LAST DAY TO REGISTER is July 6, 2010 for the August Election. You can print a form online at www.michigan.gov/vote and mail it to the office to register.

AN EXAMPLE OF THE BALLOT  can be seen online at www.michigan.gov/vote.

1. You are unable to come to the polls and vote
2. You are 60 years of age or older
3. You are unable to vote without assistance

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                                MILLAGE PROPOSALS

• The request for road maintenance is for six (6) years, 2011 through 2016 inclusive for all properties in the township. The estimated revenue the Township will collect if the millage is approved and levied in the calendar year 2011 is approximately $344,000. These funds will be used for the repair, construction, and/or reconstruction of roads, bridges and/or drainage structures. We have approximately eighteen (18) miles of gravel roads remaining in the Township. Over the last ten (10) years more than twelve (12) miles have been reconstructed and made into asphalt roads. The roads which remain gravel are graded and brined at least three (3) to four (4) times per year for dust control which also is funded by this millage.        
• The request for fire department compensation is a renewal for six (6) years, 2011 through 2016 inclusive, for all property in the Township. This millage provides funds for the compensation of the Zeeland Charter Township Firefighters. The estimated revenue the Township will collect if the millage is approved is approximately $172,000 in the calendar year 2011.
•  The new utility millage request is a replacement of our previous sewer disposal system millage which expired December 31, 2009. This expired sewer millage was for twenty (20) years and was originally levied at a rate of 1.50 mills. Due to the 1994 Proposal A, the millage rate at expiration was down to 1.2234 mills. The requested one half (½) mill, if approved and levied, would raise approximately $172,000 in the 2010 calendar year. This is a REDUCTION of 0.7234 mills from our previous year’s millage rate. The Board approved placing this millage request on the ballot because we have bond payments for water and sewer of over $9,000,000 in the next ten (10) years.

• Bike path maintenance and new pathways are funded through our General Fund. We have been saving for several years to construct the Fred Meijer Trail, a pathway in our Township alone of 3.88 miles.
• Street lighting is paid from our General Fund. Our street lighting budget for 2010 is $33,800.
•  Drains at large (water related issues and ditch cleaning) costs for 2009 were at an all time high of over $106,000.
• We do not build our water and/or sewer lines using a Special Assessment District. Only those residents or businesses are billed that hook up to the lines when they are installed. If a well or septic system fails where lines are in place, at that time they would be available for hook up. These systems are constructed by selling bonds through Ottawa County. In 2010 we will be using $405,000 from our General Fund to pay for our water bond payment which will increase over the next several years. The reason we are requesting a voted millage is to help offset some of these payment obligations.
• Zeeland Charter Township does not have additional taxes for library services. Last year we signed a three (3) year agreement with the City of Zeeland for $75,000 plus the penal fines from the traffic tickets written in the Township. This amounts to $100,000 yearly. This is funded from the General Fund.
• Our law enforcement service is provided through the Ottawa County Sheriff Department. We have one (1) full time Community Policing Officer, one (1) part time officer we share with Zeeland Public School when not in session, and one (1) Road Patrol Officer we share one third of the time with other Townships. The 2010 law enforcement budget of $150,000 for funding these positions also comes from the General Fund.
• Some units of government also levy a tax for Parks and Recreation. We use General Fund dollars to make improvements and maintain our facilities. This year we used $85,000 from savings to continue improvements to Drenthe Grove Park. In the past, we have been fortunate to receive grant money to purchase property and make major improvements.