Bloomfield Township homeowners will decide whether to keep paying about $735 a year in road and public safety taxes when two millage renewals hit the primary ballot August 4.
Both levies fund services residents use daily: road repair and snow plowing on one hand, police patrols and fire response on the other. Neither is a new tax. Both have been in place since 1976 and were last renewed in 2016 with 84% voter approval. The current millages don't expire until December 2026, but a "no" vote would end the funding when they lapse.
What's on the ballot
Road Maintenance Millage: 0.6575 mills ($0.6575 per $1,000 of taxable value), estimated to generate $3,929,885 in its first year. The money pays for maintenance, repair, cleaning, and snow plowing of neighborhood roads. The average homeowner pays about $193 per year.
Public Safety Millage: 1.8428 mills ($1.8428 per $1,000 of taxable value), estimated to generate $11,014,437 in its first year. It funds police, fire, and dispatch services. The average homeowner pays about $542 per year. The millage covers 55% of the Police Department and dispatch budget and 45% of the Fire Department budget, according to township records.
The township's public safety operation includes 67 police officers, 14 dispatchers, and 67 firefighter/paramedics.
What happens if they fail
If approved, each millage renews for 10 years starting with the December 2027 levy.
Township Supervisor Mike McCready warned of consequences if either measure fails. At the Board of Trustees' May 11 meeting, McCready said the road budget is stretched thin.
"Our budget is so tight in DPW that we can only really fix about 2 miles of roads every year out of the 200-plus miles that we have," McCready told the board.
He said failure of the road millage would mean "a significant reduction in services from the DPW department." On the public safety side, McCready said the township would "most likely have to do reductions in the department."
Bloomfield Township is one of the few townships in Michigan with its own Department of Public Works. Some township roads are more than 40 years old and have reached the end of their lifespan, McCready said.
No residents spoke against either renewal at the township's public hearings, according to C&G Newspapers' June 29, 2026 report.
How to vote
Early voting runs through Sunday, August 2 at the Bloomfield Township Public Library, 1099 Lone Pine Road. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except July 30, when hours are noon to 8 p.m.
On Election Day, August 4, polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The township consolidated precincts from 18 to 12 in 2025, reducing polling locations to 10, according to the township's summer newsletter. Voters should confirm their assigned location before heading out.
Questions can be directed to the Clerk's Office at (248) 433-7702 or [email protected].
