The Numbers Behind the Crisis

The Village of Schoolcraft is facing a projected annual fire service cost of $85,666 after two member townships withdrew from the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority. That figure represents an increase of $17,533.24 from the current annual cost of $68,132.76, according to a financial report from Grand Rapids based consulting firm Maner Costerisan.

The departure of Brady Township and Wakeshma Township from the SKCFA left only four remaining entities to share the cost of the Authority. Those four are the Village of Schoolcraft, Schoolcraft Township, Vicksburg, and Prairie Ronde Township.

Two Paths Forward

The Schoolcraft Village Council discussed two funding options at their April 20 meeting. A millage tax would be based on property tax and require voter approval. A special assessment would be a fixed cost per property determined by the Council without a public vote.

Trustee Kathy Mastenbrook raised a key question during the discussion.

"If you do a millage and it's not approved, then what do you do to still have a fire service?"

Mastenbrook noted that Prairie Ronde Township has used a special assessment for several years. She suggested the Village could draw on their experience.

"That's what worked best for them," Mastenbrook said. "We could use their expertise in determining a special assessment."

A Longer Timeline Than Expected

Either funding path would take 15 to 18 months to implement, according to the Maner Costerisan report. For now, the SKCFA has kept monetary contributions at current levels to give members time to decide on future funding.

The lack of historical data from the four remaining members complicates the planning process, Mastenbrook said.

"These estimates will have to be adjusted over the next three to five years as we gather data," she said. "We have to find something that can work for five years."

Trustee Joe Beck suggested exploring a combined public safety special assessment that would cover both police and fire services. The Village operates its own police department.

Trustee Todd Carlin emphasized the need for transparency with residents.

"We want residents to know that we've checked all the boxes about what's best for them," Carlin said. "We need someone to give us the information to help us decide."

Immediate Funding Gap

Mastenbrook warned that the Village will not have extra resources to cover the increased costs in the first year. The shortfall would need to come from the general fund until a permanent solution is in place.

"We're not going to have the extra resources the first year," she said.

Mastenbrook also suggested holding a joint meeting with the other three SKCFA members to share the cost of bringing in Maner Costerisan for additional guidance.

The Council agreed they need more information before moving forward with either option.

Other Council Business

The Village Council also addressed two other goals from their March 2 meeting. Officials discussed potential new water well sites, with Beck suggesting they explore all possibilities. The Council also noted a shortage of volunteers for community activities.

Council President Mike Rochholz expressed frustration over the lack of community participation.

"I can list all the families who used to do the things that nobody wants to step up and do today," Rochholz said. "I wish people had more commitment."

Rochholz noted that some community events are being canceled because organizers cannot find volunteers.

In other business, Clerk/Treasurer Theresa O'Leary reported that the Village's MiClass investment account earned $78,831.87 in interest between April 2025 and March 2026.

Rochholz also read a letter from resident Ted Lupina regarding proposed changes to the Village water ordinance. Lupina suggested that residences without water connections should be grandfathered in until the property is sold. Rochholz said state law likely does not allow that approach. Lupina also questioned concerns about cross contamination between private wells and the Village water system. Rochholz maintained that the potential for contamination exists and must be addressed.

Lupina was not present at the April 20 meeting.

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