make a decision on an investment that will serve Novi for many generations to come.
It’s no secret that recent national studies show parks help attract both businesses and residents to new communities. This Signature Park will assist Novi in its continued effort to diversify the tax base, create economic development and improve the quality of life of its residents.
I respect everyone’s opinion, but I would ask this proposal be judged on its merits not on labels attached to it. If you are opposed to Signature Park merely because it can be labeled a “tax increase,” and those are unpopular now, I think that would be a mistake. It is either good for Novi – or it is not. If it is good for Novi in the long run the fact that it, technically, raises taxes does not magically transform it into something that is bad for Novi. Remember, we’re talking about .5 of a mil. That’s $75 a year for a home valued at $300,000. Let’s put that into perspective. It’s less than $1.50 per week. Surely $75 a year means something different to everyone. I get that. I have five kids, three in college, an aging parent and a mortgage on a house that has lost value just like yours. Not to mention a business that is trying to sustain itself during these trying times. But it’s the features and benefits of what $1.44 per week investment will return in the future that makes this almost a no-brainer.
There is one other very important aspect to the Signature Park; the preservation of 60 acres of open green space. If we are truly stewards of the future of our environment this is an opportunity, in all likelihood the last opportunity, to preserve 60 contiguous acres of green space in Novi. Surely the preservation of this much open green space for future generations is worth $1.44 a week. It’s worth it to me, regardless of what label is slapped on it: Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, environmentalist or tax raiser. This is good for Novi, that’s all I am concerned about. Please take the time to understand what this asset will bring to the community and
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visit www.novisignaturepark.com. There’s something for everyone in this park, and I hope you’ll join me and vote “yes” on May 5.
If this ill-timed waste of taxpayer funds at the WRONG TIME does indeed pass (and I hope it does NOT), we will have, when all is said and done, another set of assets to maintain. The city can NOT maintain the neighborhood roads now–go into any subdivision and see for yourself! They can’t maintain the bridges they built (see all those deck-like contraptions in disrepair along 10 mile?); and combined with the NCSD can most definitely NOT maintain the playing fields we have. They are today, lousy grass on clay with no base, no drainage and are a danger to our kids!
If we can not maintain what we have now, why would we build more?
V O T E N O!!!!!
SanityForOurCity summed it up very nicely.
I said it once, and I’ll say it again. There are existing parks and facilities in Novi that are not being used, and until they are, we shouldn’t over extend ourselves.
JUST SAY NO
Thanks for the support SanityForOurCity
..And with the NCSD facing another round of layoffs, it doesn’t make sense to increase the community’s overall operating budget to maintain more properties that will go unused.
Detroit went through years of increasing the size of their physical plant, and now can’t afford to maintain any of it. More poorly maintianed infrastructure does not attract business: look at Cobo Hall.
Vote No!
Well, SaveOurJobs, you have to understand that the [sadly, arrogant and clueless] people running our schools AND our city have been telling everyone that “everything is fine” here in Novi! WE are IMMUNE to the economy! That’s why they told the people to build additions on to 3 elementary schools; it’s a wonder they have not included removing art and music education from the budget. On the one hand the city TODAY is telling us to build the signature park, one reason being “costs are down”. Then the NCSD comes in and says we need to cut $3M from the budget, one reason being “costs are up”. Do you see why they are not to be believed? Do you have any idea how much these people are being paid? Have you looked at the budget reduction for the NCSD? Very little taken from administration! We could pay dozens of teachers with their salaries. BIG PAY CUTS ought to come from them. Anyone can run a slash and burn budget; it takes skill to navigate soft landings, but since “everything has been wonderful” for so long they never saw it coming.
I have a question….why does every new venture have to come with a millage tax increase? Why can’t the school officials budget appropriately for current costs and future costs/capital expenditures? Why can’t city officials budget appropriately for current costs and future costs/capital expeditures too?
I have to live within my means, within my budget. If I wanted to put an addition on my house, I would have to save money for the capital expenditure and make sure I could afford the operationg cost within my current/future budget. What a novel idea….create a budget and stay within it. Is that too much to ask of our government?
Aren’t we the people paying enough in taxes overall, between property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes, luxury taxes, and sin (i.e. tobacco and alchol) taxes. When will the additional taxes stop? I say we start stopping the buck here and vote “NO” on every tax increase.
If the cause is so worth while, why can’t our officials figure out how to make it happen within their current budget? Heck, didn’t most of them promise that in their campaigns to get elected? Let’s see if they are good for their word now that they are in office!!!
Look… if you don’t think you can afford it, then go ahead and vote no.
I’m as conservative as they come. I’m not exactly wealthy and my wife does not work outside the home… but for me, this is a no-brainer. I’m willing to pay $50/year extra in taxes to get something tangible and to move our city forward. Tis is an excellent project and will serve this community for many years to come.
We may never get this opportunity again (with the unique opportunity for a land swap and construction costs being down right now).
If you really look at this carefully and honestly, you’ll see this is a sound proposal.
I say … VOTE YES ON MAY 5th.
MT,
Yes we are paying an awful lot of taxes…if you own a business in Michigan, this year’s new Michigan Business Tax is unbelievable…no wonder why business has a hard time here.
I have to agree that we can’t seem to do anything without a bond or millage. When it comes to school issues–thank the state: “operational costs” (salaries and supplies, heat and light) are separate from capital costs (i.e. adding on or building a school). You get the operational costs from the state, not from local taxes. Capital costs come from bonds and millages. It’s a mess thanks to Lansing.
About the park issue, it’s only a “once in a lifetime” event as Mr. Mena says, because that’s what they deemed it to be. It would have been a good idea last year, and maybe one next year as well. The timetable is an artifice created by the schools and the city to force a May election. Who wouldn’t want a nice park? But does everyone want to pay for it now? There was “severe” timetable language in the land-swap agreement which the School Board quietly toned down at the last meeting…even if this millage fails, it will be back.
They LOVE to put tax issues on May or February elections; few people know about them and all it takes is more yes votes from the people with an interest in it than no votes from those who do not even know about it! They are almost slam dunks.
MT, you should be FAR MORE upset that the city spent TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars on this special election, than what the election is. Did they ask you if they could spend this money? No, they just did it.
Why not? You’re paying for it. As Danny DeVito said in the movie of the same name the only thing better than money is OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY.
Willie,
My post was not about whether I could afford the tax increase or not. I can afford the $50-75. This isn’t about the economy being down either.
It was a simple question….why can’t our city officials use our existing budget to pay for capital expenditures?
Why is it that anytime some new idea or plan comes along…this plan only puts out a new millage tax as it’s source of funding?
I do believe that a city government (state and federal too) should set up a budget that allows for a savings account that can be used for worth while future capital expednitures. it may take many years, but it will be well earned. Why is it that they have to spend every penny (if not more) they get every year?
Sanity…I am very aware of the strategy that cities and schools employ when choosing election dates. “Off dates” are typically slam dunks but, I don’t blame them….we have the right to vote, and with that right, comes the obligation to know when the elections are and what is on the ballot. I don’t like the law that allows for this unique ballot for 700 people to vote, while costing a lot of money. But until it is law that all elections shall be held in November, I have to live with it (until some politician chooses this to be part of their campaign). I am, however, thankful that we aren’t spending millions to vote for a mayor whose term will be months like Detroit.
I forgot to add…
Unless someone has a really good simple answer to my simple questions above I say Vote NO.
One more question…
If the city currently spends every tax dollar they recieve every year, where will the funds come from to maintain the new building and grounds?
OK, you asked a simple question, here’s a simple answer. They DON’T pay for capital projects with operating funds because they DON’T HAVE TO. The procedure is in place to raise capital funds through a millage or bond so that’s what they do.
Regarding “One more question”, they CAN NOT maintain what they have, so what makes you thing they will maintain something new? Your question assumed some level of adequate maintenance. If it gets really bad they’ll raise an operating millage. “We need more money to take care of the park YOU asked us to build…”
Our Mayor Landry was handing out free hot dogs last week at ITC field drumming up support. He couldn’t do the same at any soccer practices this week as most were cancelled due to poor field conditions.
Mayor Landry also met with the Novi Theaters AFTER they supported the park, but would not answer or commit to anything definitive about what would actually be included for a community theater in the new park. The city administrators, many who don’t vote here or live here, will do what THEY want with YOUR money. So it is YOUR choice whether to give them that free rein.
I don’t know how many registered voters there are in Novi, but if 50% of them show up and it passes, so be it. If just a small number vote, that’s a shame. I hope everyone just spreads the word to VOTE.
The vote on Tuesday is for a millage that will adequately provide for infrastructure, facilities and operations. With this millage the park is completely self sustaining. That is where the funds will come from, not the General Fund or Fund Balance (which we maintain at 17.5% of the annual budget). As for City admninistrators deciding the park priortities, that is completely untrue. Everything will be decided by the elected officials who live in Novi and pay Novi taxes. Administrators follow our direction, not the other way around.
The City has a long history of paying for capital projects out of General Fund revenue. This has kept us from the need to borrow money for those purposes. Any statement to the contrary just ignores the facts. A good example is the entire renovation of Powers Park was done with General Fund dollars, not bonds and special millages. It was phased over several years and has resulted in a dramatic increase in new revenue generating opportunities, including more softball leagues and local, regional and local tourneys. The folks stay in our hotels, eat at our restuarants and by from our stores. They see our City and want to move their businesses here. That is what these type of projects can do.
Why do we spend the budget every year with the exception of the Rainy Day Fund? Because taxpayers want us to. They want roads fixed, top notch police and fire, nice park facilities and their roads plowed in the winter. Sitting on the money and not reinvesting it into the community is not what tax dollars are collected for.
CSP needs serious help. The soccer fields need rennovation and the ball diamonds need to be completed. The Tim Pope play structure is falling apart. It is a shame things have gotten this far. Some of that money will come from over $50,000 collected by the Novi Park Foundation from Novi Jaguar families and ITC’s $500,000 contribution. I started the foundation in 2004 because I don’t feel every dollar spent on public lands needs to be tax dollars. I still don’t.
I have supported the Signature Park from inception. I fully understand that the timing is bad and it looks like we are insenitive. It just is not true. In the past two years I too lost a job and have had tough times. I beleive in this project and in Novi. We have been presented an opportunity by the School District to use taxpayer land that is sitting empty and unused. We can leverage public (the millage) and private funds to make this a success.
I understand that some people disagree with us and that others truly can’t afford the additional taxes. That is why this was presented to the voters for considerations. We hope enough share our vision for the future of Novi. If the millage fails, there will be no bitterness, just disappointment and a resolve to continue to provide the very best in services to all residents of Novi.
Mr. Staudt is not entirely correct, so be careful what you believe, people.
If the city has a track record of ANYTHING it is of unabashed arrogance. Does SANDSTONE ring a bell? They also have a track record of great support (Novi Main Street) and then abandonment in favor of the next “great project”, such as FountainWalk. Gee, have you been to either of these wonderful places lately? Both have been through bankruptcy. Fountainwalk was a stupid idea plain and simple. We needed more major outdoor retail like we needed this recession. We would have been better off with continual support of Main Street. The city’s memory is painfully short.
They simply cannot maintain what they have. To build anything new when what you own is is poor condition is beyond comprehension. You want a millage Mr. Staudt? I’ll support the same millage to REPAIR what we have but not one red cent to build anything new. If this site allowed photos to be uploaded I’d populate it with the deplorable condition of our neighborhood roads, and the hard-pack clay and clumpy weeds of our fields. You are a city council member? Make a contribution to FIX WHAT WE ALREADY OWN, and stop supporting these ridiculous wasteful endeavors.
We don’t do nearly as much road repair out of general as we do out of capital…do you forget the neighborhood road bond of a few years ago? That was capital.
When questioned a few years ago, the city told ME that the roads deteriorate because the specs are not very tight. They are not very tight because they don’t want to frighten away developers. So here’s the deal: loose specs make happy developers who build cheap roads. They then fall into the hands of the city, who can’t maintain them. They do get maintained, however, when the PEOPLE have to PAY MORE for road repair bonds and millages.
The city is under the sad and erroneous idea that there is some large number of people either moving into Michigan, or moving about Michigan, and these large numbers of people will have to decide amongst the players like Novi, Farmington Hills, Northville, Troy, Rochester, etc. This is stuff and nonsense. First, these people DO NOT EXIST. Michigan ranks 51 (don’t forget DC) in number of people moving out of state, and that’s related to jobs, pure and simple. NOT PARKS!
And most important, Mr. Staudt, is the deceit the city forces on the people with a special election. There are no timelines, or deadlines, that were not ARTIFICALLY created to justify the May election. The amount of money spent on this special election is shameful, and regardless of what it is for, anyone in city government allowing this ought to be tossed out. We need that money for useful things.
Mr. Salemi,
I may not be entirely correct, however, by you own admission, I am mostly correct.
I don’t beleive I said we never issue bonds for projects. Bonds where issued for MAJOR projects like roads, the ice arena, the library, the original purchase and development of CSP, but very little else. Our total debt as a City is far less than most communities of our size. This is an fact Mike that cannot be disputed. Here are the current debts we are paying on:
2000 Street Bond (Expires 2015)
2002 Park Bonds (Resulting from the Sandstone litigation) (Expires 2012)
2008 Library Bond (Expires 2027)
2002 Transportation Bond (Expires 2010)
1998 Street Bond (Expires 2012)
Misc Refunding Depts (All expire 2017)
If the voters decide the Signature Park is not right for Novi at this time, I will look forward to your support in the future for a millage to help fix both our roads and parks. I cannot agree with you more that these are areas that must be addressed.
As for the rest of your comments, that is why I started this blog several years ago. For everybody to have their say. I have no fear of opening myself up to comments from people who disagree with my positions. Feel free to blog away. To call elected officials “arrogant” and “ignorant” because you have a different opinion, just discredits your own positions.
Arrogant=Sandstone. Your memory is painfully short. Novi lost time and again on that one, decision after decision…that’s arrogance I’m afraid. To ignore those repeated decisions cost the city money. Arrogance. Not my opinion but fact.
Giving up on Main Street in lieu of FountainWalk? Well documented. That too, is arrogance, combined with abandonment. But hey, you bankrupted a developer after they rebuilt 12 Mile, now, didn’t you?
Special elections? Deceit and arrogance. In this day age to spend $30,000 on a one-issue special election is a waste of taxpayer’s money, plain and simple. That’s arrogance.
Calling the police to remove Councilwoman Mutch–twice–as she simply watched the arrogant city take the wrecking ball to Fuerst Farm? Arrogance and abuse of power. Funny they couldn’t find any reason to arrest her though.
The signature park is a good idea for all the wrong reasons at the worst possible time, contrived with artificial deadlines designed to confuse the public and instill a non-existent urgency. To even think of a $15M+ community park without a pool, but a cricket field indicates someone is way out of touch with reality.
MT calls it correctly. Capital projects are done for the most part with bonds and millages. He doesn’t like it apparently and neither do a lot of others.
For the most part, city administration and council get a support of “no confidence” from a lot more people than you’d imagine.
You will get support when sanity returns to our city. Apparently it has moved out.
Oh, yes, one more thing I realized after voting in PRECINCT 4 today.
I was saddened to see there was NOT a place to say HECK NO!
The May 5 special election ballot proposal failed with 3,411 “no” votes, out-numbering the 1,512 voters casting a “yes” vote.
To bad….
Maybe now the city officials will think twice about wasting money on special elections.
I thanked every one of the volunteers at the polling place yesterday, for giving their time. While the voting machine was being fed with a large stack of absentee ballots by a worker, I chatted with another worker who took the application and tab.
I indicated that I was LIVID that the city created this vote, and wasted our money having it; if anything, it should have been a November issue. I indicated I hoped it was go the way I voted, and overwhelmingly so.
We did not speak of YES or NO; only of the special election.
The worker indicated to me that the overwhelming attitude of the voters coming to vote was ANGER at having this special election. I was far from the only vociferously angry voter.
Well, as they say on “Survivor”, the tribe has spoken. 69% no. On a special election. Wow. Just how out of touch with the city, is the mayor, council, and administration? 69% no says it all. VERY out of touch.
They ought to pay back the coffers with the $25,000 they took from us for this incredible waste of time, money and energy. The community should be outraged and demand accountability.
Mr. Staudt,
I do not believe I used the word “ignorant” as you attribute. But, to put forth this issue and be so clueless as to the outcome, well, call it what you want: Webster calls it ignorance, or “lacking awareness”.
“SanityForOurCity” is making these posts. By addressing this as “Mr. Salemi” you have made a several errors in judgment.
First, you have made an assumption. Well, I was always told that until you see the head sticking out, never assume a woman with a belly is pregnant. Until you see someone sitting at a computer; making blog posts, and can positively identify that person, don’t assume you know who is making them. Without that positive identification, all you have is email addresses and IP addresses, not people.
Second, though you may not have one, any reputable BLOG or website or whatever, run by any competent person, firm or whatever that has any amount of integrity, has a privacy policy. To call someone by name is a violation of that, not withstanding the assumption already made.
Third, and this is where integrity really comes in, is you have made some ill-fated attempt to discredit the ideas by revealing the messenger. The entire purpose of a screen name is so that the message, not the messenger, is judged. What you have done is called politics. It stinks, and I hope this Mr. Salemi, and Mr. or Mrs. Sanity, MT, Lancair IV and all the other bloggers here agree.
If this is indeed “your blog”, Mr. Staudt, you have a lot to learn about integrity, and about privacy as the proprietor of this blog. I hope it has nothing to do with you personally. If as a city council member, you think the park was a good idea, and the whole scheme of things that led up to it including the $25,000 special election, there’s a whole cadre of people in the city now, who disagree and spoke loud and clear about it.
I hope City Council does NOT try to repackage and reoffer this beast. Listen to what the people say–all of them–not just the hand-picked few on these councils and commissions and committees whom you choose because they agree with your ideas. That’s how bad ideas get to the point that this election did.
Good day, Mr. Staudt, until the next political volcano in Novi erupts.
Good Grief Mike (aka SanityForOurCity), give it a rest already. If it was up to you, we’d never do anything to move this city forward. This issue was in the works for 2 years and at that time no one predicted where we’d be today.
I remember your opposition against the Novi Schools / Providence Park partnership. You spoke against it stating “separation of church and state” because Providence is a religious hospital. I find that amusing still to this day.
BTW, I also remember stuffing flyers (which I made) supporting my school board candidates of choice back when your wife was running. Friends of mine saw you pulling them out of the newspaper boxes… then shortly after I received an anonymous envelope with shredded flyers… hmm….
I do pray you find some peace in your life.
Sorry Mike,
You are correct, you did not use “ignorant”. It was “arrogant & clueless”. My fault.
It is always interesting to hear your views on the State of City and School District. Hope you have an opportunity to address Council in the future and let us know where you stand on the issues. In addition to our faults, I would be interested in seeing if you with the other things we quietly work on.
If I am going to be addressed by name, I feel I have the right to do the same. Based on your past interactions with the school district, I didn’t think you would mind. Not once did I attack you personally for any of your observations. I don’t even know you and have no personal feelings toward you or your family.
We agree that we could use a new park and that we should fix up the ones we already have. I will not support repackaging of the signature park. I am going to move my attention to things that we can fund without increasing taxes on our residents. I heard the voters loud and clear when the decided to build the library and I have heard them on the Signature Park.
Willy and I started this blog and have been running it for almost 4 years. We have always allowed open discussion and if we weren’t fair and open minded, I could have supressed all your comments from the beginning. You can see that didn’t happen.
Feel free to keep on blogging!!
WOW. There sure is a lot of anger toward our city government. I don’t get it. The final vote was NO. The city council should be supported by us even if the signature park passed. We elected them into office, so let’s show them the respect and support they deserve.
If you don’t like the job they are doing, run for office, but first, take a step back relax. We’re only here for a short time. Try to enjoy it.
There. I said my peace.
Lancair IV -
I appreciate your comments. I think anger has replaced reason when dealing with things that you disagree with in these times. Some folks are just plain angry with their lives, jobs, economic situation, neighbors, families and direct that anger at anybody who disagrees with them. Blogs provide the opportunity to do it without any real consequences. Seldom do those who blog come before us at a City Council meeting or call us and share with us the level of rancour that they exhibit anonymously in blogs. It is just the way things are in the Internet world.
Everybody who serves on Council, Boards and Commissions is a volunteer who works very hard to help make Novi a better place to live. My phone number is public as is my email address. I take every call and return every email. We face hundreds of issues every year with little fanfare or attention. I enjoy every minute of it, even when the positions are unpopular. Everything we touch is our responsibility in the end. Seven volunteers, with the support of a City administration and hundreds of other volunteers, doing the best job that they can.
The Signature Park took years to put together. It is disappointing that the residents didn’t share our vision, however, I am respectful of voters and will learn from everybody who spoke to us and with us during the past year. I would rather lose trying than not make any effort at all.
Lots of great things are on the horizon for Novi. Many include Non-motorized transportation initiatives that rely on state and federal grants. Others include decisions about City owned properties that will be improved. Those of us who supported the park feel no bitterness toward the decision. It just motivates to work hard and follow the direction of the voters.
Serving the resident of Novi on City Council is an honor. I would not characterize anybody who is currently serving or has served in the past as “arogant or clueless”. That is just not the case, regardless of some of the events that occured under their watch. Those of us who currently serve, have past history to help guide us away from the pitfalls of the events that proceeded us. It is our responsibility to learn those lessons and apply them to the future.
Wow,
I ahven’t logged on in quite a while and I am appalled at some of the comments that are so negative towards our city government. T believe that most of our city employees and elected officials do try to do the best they can and most of our services are delivered very well.
Bringing up old mistakes by people who are not even here anymore (Sandstone) is unproductive at best, if not bordering on destructive.
With regards to Fountain walk….that is a private entity’s business venture. I do not want our city government to dictate what can be built and what can’t be built. Yes, it went bankrupt, but that is not the city’s fault. As long as business plans and building proposals meet with the planning requirements that have been carefully thought out….the city should allow private enterprise to invest and make a go of it. Not every business venture will work out. I was actually upset that the council was putting a roadblock up against hooters. I don’t patronize that establishment but it wasn’t a battle our council should have engaged in. Let free enterprise work its own path.
Special elections are part of our democratic process and allowed by law. We as voters should defend that right that we have. Agreed that it appears to be a waste of money, but that is the fault of the voters who failed to excerise their democratic right, or obligation in my opinion.
Dave – you are a true champion of our parks and I commend you on that. Even though I disagreed with you on this issue, I apperciate the venue offered here to ask the questions that I had and to offer my opinions.
SanityForOurCity – I do not care if your name is Mike, Joe, Bob, or Steve, that is irrelevant. I do not agree with your posts here. I believe the negativity is destructive at best. While I will defend your right to your opinion, I pray that you can find a way to express it in a productive way.
I do not understand the rant on privacy here. I beleive several people on here know who I am but that doesn’t stop me from expressing my opinion.
To know MT is to Love MT
Keep non-residents out I am all for it. My sister’s house has been broken into and two cars stolen TWICE because of basketball courts installed in a park across the street from her. Not one criminal captured was from her city.