What to expect at Monday's City Commission meeting

Monday could be budget night in Sault, Michigan.  The City Commission is scheduled to have a number of public hearings regarding various parts of the Fiscal Year 2015-16 budget.  Those hearings will allow people to comment on the property tax levy.  This would include a freeze in operating millages and a increase of from 4.9 mills to 5.2 mills for police/fire pension.  Another increase of 3 percent is also being suggested for water and sewer rates.  The public will also be able have their say on hearings regarding the user fee schedule and the General Appropriations Act.  Should there be no opposition to the figures proposed in those parts of the budget, the document could be passed as Monday night.

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The issue of the new Meijer store for Sault, Michigan is also on the Commission agenda.  One of three seperate motions for the Commission to consider is for the Mayor to authorize and execute a Site Development Agreement with Meijer to install public infrastructure to support the proposed development at I-75 and 3 Mile Road.  Other motions ask for similar authorizations and executions of a deed to convey land once a re-alignment of West 14th Street is completed, along with purchase agreements for conservation easement with Meijer and the Michigan DEQ.

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One of the other issues on the City Commission agenda is a resolution supporting increased higher education funding in Michigan.  Commissioner Jay Gage is bringing the resolution forward.  In addition to supporting the simple request for more money, the resolution states that Michigan is 30th in education attainment in the U-S.  The state also has more than 65 thousand jobs unfilled right now because of insufficient education and training.  The resolution reflects a response to a decade of education funding cuts in Michigan and a need for the state to have an educated workforce for businesses to rely on to be globally competitive.  The resolution specifically asks for Senator Wayne Schmidt and Representative Lee Chatfield and the rest of the Michigan legislature to increase funding for higher education.