The Bingham Township Board passed resolutions setting the salaries for the township supervisor, treasurer, clerk, and two trustees at their May 20 regular meeting, pending approval by audience vote at their annual meeting next month.
Since they published the 2024 meeting schedule, the township changed the date of its annual meeting from June 17 to 5:30 p.m. on the June 24.
The resolutions set salaries for township officers for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, starting July 1. Per the resolutions, the township supervisor’s salary shall be a $19,820 base salary; treasurer, $31,066 ; clerk $30,110 and the two trustees shall be $5,030 or $2,515 each.
The township officers’ salaries are set to increase from last year, but by relatively small amounts to match Consumer Price Index increases. For example, Bingham Township electors approved the township supervisor’s salary at $18,876 this year.
According to the board packet for this meeting, if electors fail to act on this resolution, the officer will be entitled to the salary established in the resolutions listed above, in accordance with Michigan Common Law.
The board then had a lengthy discussion about the township’s draft budget for the 20242025 fiscal year, also to be approved at the annual meeting in late June. In the documents presented, Bingham has a projected revenue of $430,069 and total expenses of $330,283 without capital outlay and fire expenses, for the next fiscal year.
Also at the May 20 meeting, the township board continued discussion on a blight ordinance that would allow the township to address garbage and junk on township properties.
The township’s planning commission drafted its own blight ordinance, but at last month’s meeting, a resident informed the board that Michigan Common Law (MCL) has its own section allowing blight area rehabilitation.
Board members agreed to consult with their attorney regarding this MCL section. According to township Trustee Todd Stone, Thomas Grier of the Running Wise Law Firm in Traverse City advised them that the state’s blighted area rehabilitation act was “more sweeping, broader ordinance intended for blighted areas as opposed to individual land,” and not the best option for the township.
“I think we can put together a better ordinance that addresses places in our township a little better. I think that’s the direction we should be moving in; developing a good ordinance that does what we want,” Stone said.
The draft ordinance reviewed by the board two months ago states people violating the ordinance will be responsible for a municipal civil infraction and subject to a fine up to $500 each day the nuisance goes unabated. If the designated enforcement officer must remove it themselves, the township can open a lawsuit to recover the costs, including attorney fees.
