Millage would hand senior center to county
TRAVERSE CITY -- The future of the Traverse City Senior Center is in the hands of voters. A proposal is on the ballot to have the county take it over. City leaders say it will make the way the center is paid for more fair.
Right now the city pays more than half of the senior center's bills, but only 23 percent of those who use the facility live in the city. This proposal would spread the cost evenly throughout the county.
Traverse City Mayor Chris Bzdok says there's no question about the importance of the senior center. He just wants to solidify it's future. Right now half of the center's funding for comes from the city. The rest comes from membership fees and donations. Nearby townships pitch in too, but the mayor says it's not enough.
The city and county have a plan , but that that plan is contingent on a successful millage vote next month. If passed the senior center would merge with the Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging.
Bzdok said, "What we're doing is taking a regional asset and regionalizing it. Property will stay in the hands of the city and county will run it for the region"
What does this mean for taxpayers? If the taxable value of your home is $50,000 you would be charged $5.00. If you live in the city don't worry -- you won't be taxed twice, at least as long as the city commission passes a plan to reduce city taxes to accommodate for the extra county taxes.
Bzdok said, "Its a fair common sense obvious step that the city commission needs to take so that its not increasing tax burden on city residents. City residents it will not cost them any more money because it will be lowered by the same amount."
That plan the mayor was just talking about to lower taxes for city residents still has to pass the city commission -- they'll vote on that Monday, Oct. 18. Another important thing to note, the money brought in by this millage would not go towards current efforts to build a brand new $4 million building.
