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During a regular meeting of the Clearwater Township Board of Trustees on Feb. 19, Supervisor David Grimm said the Headlee Amendment rolled back the prior millage, but the election slated for May will ask taxpayers to maintain funding met prior to the rollback. "People need to know it's not an increase," fire chief Jeff West said. Ballot language for the proposed millage was approved during a Jan. 29 special meeting to read as follows:

This proposal will permit the township to restore the township's 1 mill for the operation of the township fire department and for the maintenance and purchase of the township firefighting equipment that was previously approved by the electors and that expired in 2007. The Headlee Amendment previously reduced this millage to .9348 mills. This ballot proposal renews the existing .9348 mills and restores the .0652 mills previously rolled back by the Headlee Amendment.

Ballot language for the proposed millage was approved during a Jan. 29 special meeting to read as follows:

This proposal will permit the township to restore the township's 1 mill for the operation of the township fire department and for the maintenance and purchase of the township firefighting equipment that was previously approved by the electors and that expired in 2007. The Headlee Amendment previously reduced this millage to .9348 mills. This ballot proposal renews the existing .9348 mills and restores the .0652 mills previously rolled back by the Headlee Amendment.

Shall the constitutional limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed on taxable property in the Township of Clearwater, County of Kalkaska, State of Michigan be increased by up to ($1) per thousand dollars ($1,000) (1 mill) of the taxable value on all taxable property in the township for five (5) years, (2008 through 2012 inclusive), for the purpose of providing funds for the operation of the township fire department and for the maintenance and purchase of the township firefighting equipment? If approved and levied in its entirety, it is estimated that the 1 mill would raise $106,164 for the township when first levied in 2008.

In other business, the board voted to approve $35,000 in funding to purchase five acres of land from the McNeil family. The land is planned to be future site for the township cemetery.

The board came up with the $35,000 price tag by allocating funds as follows: the sum of $25,000 covers the purchase of the land; the sum of $3,750 covers the cost of timber. The remainder covers survey and closing costs, Township Clerk Julie Vance explained.

West suggested the township consider doing selective cutting of the land to open up the forest canopy so that smaller trees could mature.

Supervisor Grimm said it was the board's intention to maintain the land in the best way possible. Shall the constitutional limitation on the amount of taxes which may be imposed on taxable property in the Township of Clearwater, County of Kalkaska, State of Michigan be increased by up to ($1) per thousand dollars ($1,000) (1 mill) of the taxable value on all taxable property in the township for five (5) years, (2008 through 2012 inclusive), for the purpose of providing funds for the operation of the township fire department and for the maintenance and purchase of the township firefighting equipment? If approved and levied in its entirety, it is estimated that the 1 mill would raise $106,164 for the township when first levied in 2008.

In other business, the board voted to approve $35,000 in funding to purchase five acres of land from the McNeil family. The land is planned to be future site for the township cemetery.

The board came up with the $35,000 price tag by allocating funds as follows: the sum of $25,000 covers the purchase of the land; the sum of $3,750 covers the cost of timber. The remainder covers survey and closing costs, Township Clerk Julie Vance explained.

West suggested the township consider doing selective cutting of the land to open up the forest canopy so that smaller trees could mature.

Supervisor Grimm said it was the board's intention to maintain the land in the best way possible.