By Phyllis Rose
The next two meetings of the Brady Township Board, June 4 and July 2, will include public hearings regarding wording of a special assessment for emergency services and a proposed increase in emergency assessment fees.
Supervisor Randy Smith reported at a May 7 board meeting that wording of the assessment needs to change because the original document, approved10 years ago, named the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority (SKCFA) as the recipient of the fees. However, as of April 1, 2026, the Township will no longer be part of the Authority. Thus, the wording of the document needs to be more generic rather than naming a specific entity.
Also, the proposed emergency assessment fee will increase from $100 to $150 a year, he said, emphasizing that that amounts to just $1 a week.
“This is not a new assessment,” he said.
When the emergency services special assessment was enacted 10 years ago, “a big crowd” showed up at the public hearings, said Smith. In anticipation of a reoccurrence, he outlined what may need to be done to meet provisions of Michigan’s Open Meetings Act, which requires that all attendees be accommodated. If that isn’t possible, then the public hearing can’t be held.
“We may have to move the meeting outdoors to the pavilion and talk really loud,” he said. Letters about the public hearings went out to Township residents in mid-May.
Related to the Township’s withdrawal from the authority is the search for property on which to build an auxiliary fire station in the Township.
At the May 7 meeting, Smith updated the board on his efforts to find property in the center of the Township for the fire station. The township does not have its own fire station and after the withdrawal from the authority, it will be contracting with Pavilion Township for fire services. With $400,000 in savings from federa; COVID funds, the township could use that money to build its own fire station.
Having the station in the center of the Township is important because insurance companies base their rates on how close a home is to a fire station, Smith reported at a previous meeting. With a centrally located fire station, no property would be more than three miles from the station.
One property owner who had expressed interested in selling land to the Township has decided not to do so, Smith said at the May meeting. He will be considering an ad in the South County News asking for anyone who might have land to sell to contact the Township.
Starting in June, the Board will hold 30-minute workshops at 6:30 p.m. prior to the regularly scheduled meetings at 7 p.m., Smith said, noting it was an idea he got from the Michigan Townships Association (MTA) conference.
“It will be a time for the Board to get educated on the issues,” he said. “The public is invited to sit in and listen but no public comment time will be provided.”
Following the workshops, the meetings will proceed according to the published agenda
At the May meeting, Treasurer Elisa Stephens reported that homeowners will now be able to pay their taxes on line through a system provided by BS&A Software, a company which provides software to municipalities.
“There is no fee to us to get this started,” she said. “Residents will pay a percentage fee for credit card use.”
Smith added that the service has no effect on the Township’s budget.
“It’s just a new way for people to pay,” he said. “It’s not that outrageous for them. It’s a convenience.”
In other business, the Board approved a 2025 weed district budget for Indian Lake which provides money to eliminate weed growth and invasive species in the lake. It is only assessed on shoreline properties. The assessment fee can go up or down depending on what is needed to treat the lake.
Treasurer Stephens reported that this year the fee decreased to $145.
