Property Tax Hike sparks questions about spending in Howard Township

 

CASS COUNTY, Mich. -- How would you react to seeing an extra zero or two tacked onto your property taxes?

In Howard Township, Michigan that was the reality for residents towards the end of last year.

It's prompted over 100 people to show up to the last few meetings wanting to know why their taxes have spiked.

All the while, a new firetruck with a big sticker price lies in wait.

"We do need to hold the board accountable, the fire department needs their equipment, but we need to go about it the right way," says John Fairres, a Howard Township resident. "They should be saving for this stuff, not these big hits like they're doing to us right now."

Fairres, for example, saw his winter taxes go up $300, but some residents claim theirs went up nearly a thousand dollars.

After upset and confused residents showed up to recent board meetings and demanded answers, they found out the Board Supervisor, Bill Kasprzak, had purchased a brand-new firetruck to replace one that is over 30-years-old.

The sudden tax raise is part of a millage that is putting an emphasis on police and fire that is one percent of the tax bill, which is the general allocated for operating the township.

Kasprzak says he signed a check three weeks ago to order the new firetruck for $750 thousand, which is about three quarters of the truck's cost.

However, he says they had that in savings, and they've been saving up for the new truck for over four years now.

Though the truck is needed to provide adequate safety to residents, they're upset that this was done silently by the board.

Kasprzak says he will try to make sure it's not so much of a shock next time, if there is a next time.

"We'll make sure it's publicized," says Howard Township Supervisor Bill Kasprzak. "I know this was a shock to a lot of people, but once again, our millage isn't nearly as much as it is in other townships in our county, and to provide the service they want, we have to charge for it."

Kasprzak also says they would rescind the millage until it's no longer needed, but that wouldn't be for quite a while.

In the meantime, the firetruck has started to be built in Minnesota, but there's no timeline yet on when it will be finished.