^~mr^~ ^^ ^^m m PIPI>I Volume 19 Number 40 Thursday, November 10,1983 Westland, Michigan 54 Pages Twenty-five cents' ' ltlJStbirfcltCcta.mulciikMCMfttdlca All RlftuRtuntl. Voters return incumbents to council Proposal loses By Mary Klemlc registered Westland voters, according staff writer . to the city clerk's office. Pickering, who openly supported the Robert Wagner, Thomas Artley, Ben four challengers and was strongly op­ DeHart and A. Kent Herbert finished In posed to the proposed charter amend­ the top four spots Irt the general elec­ ment, said he was "disappointed" in the tion Tuesday to keep their posts on the returns and in the voting turnout. Westland City Council. They came in ahead of four challengers backed by- The candidates who landed In the top . Mayor Charles Pickering. ;, three spots — Wagner, Artley and Also in Tuesday's election, the City DeHart — each won four year council terms. Herbert, coming in fourth, won Charter amendment on the ballot was a two-year council term. rejected by 320 votes. The amendment would have taken away the mayor's au- Final tallies from the city clerk's off- , thorily to veto council appointments to Ice Tuesday night showed 3,952 votes' office and to veto the appointment of were cast against the charter amend­ the city's Independent auditor. ment, compared to 3,630 in favor of It. A total 8,035 ballots, or 17 percent, were cast Tuesday oat of the 46,433 Please turn to Page 3 Here's vote count Charter amendment yes no To limit the mayor's 3,630 3,952 veto power Candidate vote total .Thomas G. Artley 4,129 Rick Grajek 3,339 Harry E. Connor ,3,270 A. Kent Herbert 3.663 v Marjorle K. Daniels 3,522 Henry Johnson • <3,248 i*&.-.i&.\ DAN OEAN/jtafl photographer Bbn DeHart 4,041 Robert D. Wagner 4,28« Mayor Charles Picker I ngUrljjM) show* the victory sign to Council­ Thomas Artley, Ben DeHart and A. Kent Herbert won council terms man Robert Wagner Tuitday night. Wagner and fellow incumbents In Tuesday's voting. Way he- Westl and st ud ies d ual tax col lection By 8andra Armbruater This isn't the first time that dual tax tendent for business and finance. "We Also joining the committee will be month's issue of the school newsletter,- increase of money available for pro­ editor collections have been considered by the don't want to put our people through Pearl Holfarty of Plante & Moran, the "Focus." If the proposal is approved by grams. district. Tax«s were collected two what happened two years ago." district's auditing firm." the board, district residents will be re­ A new committecof Wayne, West- years in a pilot program that split the COMMITTEE MEMBERS who have .After the committee concludes ils peatedly notified about the dual collec­ LACK OF notice was one of the crit­ land and Canton Township residents bill, collecting half the'total amount in been appointed to study Ihe proposal study, notice of the dual tax collection tion of taxes in an information cam­ icisms leveled against the district two will study the feasibility of dual tax August and the remainder in Decem­ are: Stephen Larson and Kenneth proposal will be published in the paper paign to run from January through years ago when taxes were first col­ collections for the Wayne-Westland ber. Barnhlll Jr., both of Canton Township; on Dec. 1. A public hearing on the plan July. lected on a twice yearly basis. Al­ school district. Appointed at Monday The program was dropped subse­ from Wayne are Keith Millar, Marty will be held on Monday, Dec. 12, and on, That information is expected to ex­ though the local media printed stories .night's school board meeting, the 14 quently when district residents com­ Howard, Greg Acquinto, Eric Gearns Monday, Dec. 19, the board will be ex­ plain what the district believes are the about the change, the city and school members will meet at 7 p.nufor the plained about huge increases in escrow and Kathie Rockwell;'and from West- pected to lake some action. benefits of collecting half the tax bill in district each expected the cither to noti- next three Tuesdays. The public meet­ payments required by some mortgage land are Carol Gillentinc, Joe William­ In addition, Information will be sent August: reduced borrowing costs, less ings will be in the board room of the companies. son, Dwight N. Patalocco, Bernice to all residents in the district with this amount needed to be borrowed and an Please tarn to Page 2 Dyer Center on Marquette between "We have a lot of research to do;" Mracna, Phil Chomiuk and Carol Wayne and Newburgh. said .John Baracy, assistant superin­ Sharp. Eatery QKLd by cotinci Special approval for an addition to ALSO AT the Nov. 7 meeting, the out, contract administration, inspection an Elias Big Boy Restaurant has been council unanimously denied a request services and density testing in sewer granted by the Westland City Council in to "allow a drive-through window for trenches, a 6-1 vote at its Nov. 7 regular meet­ the Taco Bell on the southeast corner • Authorized the City of Westland to ing .'..-.-' of Wayne Road and No'rene. work with the Wayne County Economic The business is located at the site of Development Corporation regarding the former Sambo's Restaurant, on the. A drive-through window would help studies for use of Eloise property, lo­ southeast corner of Hunter and Wayne ease congestion in the parking lot, and cated north and south of Michigan Ave­ roads. The proposal involves adding an­ wouldn't cause a problem with stacked nue between Merriman and Henry Ruff other 340 square feet to the existing vehicles, petitioner Don McCarty told roads on the grounds of Wayne County .building. Petitioner Andrew Ansara the council. But council members said General. The council authorization was agreed that the restaurant's sign would the drive-through window would gen­ passed by a 60vole, withCouncilwom- measure a maximum of 23 feet high, erate more traffic. an Nancy Ne'al absent, while its "Big Boy" doll would measure In other action at the meeting, the The city will work with the corpora­ 9 feet at most. council: tion to prepare a market study and Council President Thomas Artley • Unanimously approved engineer land re-use study for the property, ac­ cast the only .vote against the special consultant fees of $27,494 for the Nan­ cording to the council resolution. Also approval, expressing concern about the kin Boulevard sanitary sewer Commu­ under the resolution, the city will con­ size of the sign. nity Development project. sider using Community Development "In the pasl five or six years we've The services with Orchard, Hiltz and Block Grant monies to fund the studies, McCliment inc., Include supplemental and will consider sharing the cost of held a lot of these jbusincsses) to a 14; foot limit, and some a little bit more," topography, design, construction lay; the studies Artley said. "1 think this opens (he door for the next guy coming down the road." what's inside Business . ..- . 8.9C Calendar . 4A Our new look Classified... Sections O.E "Creative Living . 1E unveiled today Crossword . 6E •:•-:.-v--.-8.7C~- Dear reader;.. Entortalnrnent For the past few weeks, we've been Letters ; •. : .;-:. .... 8A revamping the appearance of the West- . Obituaries ... .... .6 A land Observer. We havc.updatcd the lo­ ... .10A: gos, that introduce the sports, suburban Religion.: rr --:-,;.. 7B life, entertainment and other sections, Sports . tc Beglnnlng'today, we arc changing to a Suburban life . .... 1B ART EMANUElE/iltrt phOtO0f »ph* neyter, easier-to-read style of type for all headlines. This lastest improve­ Police , . 722-9600 Stage fright ment, evident throughout today's news' FIre.rescue . .721-2000 Jim Mcintosh (left), Kim Cepert and Kslly Leon day and 8aturday, Nov. 11 and 12, In Glenn's au- paper, is bur most obvious change. City Hall . .721-6000 •re smong the frightfully tunny cast msmbsrs of dltorlum, on Marquette west of Wayne Road. Our editorial page also has been Circulation . 591-0500 John Olenn High School's first theatsr produc- . Tickets may be bought at the door, at the school redesigned. It Is now in a five-column Want ads... .691-0900 Uon of tho yoar, *A Haunting WaWlJiGo.VThe or from any cast member, format, which will be a bit more lively ! Editorial dept.. .591-2300 eomedy/myetefy will be presented at 8 p.m. Frl- and easier to read. — — Sandra Armbruiter, editor r> A" • * BA*MMflMtfMijMpjjPjHaj jam 2A<W) O&E Thursday, November 10. 1983 mittee examines dual tax planberiefits Contljiued from Page 1 cials, however, Is the method mortgage companies use to calculate escrow accounts. Because Manu­ fy residents about the change. Neither'dld. , facturer's Hahover uses a different escrow accrual But the Information campaign Isn't the only thing, analysis; (he dual collections of taxes caused es­ ' that's changed about this year's proposal. crow shortfalls for Westland residents. .Baracy noted that a new state-law officially san- "This is still our concern. It's one of, the.main tlons the'dual collections. The law, House Bl'U 4150, Issues,we'l be.bringirigup with"the citizens commit­ also gives the governing city or tpwnshlp the first tee," Said Baracy.._ We want to ensure that our rest-' chance at collecting the taxes. If that government, - dents aren'tharnied.* . declines, the school district-how may negotiate with ; At a study session* lasV week, district officials'' the county for the collection or may collect the tax­ said they Would be willing to become "advocates" es itself.