The Hillsdale City Council will hold a town hall to discuss special assessment districts on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m., following a unanimous vote at its meeting on Nov. 17.
Ward 4 Councilman Robert Socha proposed the town hall, which will be open to the public so that Hillsdale residents can voice their opinions about SADs. Socha said the meeting will be attended by representatives from public services and followed by a special public services meeting, which will cover what was discussed at the town hall.
“We already have a public services committee. The committee meetings are public knowledge; they’re posted so that we have public comment during those times,” Socha told The Collegian. “Part of the public service committee’s purpose is road assessments and things like that. Why create another committee when we already have that?”
The City of Hillsdale uses SADs to fund road repairs. Residents in a SAD are charged up to $5,000 each for repairs on their road.
Socha suggested the meeting after Mayor Scott Sessions proposed reviving the Funding Alternative Identifications and Recommendations committee from nine years ago, which was meant to make the process of road repairs more transparent.
“It has been nearly 10 years since the committee last met, and much has changed since then. The city has made meaningful improvements with the use of special assessment districts and local road monies, but we still have significant needs and limited resources. Now is the right time to take a fresh look at our approach,” Sessions said at the Nov. 17 city council meeting.
Ward 2 councilman Matthew Bentley said he did not see a point in reviving the FAIR Committee.
“I applaud your initiative to find a solution to these problems, but the question of who’s on it and how many are on it kind of begs the question, ‘well, what’s it supposed to do?’” Bentley said.
Socha raised concerns about adding a separate committee to conversations about road repairs.
“I personally don’t want to be part of another committee,” Socha said Monday. “As I’ve listened to the discussion tonight and think about it, I think it’s a duplication of efforts. And I think we could have a town hall and then have public services address the special assessments, since it’s obvious that this is the whole reason this has come together.”
Ward 4 Councilman Joshua Paladino told The Collegian he is glad the council decided against forming another committee.
“It would make it ultimately less clear what the council really wanted and what their decision was if we act on a recommendation from a committee of unelected officials,” Paladino said. “So, I was very happy with the outcome of that. The council will make a decision, and we will be held solely responsible for that decision, and then voters can act on that. That’s how you have a strong political process.”
Socha told The Collegian that the city may hold multiple meetings to discuss SADs with the public, depending on the results of the Dec. 8 town hall.
“For now, it’s a one-time thing. We’ll see what the future holds,” Socha said. “I can see us having more in the future, I just don’t think there will ever be a permanent schedule.”
A meeting to discuss SADs and road repairs in general is necessary, Socha said.
“The infrastructure in Hillsdale has fallen into extreme disrepair over the decades. We are addressing things on council within my term here that should have been addressed in the ’70s, and that takes time and money,” Socha said. “The city’s budget is not flush with money. We’re not destitute by any means, but we’re not flush. We need all the help we can get, not just to maintain the status quo, but to make progress. The only way I’ve been shown that progress can be made is through SADs. If another way can be shown to me, then absolutely, I’m not glued to anything. I’d rather the SADS not be necessary. But the way I see it, at this time, they are.”
