MONTAGUE — The Montague City Council approved its 2026-27 budget and millage rate at its regular meeting Monday, continuing the 15.75-mill rate that it levied this past fiscal year.
The budget passed was nearly identical to the one City Manager Jeff Auch presented to the council at a June 1 special meeting, with a couple of minor tweaks accounting for some future projects that will be moved to future fiscal years.
One item that drew some scrutiny was a $10,000 appropriation for the building of a screening berm on the bike trail, intended to serve as a wind screen. A public commenter, Kristi Bortell, said she considered the berm a waste of money, and council member Paul Schultz also questioned the necessity of the berm. Schultz also asked about the work at Cullen Fields; the city has budgeted $320,000 for the next fiscal year as a match for a $400,000 Department of Natural Resources grant that will help enact phase one of a planned multi-phase project at the park. Phase one includes parking lot improvements, construction of a pickleball court, and the inclusion of a community area that could host food trucks during events at the park. The city plans to budget for further improvements to the park in future years.
There was no specific number allocated for the still-in-progress Bowen Street planned unit development, as the city has not received cost estimates for the project; those numbers will come later in a budget amendment, Auch said.
Schultz ultimately voted against the budget, though he didn't specify whether his objection was to the berm, the Cullen Fields work, or both; the budget passed 6-1. The millage rate passed unanimously. Auch said the 15.75-mill rate, which came down from 16 in the 2024-25 fiscal year, is sufficient to stabilize the city budget and could be lowered again in the future if the city finds it doable.
The council unanimously approved authorizing the city to join the Western Michigan Health Insurance Pool, a move made after conversations with city staff produced a consensus opinion to move forward with it. The move, which takes effect July 1, will provide cost savings to active and retired city employees for year one of a planned three-year commitment; the commitment and an initial enrollment of at least 10 customers were requirements to join the WMHIP. (As city employees will be coming in midyear, the commitment is functionally for 3.5 years.)
Muskegon Community College Chief Marketing and Communication Officer Kristin Tank presented to the council regarding MCC's operation millage restoration request, a similar presentation to the one the Whitehall council heard last week. Tank said MCC has not requested a millage from the county since the 1993 in-perpetuity millage that it now seeks to restore, as Headlee Amendment rollbacks have lowered the 2.4-mill rate to 2.102 mills. She added that the heating and cooling systems in the older campus buildings are well maintained but date to the 1960s and would benefit from replacement. The college is also seeking classroom improvements and security upgrades as part of the restoration, which would yield $2.1 million annually.
Also during Monday's meeting, the council approved a one-day extension of the bounds of the Montague Social District to allow attendees of the July 31 Cruz In car show, which will follow the parade, to take their social district cups throughout the show. The vote was 6-1, with Mayor Tom Lohman dissenting. The council also unanimously approved the city's police union contract.
During the city manager's report, Auch informed the council that demolition of the former car wash building on Water Street will go forward once Consumers Energy has decommissioned the power lines connected to the facility.
