• County's w .. kly Newspaper 1869 HOul! & S;)n~ J <s C / Book Bindery 492 j Sprln~port, Mi 49284 • mlt~Nnrlllltlllr {!{ernrll IF IT'S NEWS ... AND IT HAPPENS IN NORTHVlllE ... YOU CAN READ IT IN THE RECORD Vol. 112,No 33, Four Sections, 38 Pages, Plus Supplement Wednesday, February 25,198l-Northville, Michigan TWENTY-FIVE CENTS • Barron resigns, Peltz not running Two hoard posts to he open Northville Board of Education pointed by the board at its Monday Trustee Richard Barron, in an unan- meeting to serve as an interim member • ticipated move, resigned from his posi- until the annual school election on June tion at the board's meeting Monday 8. night. In his letter of resignation to the Citing that "the demands of other board he stated that "with the require- duties" made it necessary for him to ment for an election on June 8th, my an- step down from the board, Barron told nouncement at this time wlll make it surprised board members that he had possible for other citizens to take steps "enjoyed" his three years on the board prior to April 6th to secure a place on but would be unable to finish his four- the ballot, and two vacancies can be fill- year term. ed rather than one." In addition to Barron's resignation, The 50-year-old trustee, who was \ board vice president Charles Peltz an- elected to the board in June 1978, was • nounced that he would not seek re- recently appointed general manager in - election in June for another term. the sales division of Michigan Bell. Peltz, who was elected in June 1977, He is a past president and an active told board members that job travel member of the board of directors of the A good shoer assignments and other commitments Western Michigan Alumni Association were making it increasingly difficult and has lived in Northvllle for 10 years for him to schedule board meetings. with his wife Nola and family. John Stanford recreates a silhouette of times past as he is pic- Barron's resignation and Peltz's an- Peltz, an executive with Federal tured at work. In the photo story by Steve Fecht on page 5-Ahe nouncement not to seek re-election will Mogul Corporation in Southfield, lives leave two vacancies on Northville's with his wife Norma and two children at tells how he inherited the job of being a local farrier four years Board of Education. 21739Rathlone ago. Barron, whose resignation was effec- • tive immediatly, was unanimously ap- Continued on 8-A CHARLES PELTZ RICHARD BARRON Delay attempt dies- City studies cost tax bills will rise for paving street •• Attempts to delay implementation of which would, theoretically, bring property tax equalization by class fail- valuations up to 50 percent of market "Is anything being done about road doing so on the same basis as was ed last week, and 1981property tax bills value. The 2.19 factor represented a 15.7 conditions along Northvllle Road before agreed to in the City of Livonia for a will reflect average increases of 42 per- percent increase over the previous Seven Mile? Can anything be done?" Middlebelt widening project last fall for cent in the Wayne County portion of the year. The question may be asked by every construction this year. ~ity and 21 percent in the township. Under the new process, tile factor for motorist who drives along South Main Because of interest costs involved. A bill to delay implementation of residential property will be 2.64, for (often called Northville Road) In the ci- Walters estimated that the percentage Public Act 114of 1979died in the House commercial property 1.85, for in- ty trying to avoid potholes, but it was split ultimately would be more like 75 Taxation Committee last Wednesday, dustrial uses 1.93 and for agricultural directed to city council by a citizen at city and 25 county. clearing the way for application of the propertY,1.96. the February 16meeting. The Livonia agreement provided that In reality, Clerk Susan Heintz noted, • law. Coincidentally, the council already the city fund the project, including The equalization by class law was in- there are only two agricultural parcels had a report from City Manager Steven county engineering and construction in- troduced in 1979by Representative Roy in the community, both owned by the Walters regarding possibility of resur- spection costs up front; that the county Smith (R-Saline), whose district in- state's Department of Natural facing the road as a joint project with repay Livonia for 40 percent of the con- cludes Plymouth and Plymouth Resources and the factor applied will the Wayne County Road Commission, struction costs (but not including in- Township. be 1.0 because the state assesses them which has jurisdiction of the road. terest and financing costs) over five It was intended to correct an inequity annually. The matter was placed on the agenda years beginning with the fifth year in some communities where residential Overall, the total township valuation of a special meeting Monday night. after the construction contract is land was underassessed while commer- still rises the same 15.7 percent, but Walters recommended Monday that awarded; that the county design, con- cial and industrial land was overassess- residential property s-..~s a 21 percent the council take action at either its struct and administer the project; and ed. rise and other properties mcrease by a March 2 or March 16 meeting to make that the city advance funding to county HaVing assessors go around and rate less than that of inflation. plans for a spring election in order to on a fixed schedule, inclUding a small • evaluate property values is expensive, Northville City Council will consider get permission to sell general obliga- initial payment upon signing of the so communities do full assessments on- official action in protest of the way the tion bonds. agreement. ly rarely. Oakland County did one in factors have been determined for city Walters reported that he, City At- The South Main project, constructed Northville last year, according to City residents in Wayne next week. torney Philip Ogilvie and City Engineer on the above terms would cost the city Manager Steve Walters, but Wayne Walters has argued that recent sales Edward McNeely met with three somewhat more than 60 percent County residents are still seeing figures used in determination of the fac- representatives of the Wayne County because of the interest costs of obtain- assessments based on work done many tors are not accurate reflections of Road Commission on February 13 to ing the funding and carrying the coun- years ago. market condiditions and result in ex- discuss further a joint project to resur- ty's share for five years in full, and in The rising market value of property cessive increases to residential proper- face South Main. declining amounts out to 10 years, it is accounted for by application of a ty valuations. The county road commission's declin- was noted. state equalization factor in between ac- Things are a little different for ing revenues, especially gas and weight Because it appears the county road tual assessments, calculated on the homeowners in the Oakland County taxes, it was reported, have caused commission wlll be so involved with • bas;s of recent property sales, to create portion of the city. The reassessments drastic cuts in its capital Improvements roads in the CadIllac-Hamtramck pro- a state equalized valuation for the com- done recently result in a factor of only program. This also caused the road ject, Walters suggested at the study munity. slightly above 1.0, according to commission to reduce its percentage session Monday that the city could offer That multiplying factor is used to Walters, reflecting inflation since the participation from GO to 40 percent in re- to do the necessary engineering and calculate individual property valua- assessment was conducted. cent joint city-county ventures, the city hopefUlly have the offer accepted, giv- tions. The new law creates different The new assessments, he noted, in- learned. ing a go-ahead for 1981. factors for different kinds of property in clude the average 15 percent rise often This has been the percentage ratio in Walters also noted that this spring order to correct past injustices and quoted for the Oakland portion. The re- projects where local governments are may be a good time to get better con- reflect differing rates of increase in dif- qUirements of P.A. 114 will not be as interested in completing a project now struction prices than later. fering types of property, proponents clearly demonstrated because the new rather than in the indefinite future. The South Main costs were estimated at contend. assessments are assumed accurate and road commission, Walters reported, $350,000 for construction; $70,000 for • Under the old method, for instance, Virtually no equalization is being done. also has required local financing and a engineering and inspection; $35,000 for all assessments in the township would delayed repayment by the county. contingencies for a total of $455,000. have a factor of 2.19 assigned to them, Continued on 9-A It was indicated that the city might Walters broke the total into $273,000 obtain agreement of the Wayne County (GO percent) for the city's share and ,r' South Main potholes are familiar sight to motorists Road Commission to participate in $182,000 (40 percent) for the county's. resurfacing of South Main in the 1982 ~ " ~" '"" *~ w..) ~ ~v . '~.~ 11 t:::;.-\ \ (l"~ '"';~~r,!~~1 construction season if the city proposed Continued on 9-A ~ '" F"-i- pk", -.