8/5/14 - Voters in the City of Fenton could be asked to approve a road millage sometime next year. Last night the Fenton City Council met for a work session and decided to begin research in preparation for the tax proposal. While there is still enough time to put the millage on the November ballot, City Manager Lynn Markland says the council would not do that since there would not be enough time to inform the public about the issue. Instead, they have decided to look into other cities with road millages, such as Milford, Ypsilanti, and Grand Rapids, to figure out how the taxes were accomplished and the level of funding needed. Markland tells WHMI the city already does some minor road maintenance, mostly in the winter, but more money will be needed to improve Fenton roads. Engineers have already looked at which Fenton streets are most in need of repair, and have estimated that about $1.2 million per year would be needed to accomplish that. The current road maintenance funding comes from the state gas tax, but Markland says even that funding is drying up as cars become more fuel efficient. He adds that he believes the stateâs road funding mechanism is flawed. (TD)
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