On August 4^th, voters in Auburn Hills will have the opportunity to make a decision about investment in roads within the community.  As we know, the state has not provided a solution to investing in our local road infrastructure.  Funding has been allocated to state roads, but local communities were not included in a funding solution.  As a result, more and more communities are seeking a local road millage in order to control their own destiny and to fix their own roads.  Fixing the roads can be everything from regular ongoing maintenance to the total reconstruction of roads; depending upon needs.  Auburn Hills has maintained a long tradition of having low tax rates and has only chosen to ask its citizens to increase taxes as a last resort.  With $75 million in local road work scheduled over the next twenty years, it will be impossible for the City to complete the work unless it has the corresponding funding.  This is a decision that only you can make and it will determine the amount of road work we will be able to accomplish in the years to come.  The ballot question seeks 1.5 mills.  The average taxable value of a home in Auburn Hills is $70,000. This is the amount on which taxes are calculated.  There are obviously homes with much lower and much higher taxable values.  But based on this average, a homeowner would pay an additional $105.00 per year in taxes, or $8.75 per month. 

The City has provided a number of charts, graphs and other data to help you to make an informed decision.  These can be found on our website at http://www.auburnhills.org/roadmillage.pdf.  A spreadsheet of future projects and their estimated costs is provided.  We also welcome your questions should you wish to receive further clarification on the ballot issue.  Department of Public Works Director Ron Melchert can be reached at rmelcher@auburnhills.org or 248.391.3777; and City Manager Tom Tanghe can be reached at ttanghe@auburnhills.org or 248.370.9440. 

Tom Tanghe, City Manager