Overview
- Voters rejected two public-safety millages in the primary on Tuesday, leaving Orion Township without its main funding plan for contracted police and expanded fire staffing.
- The failed fire proposal would have increased funding by 28% to pay for nine additional firefighters and new accommodations, and the police renewal sought a 9% boost to cover rising operating costs under a contract with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
- Township leaders held an emergency meeting and warned the loss of the measures could force cuts or reduced coverage that show up by 2027 if new funding is not approved.
- Officials now plan to place three revised options on the November ballot — two that hold current rates and a third asking for a 4% fire increase — and must finalize ballot language within days.
- Residents who voted no cited ‘millage fatigue’ and tax pain, and officials caution that continued failures to pass renewals could mean longer response times, station or shift reductions, and larger budget gaps for local emergency services.