GRAND LEDGE, Mich. — On May 5, Grand Ledge voters will decide on a $22.5 million bond proposal aimed at constructing two new fire stations.
- The $22.5 million bond would fund the construction of two new fire stations, one on the current property and another on Hartel Road.
- If approved, the bond will be paid over 20 years, with 3.04 mills levied in the first year and an average of 2.74 mills over the life of the bond.
- Fire officials say the current 80-year-old station is failing, while some residents express concerns about the cost, plan and tax fatigue.
If approved, the bond will be paid for over a 20-year period. In the first year, 3.04 mills will be levied. Over those 20 years, the average cost to taxpayers will be 2.74 mills, which equates to $2.74 for every $1,000 of taxable value. One new station would be built on the current property, and another would go on Hartel Road.
WATCH: Grand Ledge voters to decide on $22.5 million fire station bond
Residents are debating the need for the new facilities.
"I'll be voting for the fire bond," Tom Hedlund said.
"An absolute no," Scott Martzke said.
Fire department officials said the investment is needed now.
"We are growing leaps and bounds in the area, as far as different organizations in the area, different buildings going on," officials said.
I toured the current station with Grand Ledge Fire Chief Michael Roman. He said the building's infrastructure is failing and becoming too expensive to maintain.
"We are right now working out of one station that is 80 years old, that actually started out of a city garage," Roman said.
Roman said the bond would give the station the resources and space needed for the future, as well as reposition them for quicker response times.
"Most of our calls are on the south end of that bridge, in fact 83.7 percent of our calls are on the other side of that bridge," Roman said.
Tom Hedlund, who has lived in Grand Ledge for eight years, said the bond is a necessity for safety and believes it will help secure the safety of residents in the decades to come.
"I just feel like it’s an investment for our future, the fire authority has proven that the need is there," Hedlund said.
"If we kick the can down the road one, three, five years, we’re going to have the same conversations, and this is the opportunity to really take care of it," Hedlund said.
Scott Martzke, who spent three decades with the Grand Ledge Fire Department, said he is not fully on board with the plans. He fears the $22.5 million bond could lead to tax fatigue, making it harder to renew operational millages down the road.
"And we’re a community of 10,000, we don't need two stations, nothing to this magnitude," Martzke said.
"There should be some creativity, when you want people to pay thousands of dollars for 20 years, and again what if this comes in under bid, they already said any money left over they’re going to buy equipment with it," Martzke said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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