This is quasi-related to the new city hall so I figured it fits best in this thread... The mayor is proposing a 3.9 mil 30 year bond to raise $175 million for a new police/courts/lockup facility and fire station upgrades. I'm not sure how I feel about this and I absolutely will be voting no on it if they don't provide more details, most importantly a specific location for the consolidated facility as I will not support a move out of downtown. I'm not really excited to add that much to my taxes, it has to be something that satisfies all the practical needs for the city on top of being a beautiful building and at a location that will benefit the city's future goals.
A 30 year millage is gonna be a no from me dawg, that is a really long time to have it run its course. I also don't like the lack of clarity on how and where and what the funds will be used for. Public safety sure, but the devil is in the details.
Part of me thinks that he is using this as an opportunity to put a huge millage up for passage when public safety is a voter priority moreso then usual.
It's a no from me, too. To spring this very close to the deadline of putting this on the ballot with so few details is very clearly tactic, and an unethical one at that.
Well, they've started to flesh this out, and now we have a proposed site. It would rise directly north of the current Washington Avenue Office Complex where most of the City Clerk's operations are, now. Currently, its occupied by a surface parking lot owned by McLaren, which they don't really need, anymore.
I love the centralized location and would otherwise being willing to support the millage on that alone. But, the mayor - like the previous one - still seems dead-set on the next step being to sale City Hall, which I have not changed my mind on. In my mind, getting the police, fire and courts out of City Hall should free it up for the existing offices to get a bit more breathing room in the building. Just renovate the thing. But in a new HVAC system, knock down some interior walls, fix the issues with the underground garage, etc.
Yup, the millage is just a flat out "no"' from me. It's too much money , even if they lumped in a restored City Hall at that budget I'm not sure I could support it. I also don't trust Schor to make good decisions and possibly not even to have the city's best interests in mind.
I don't like the thought of burdening city residents for 30 years. Most of the people voting on this debt will be dead or moved out of Lansing before it is actually paid off, the quintessential passing the buck. I also don't like selling the current city hall and agree that it could be retooled with the jail/fire/courts getting booted out. Having it be right across the street from the capitol building has real merit and shouldn't be discounted when considering the politics of it all.
As it stands it's a no vote from me. If they were keeping city hall and finding a new place to put police/fire/courts alongside a smaller and shorter term millage that has an actual fleshed out plan I could be supportive of it. So something entirely different.
Comments
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2022/06/27/lansing-175-million-tax-proposal-new-public-safety-buildings-andy-schor/7747111001/
Part of me thinks that he is using this as an opportunity to put a huge millage up for passage when public safety is a voter priority moreso then usual.
I love the centralized location and would otherwise being willing to support the millage on that alone. But, the mayor - like the previous one - still seems dead-set on the next step being to sale City Hall, which I have not changed my mind on. In my mind, getting the police, fire and courts out of City Hall should free it up for the existing offices to get a bit more breathing room in the building. Just renovate the thing. But in a new HVAC system, knock down some interior walls, fix the issues with the underground garage, etc.
As it stands it's a no vote from me. If they were keeping city hall and finding a new place to put police/fire/courts alongside a smaller and shorter term millage that has an actual fleshed out plan I could be supportive of it. So something entirely different.