WHITEHALL — The Whitehall Township board approved two millage requests that will go on the ballot for the August election at its regular Monday meeting.
One millage request would raise the general operations millage in the township by two mills over the next 20 years, from 1.1022 to 3.1022 mills according to Township Clerk Ilene Nichols, and another would enact a 1.5-mill rate for a special millage specifically directed toward road repair, lasting for 10 years. One mill charges $1 of tax for each $1,000 in a property's taxable value.
Township Supervisor Dennis Kroll expressed awareness that the twin requests "will probably cause heartburn in the community, and you can refer them all to me." He added, though, that in recently discussing the matter with township residents, he's not faced as much pushback on the idea as he expected.
The proposed raising of the general operations millage was approved unanimously by the board and comes after the township, Kroll said, has had to dip into its reserves for the third straight year in order to balance the budget. The supervisor believes that Whitehall Township is the fastest-growing municipality in Muskegon County per capita, which has added new expenses to the township ledger without collecting enough revenue to account for them. Kroll said if the pattern continues, the township would run out of money in about six years.
In enacting the millage request, the board discussed the relatively low total taxable value of properties in the township, with trustee Chuck Schmitigal noting a figure of about $92 million in total taxable value in Whitehall Township compared to $412 million in nearby Fruitland Township.
Kroll said if the request is approved and the township's financial situation improves in future years, the board can revisit the higher millage, as the request would allow the township to collect up to two mills, not require it to collect the entire two.
The road repair request was approved 4-1, with Schmitigal dissenting, and is in addition to the two mills proposed for general operations. The request is being made because the township obtained a quote from the Muskegon County Road Commission and it would cost about $362,000 to do all the necessary road repairs in the township, though due to cost-sharing with the county the township likely would not have to foot the bill for that entire figure. The work would likely be done over a five-year period, Kroll said, to limit disruption. Inflation, as well as the possibility that some roads need more extensive work than the chip and seal method that the quote accounted for, could result in an increase of those costs.
The township estimates that the request, if approved, would generate about $92,000 in its first year.
Kroll's original proposal was for a one-mill request, but it was increased to 1.5 after board discussion. Trustee David Holly expressed skepticism one mill would be enough to cover all the necessary road work and added that the request underscores what he believes is the very poor shape of township roads. As with the increased operations millage, Kroll said the board would be free to address the rate again if finances improve.
The board unanimously approved the senior millage allocation for 2026, providing $3,000 each to the White Lake United Methodist Church and White Lake Congregational United Church of Christ for their food pantries and the remaining $6,212 to the White Lake Senior Center to support its programs. There was a brief discussion regarding potential other options the board can seek to allocate funds to in future years. Clerk Ilene Nichols said she has received public feedback from some in the township who would like to see other things funded by the millage, though Kroll noted the senior millage has been discussed at multiple recent meetings and no one in the public spoke up at those points. The board may consider the possibility of a public forum on the matter in future years leading up to millage allocation approvals.
The board also approved participation in the MCRC's brining program for 2026 at a cost of $1,138.13, an increase of $50 over last year, Kroll said. He added that he would check with Whitehall City Manager Dan Tavernier about the costs of brining Peterson Road specifically. The township recently deeded the road to the city and in theory would then be relieved of the obligation to pay for the road's brining.
During board comments, Schmitigal shared that the White Lake Ambulance Authority is working on a formal resolution allowing Fruitland Township to join the WLAA if it votes to do so in the August election. Each participating municipality would also have to approve such a resolution to permit the change. Kroll noted that there is no great rush to approve a resolution, as Fruitland would not be able to join the authority prior to Dec. 1 if the township votes to do so. The township will consult with attorney Rachael Novak before bringing the resolution to a vote.
