Examiner.com article on Ypsilanti city income tax and other ballot measures

In I was one of 33 voting for President Obama, I added the following to my agenda.

The issue I covered for Examiner.com, the city income tax and millage in Ypsilanti, is headed for defeat. I'll have a story about that result, which has important sustainability implications for Ypsilanti, at Examiner.com tomorrow night.

Well, it's a day later than I expected it to be, but I still managed to beat the 72 hour deadline for it to be news on Examiner.com, so I'm still timely as far as the people who matter.

Ypsilanti millage and tax fail, school bond issue and millage succeed

On Tuesday, voters in the City of Ypsilanti, the Ann Arbor Public School District, and the Clinton Community School District went to the polls to decide how to finance their municipalities' needs. Residents of the City of Ypsilanti defeated proposals to levy a city income tax and millage. People in Ann Arbor and the surrounding communities approved a bond issue to improve technology in their district's schools. Voters in the Clinton Community Schools, which includes a portion of southwestern Washtenaw County, also supported their schools by renewing an operating millage levied on non-homestead property.

While I believe the people over at Stop City Income Tax for the reasons why people voted against the income tax and millage, I don't believe their claims that dire cuts to city services, especially public safety, will not materialize. This is a vote for austerity, and that's not a good thing for a city in a depressed economy.

As for other millage proposals elsewhere in Metro Detroit, the Detroit Free Press has the stories.

Now off to play Star Wars: The Old Republic while this entry auto-posts. See you on the dark side!