Many residents of our community do not know much about local government – particularly township government. What they do know typically relates to paying taxes, voting in elections, or getting a permit to build something. People in Plainfield Township also recognize some connection with local government when they pay water and sewer bills, see fire equipment on the street, participate in a senior citizens program, buy a cemetery lot, visit a Township park, or somehow get involved in a rezoning issue. That just about

Plainfield Charter Township is a member of the Michigan Townships Association.

sums it up for most people. Meanwhile, the elected Board of Trustees, various commissions, committees, boards, and the Township’s employees are working quietly and diligently to help make Plainfield Township a better place to live, work, and do business. We feel good when the only stories in the newspapers are stories of positive change and good news about things happening here.

Because Plainfield Township is a growing area, new development and new homes often create tension and anxiety among property owners who feel that the “rural” nature of their neighborhood is disappearing. When a rezoning occurs or a new plat is proposed, large numbers of citizens sometimes show up at the public hearings. They are concerned about the impact of these new developments on their property – especially if they think the development will increase traffic or is a threat to their property values. Except for occasional flurries of interest like this, we find citizens rarely become involved and become aware of Plainfield Township’s role and responsibilities in the growth and development of this community.

In just two short paragraphs, I have nearly covered what Plainfield Township government means to most of its residents. Cities and villages typically provide a whole lot more services. They are responsible for maintaining and improving their streets. Many maintain extensive parks systems, operate recreation programs, provide substantial fire and police departments, and get involved in property maintenance code enforcement. They often house and fund district court operations, maintain drainage ways, and operate any number of other programs. They also charge higher rates of local taxes. For example, Wyoming levies over 10 mills in property taxes. Grand Rapids collects nearly 8 mills and has a 1.3% city income tax. Rockford charges about nearly 11 mills. Plainfield Township’s property tax was about 2.75 mills for the past ten years. This year it rose from 2.85 to 3.31 mills to begin paying off the loan to build the new fire station on Plainfield Avenue at 5 Mile Road.
 

If you own a home valued at $150,000, you paid about $224 in property taxes last year and about $249 this year for Plainfield Township government. The rest went to the other local taxing districts. See the pie chart to the right showing where your property tax dollars go.

My point is this: Plainfield Township government receives relatively little in direct local taxes. This is especially true compared to “full service” municipalities. That does not mean what we do is unimportant; it means that our services may not be nearly as extensive as, say, Rockford, Grandville, Kentwood, or Wyoming. So what are the public services that Plainfield Township provides and what do they cost?

Plainfield Township’s largest activities – public water and sewer services -- are not funded by local taxes; they are funded by user charges. We produce and distribute our own water, spending about $3,000,000 last year. Sewer collection and treatment cost about $2,200,000. The Township’s General Fund is supported by local property taxes – about $2,300,000 – that are 41% of the total General Fund revenue. Another 41% comes from revenue sharing from the State of Michigan. The largest activity in the General Fund is the Fire Department, for which we will spend about $2,140,000. We will pay the Kent County Sheriff about $380,000 for extra police patrol services.

If you live in and own property in Plainfield Township, you get good and cost-effective “basic” services. You also get a low property tax rate for township government. In a nutshell, that is what we are all about. Granted, there is a whole lot more that your local government can get into in terms of providing local government services, but doing so will cost money. We all know where that money would come from – property taxes. Over the years, your elected officials have accepted the overall mandate from their voters that they want good, but low cost, government that keeps its property tax rate low. That’s what we do. And we think we are doing it well.

Robert Homan
Township Manager