Harbor Transit fate to be on village ballot
Tue, May 20, 2008 
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BY MARIE HAVENGA
mhavenga@grandhaventribune.com
SPRING LAKE — The fate of Harbor Transit bus service within Spring Lake Village limits will rest with voters in November.
Village Council Monday night unanimously decided to put the decision on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.
Escalating local service costs, which jumped from about $50,000 last year to $66,000 this year, prompted Council members to reconsider funding the transportation service from its general fund balance.
Village Manager Ryan Cotton said that he learned from Harbor Transit officials to expect an additional $10,000 increase per year.
The ballot proposal will ask voters if they're willing to pay a separate tax levy of up to 0.9898 mills for two years to continue Harbor Transit's dial-a-ride service. If approved, Spring Lake Village residents' operating millage would be reduced by 0.7471 mills. The net difference would cost the owner of a $130,000 home a little more than $1 per month ($15.60 annually) for fiscal years 2010 and 2011.
Village Council last summer dropped Harbor Transit trolley services and saved about $13,000, according to Cotton.
"By putting this on the ballot we can see what they (our residents) would like to see funded," Cotton said. "Harbor Transit is an extremely valuable service to members of this community. It serves senior citizens and school children with schools of choice. This issue is here because of the desire to see if the community wants to pay for it (bus service)."
If voters don't approve the ballot measure, local Harbor Transit service would be discontinued in March.
Several residents spoke at Monday's public hearing in favor of putting the issue on the ballot.
"I don't have a car," said Village resident Nancy Nielsen. "I'm basically on it (Harbor Transit) at least once a day. It's really needed in this area. It's going to affect a lot of people if this would be voted down."
Virginia Mensink, a Liberty Woods resident, agreed.
"We will back you all the way in putting a proposal like this on the ballot," Mensink said. "If the weather is inclement, it's (bus service) really a godsend."
Township Treasurer Lou Draeger, a village resident who was at Monday's public hearing, reminded council that township voters didn't push for continuance of Harbor Transit service in the Strawberry Point area two years ago. Residents in that neighborhood, south of Spring Lake and west of Fruitport Road, opted to sign a petition to drop out of the local bus service and save 0.75 in millage.
"The citizens in that area didn't support it so it's a concern," Draeger said.
Village President Bill Filber said education will be the key.
"We're going to do the best we can to educate our residents that it would only be a slight (tax) increase," Filber said. "I believe we should all focus on getting this approved."
Cotton said he will remain "an optimist" that rising Harbor Transit costs will level off.
"I think voters will see the value of this," the manager said, adding that residents who have not used Harbor Transit in the past may begin doing so because of rising fuel costs. "I think Harbor Transit will see additional revenue from additional riders."
