The following information about the August Special Assessment District (SAD) proposal is taken directly from the Bloomfield Township website:
On August 6, 2019 Bloomfield Township residents will be asked to vote on a proposed 2.3-mill tax intended to fund a special assessment district (SAD) dedicated to funding Police and Fire. If the SAD is approved the Township’s general millage of 1.25 will be allowed to expire, resulting in a net 1.05-mill increase. The Township is facing a major budget shortfall over funding of the Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB), specifically health care costs for retirees, and the Defined Benefit Pension Plan. This page is designed to keep everyone up-to-date on all discussion, documents and developments.
Here's the actual wording of the proposal which will appear on the August ballot:
SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR POLICE/FIRE DEPARTMENTS
Should the Charter Township of Bloomfield raise money to equip, maintain, and operate the Township Police/Fire Departments by annual special assessment levies of up to 2.30 mills ($2.30 per $1,000.00 of taxable value) on all real property in the Township that is not exempt from property taxes, for a period of 15 years, with the levies to be from 2019 to 2033 to provide funding for the 2019/2020 to the 2033/2034 fiscal years. If approved and fully levied in December 2019, the revenue from this special assessment collected in the first year would be $9,041,317.00. In the event this ballot proposal is approved by the voters, the existing voted general millage due to expire in 2019 will not be renewed by the Township.
The Birmingham-Bloomfield Democratic Club has taken no position one way or the other on the SAD proposal.