Committee recommends countywide road millage renewal for August ballot

The Ottawa County Planning and Policy Committee voted April 2 to recommend that the Board of Commissioners place a countywide road millage renewal on the August 2024 ballot.

Brett Laughlin, managing director of the Ottawa County Road Commission, told the committee the original half‑mill program began in 2014 and that the road commission has completed or will complete about 162 miles of improvements under that 10‑year millage. Laughlin said the proposal being recommended is a renewal at the current effective rate rather than a request for an increase.

"I'm happy to report that, the road commission has done, has done and will do a 162 miles of improvements with that 10 year million millage," Laughlin said. On cost to homeowners, he said the structured language would be "under 46¢ per, thousand dollars of taxable value." Laughlin explained the millage structure keeps revenue within each township, city or village (each jurisdiction receives its share) while the road commission acts as a steward for countywide projects and coordination.

Commissioners asked whether the renewal would be for another 10 years and whether a mid‑term increase would be possible; Laughlin said a later increase would require a separate millage request. He described eligible uses as surface treatments, drainage improvements and higher‑volume paved roads (not routine services such as snow removal or pothole patching). He also said millage funds can be combined with federal aid and other matching funds to stretch dollar value and that annual project plans are developed with public involvement.

Laughlin said outreach had reached 24 communities with 17 formal resolutions of support filed so far and that a few jurisdictions were supportive but hesitant to pass resolutions for fear of being perceived as supporting additional taxes. He noted May 14 as an important deadline from the clerk’s office for the August ballot timeline.

The committee took a roll‑call vote; members listed on the record (Mister Bergman, Missus Miedema, Mister Moss, Mister Balnap) each voted yes and the motion passed to recommend placing the millage renewal on the ballot. The recommendation moves to the Board of Commissioners, which will decide whether to place the question before voters.

If approved by the board and then by voters, the renewal would continue the countywide structure that directs a portion of revenue to each township, city and village for road improvements and would fund planned projects such as mini roundabouts and resurfacing identified in multi‑year planning.