Sturgis proposes increased funding for police and fire

A proposed tax increase to fund additional staffing in its police and fire departments will be at the center of a Sturgis City Commission public hearing.

According to a media release from director of public safety Geoff Smith, the hearing will take place at 7:30 p.m. May 9 at city hall.

The proposed funding would be used to hire an additional police officer as well as a fire marshal. The city seeks to fund the positions by generating new tax revenue through a general-fund millage increase.

Smith said the proposed increase would be a shade more than four-tenths of a mill and would equal approximately $15 per year for a home with a taxable value of $34,000 – the average taxable value of a home in Sturgis.

The positions were cut during the past decade to reduce operating costs, Smith noted.

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