Hillsdale City Hall. Courtesy | Collegian Archives

The Hillsdale City Council unanimously voted at its Sept. 15 meeting to move forward with new Special Assessment Districts for 2026.

A SAD designates dilapidated roads for repair and funds the repairs by charging residents in the district up to $5,000. The proposed SADs are on South Street from M-99 to South Norwood Avenue, Willow Street from Oak Street to Logan Street, and Lake Street from Willow Street to East Carleton Road. 

If the council approves the new SADs, residents in a district can override the council’s approval by collecting letters from a majority of property owners opposed to the special assessment. A group of citizens on Barry Street rejected the city’s special assessment in April 2025. The council would need to vote 7-1 to override these objections.

City Manager David Mackie also recommended the council decide on SADs for 2027 immediately, so that it could apply for Small Urban Program funding — money from the Michigan Department of Transportation for areas with populations between 5,000 and 49,998. The two options are sections of Oak Street and Reading Avenue, and whichever project is not selected will be deferred until 2030. 

Director of Public Services Jason Blake asked the council to allow him and the city engineer to create plans and estimates to share with the council no later than January. 

Mayor Pro Tem Joshua Paladino suggested gauging public opinion on the two streets before deciding. But without going ahead with the preliminary research for SADs, Mackie said, the council would not give accurate estimates for the cost of the projects to concerned citizens. 

“You want to know if people support it, yet you can’t give them answers until you can do that work,” Mackie said. 

The council will vote on which street should be put forward for Small Urban funding at its next meeting on Oct. 6. 

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