Clarkston police and fire millage fails to pass by 25 votes: What's next?
Clarkston officials address future of police and fire
The Clarkston City Council is meeting to discuss options. City Manager Jonathan Smith says they were limited to the wording they could use on the November ballot because this is directly tied to the new budget which does not go into effect until May 2027.
CLARKSTON, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Village of Clarkston is facing the possibility of being without police and fire protection in a matter of months after a proposed millage on the November ballot failed by just 25 votes.
Big picture view:
The Clarkston City Council is meeting to discuss options. City Manager Jonathan Smith says they were limited to the wording they could use on the November ballot because this is directly tied to the new budget which does not go into effect until May 2027.
Smith thinks the millage increase would only be about $20 a month for the average price home. One possibility is to have a special election in May.
"If you don’t have police and fire and EMS, can you imagine what’s going to happen?" Smith said. "It’s not going to be a small town quaint community that we want Clarkston to be."
He later said in that scenario, they would have to rely on Michigan State Police and North Oakland Fire Authority.
Dig deeper:
As of Nov. 9, Clarkston contracts with Oakland County Sheriff's Office and Independence Township Fire Department.
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The Source: FOX 2 used information from Clarkston City Manager Jonathan Smith for details in this report.