Chesterfield Township is considering a significant financial investment to support its parks, recreation and senior services with the introduction of a millage, proposing a $1 million levy over a ten-year period.

At its regular board meeting Tuesday, May 15, the board discussed the addition of a millage to a November 2025 special election ballot. With the approval of the millage, residents would begin to see a levy on their taxes beginning winter 2026 with an approximate tax increase of $100 to $140 dollars and an anticipated $2.4 million in revenue estimated for the first year.

Michele Vannerson, Director of Parks, Recreation and Senior Services, suggested the proposed millage could assist in bringing in additional funding to help support operations as well as maintain, develop, and improve recreation and senior services in the community. Focusing on three main investment priorities, the community center, parks and pathways, and enhancing facilities and programs, the millage would help to bridge funding gaps and accommodate the projected growth of the township.

“In the last five years, both businesses and residential updates have been increasing each and every year,” said Vannerson. “We see numbers reflected in our recreational program numbers as well as the amount of new attendees that come in every week asking us what we have going on because they just moved to the area or a friend brought them in.”

In 2019, parks and recreation combined with the senior department to form one group. Under this division is nine parks with an additional four parks in development, nine sports fields, and one community center. The current 2025 parks and recreation budget outlines $2.5 million dollars in expenditures with a revenue of $670,000 accrued through facility rentals, program revenues, and Brandenburg Park. Currently, it costs $1.8 million to operate the Parks, Recreation, and Senior Services Department. The township’s general fund, which serves as the township’s primary source of funding, has been used to feed the Parks and Recreations department, but is not a reliable source to continue funding the department. The 2025 budget of general fund revenue maintains just over $14 million dollars. However, the expenditures are close to $14.5 million, with Parks, Recreation, and Senior Services accounting for six percent of the expenditures.

“There was really never enough money in the general fund to, in a lot of people’s opinion, adequately fund the Parks and Rec programming,” said Trustee David Joseph, who began his career on the Parks and Recreation commission prior to being elected as a trustee.

The millage proposal was met with ongoing discourse as members of the board took varying stances on the approach and approval of the millage. While some agreed voters should possess the power to vote on the millage, much of the conversation centered on the costs of adding the millage to a November ballot versus waiting until the 2026 primaries. The clerk’s office estimates a cost of $78,000 to $98,000 to add the millage to a November 2025 ballot during a special election. It would be much less if the addition of the millage would be held until the slated August 2026 election, charging a maximum of $3,000, the cost of adding the special question to the ballot.

“I just don’t see the value in getting the same answer we’re probably going to get in August of ‘26 as we’re going to get in November 2025,” said Cindy Berry, township clerk.

Macomb County, which encompasses Chesterfield Township, does not have its own Parks and Recreation department, unlike neighboring communities such as Wayne, Oakland, and St. Clair. The total costs of operating the department rests solely on the township.

“I just don’t feel comfortable, at this time, supporting it,” said Trustee Hank Anderson.

With 46,000 residents in Chesterfield Township, finding a solution that includes the will of the people is paramount, officials said. Ultimately, the board voted against adding the millage to the November 2025 ballot. However, that does not mean it will not appear on ballots in 2026.

Residents can follow the progress and view other updates on parks.chesterfieldtwp.org.