BAY CITY, MI (WNEM) -
Bay City commissioners voted Monday to not put a millage question on the November ballot to help fund the city's deficit.
Commissioners voted 5-4 to put the question on the ballot, but needed a super majority of six votes to override Bay City Mayor Chris Shannon's veto on the ballot proposal.
Just two weeks ago, city leaders agreed to put a millage question on the ballot, asking voters to pay an additional two mils for the next five years to help fund police and fire.
Some commissioners hoped the money would be a catalyst as the city considers reconstructing police and fire services and possibly consolidate the services into one public safety entity. But last week, Shannon vetoed the question from going to the ballot.
Shannon said he vetoed the question from being on the November ballot because Bay City residents already have a large tax burden. He had three others on his side.
But five commissioners at Monday's meeting said the city needs to do something to deal with the $2 million deficit the city faces. Those commissioners believed this could be the solution and believed putting the question up for vote would be a fair way to resolve the issue.
But now, commissioners told TV5 the issue is dead in the water. The city will have to make some tough decisions to deal with the $2 million deficit, and that could mean some city police and firefighters being laid off.
The city has yet to decide whether police and fire will be consolidated into a public safety operation, where current police officers and firefighters would be cross-trained to do both jobs.
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