Hillsdale’s plans to fund road repairs remain uncertain after the city council voted March 16 to repeal a previous policy requiring the use of special assessment districts. 

SADs became Hillsdale’s primary source of road funding in February 2025 until the city made them an optional method last month. The funding tool designates dilapidated roads for repair and charges residents on that road up to $5,000 per parcel, with up to an additional $1,500 in interest for those opting for a payment plan. 

Hillsdale residents on streets designated for repair by three SAD-funded projects rejected the proposals in February by gathering petitions. Due to pushback from residents, the council voted March 16 to make SADs an optional tool among many for funding road repairs rather than the mandated method. 

The council tasked city staff with presenting new options for funding road repairs. One option city staff proposed was to narrow the scope of road repairs. Instead of a full road reconstruction, city staff suggested removing and repaving the first few inches of asphalt. 

“When we have a proposed project moving forward, the residents on the street or who live in that neighborhood can decide what type of project they want,” Assistant City Manager Sam Fry said. “What staff have proposed is an option that would allow us to pave the street from curb to curb, get people a nice, new, smooth driving surface, and we can do that without a special assessment district.”

Ward 2 Councilman Matthew Bentley said the citizens of Hillsdale deserve the credit for reversing SADs, not city staff or the city council. 

“The city sat there as the people decided and organized themselves and ended SADs,” Bentley said. “The city council hasn’t really tackled the issue, and I don’t know that we will before the next election.”

Ward 3 Councilman and mayoral candidate Bob Flynn said the council’s discussion of how to move forward with road repair funding is ongoing. 

“I think the discussion still exists on keeping special assessment districts on the table,” Flynn said. “I personally think that it should still be an option. If there are neighbors out there on a street that come to the city and say, ‘Look, we’d be willing to pay for it,’ then I think we should be willing to pay for it.”

Bentley said he does not think anyone will be in favor of participating in a special assessment district after the multiple rejections this year. 

“It is very clear, all but unanimously among the people, that SADs aren’t coming back, not in their previous form anyway,” Bentley said. “There may be a place for them among the margins, but I’d be surprised.”

The City of Hillsdale plans to complete three road projects in 2026 without the use of SADs: Oak Street, South Street and Arch Avenue and Industrial Avenue. This comes after the city announced that it expects to receive $51,000 less in road funding from the State of Michigan than originally planned. 

“I hope we can get the roads done for the cost that is within the city’s budget this year,” Ward 4 Councilman Robert Socha said. “Oak and South streets, especially. They’re in pretty rough condition.”

Elyse Apel ’24, a Hillsdale resident, helped lead efforts to block the three proposed SAD projects in March. She said the move away from special assessments is only the first step in both tackling the road funding issue and regaining the confidence of the citizens of Hillsdale.

“For a long time, city staff and our elected officials were not listening,” Apel said. “While this recent policy change away from SADs is a step in the right direction, it’s unfortunate that it came only after consistent public opposition and many failed attempts by residents to be heard.”

Apel said the city staff’s proposed solution was not a permanent answer to Hillsdale’s road funding problem. 

“The city’s current plan is a short-term fix rather than a long-term solution,” Apel said. “While I’m happy they are trying to fix some of our roads, it is still critically important to find real solutions—which might require budget cuts, reallocations, or reprioritization.”

Flynn said that, though it’s not a comprehensive solution, repaving the roads could help ease some of the immediate problems that run-down roads pose to drivers. 

“I’m told that doing that should last a good 15 to 20 years,” Flynn said. “It won’t get rid of underlying problems if there are any, but at least it’ll smooth out your ride.”

According to Socha, City Manager David Mackie is working hard to secure funding for roads. 

“Our city manager has done an exemplary job trying to find grants and other sources to pave the roads,” Socha said. “It’s a highly competitive process and model and it’s not something that is easy or can be counted on because there’s no guarantee when you apply for a grant. It makes it difficult to plan until the award has actually been guaranteed.”

Apel said that, although many citizens are still frustrated with the conversations around road funding, she’s optimistic about the future. 

“I am glad the city decided to move forward with finding ways to actually use the money it’s budgeted to fix our roads,” Apel said. “Unfortunately, there is still a lot of frustration with the general attitude of city staff and some of our elected officials towards the public. I am hopeful this move away from SADs is a course-correction for our city.”