ROSCOMMON COUNTY – County voters will have an opportunity Nov. 8 to decide what county services they would like to continue operating in our county.
The Roscommon County Board of Commissioners, with full support of employees and elected officials, has placed a proposal on the ballot to authorize a “Headlee Rollback” for the General Operating Fund Millage. The General Operating Fund Millage is the majority of money collected in property taxes that comes back to the county to fund the majority of county services.
A Headlee Restoration has not been previously requested from the voters. This ballot proposal, titled “Roscommon County General Operating Millage Restoration” allows voters to decide on funding for non-mandated departments, to include: ORV/Snowmobile and Marine Patrol. 4H, Mental Health Transport, contracted MSUE services, Housing Assistance Services, Conservation and Recycling, Blodgett Memorial Airport, Strike Team Investigative Narcotics Group, (STING), Mapping/GIS/Address Issuance,
Economic Development and many more.
These are services that have evolved over time due to the needs and requests of citizens. If voters choose to not support the Headlee Rollback, the county
will be unable to continue these programs. Discontinuation and reductions would then be effective January 1, 2023 with the new fiscal year. If the
Headlee Rollback passes, Roscommon County will be able to continue services that residents have come to expect.
Since 1997, the average cost to maintain departments and services mandated by law has increased 129.67 percent while revenue streams have only increased by 97 percent (Roscommon County Annual Budgets).
Roscommon County is asking for the restoration because the Headlee Act was not created to take into account a county’s expenses associated with statutory mandates, inflation and community needs. The voters of Roscommon County must determine if non-mandated programs will be funded.
