Fixing our Roads

We have met with leaders from Bloomfield Township and the Road Commission of Oakland County, and have spoken with communities that have gone through the same process. We received the same answer from all: there is no state or federal funding available for Vernor Estates roads.

According to the Road Commission and Bloomfield Township, there are two main reasons why it’s incumbent on residents of Bloomfield Township neighborhoods to pay for their own road improvements:

The Road Commission owns the neighborhood roads in Oakland County. The Road Commission receives state funding from gas taxes under Act 51 and uses that money to maintain the roads, which means plowing, repairing drainage issues, patching potholes and routine maintenance. The Road Commission contracts with Bloomfield Township for these services, which is why we see Township plows and patching crews on Vernor Estates streets. Since Bloomfield Township doesn’t own any roads, they don’t receive any federal or state funding for road improvements.
The Road Commission does not have sufficient funding to pay for improvements in neighborhood roads.

In contrast, cities like Birmingham own their roads, and can levy taxes for road maintenance and improvements - Bloomfield Township cannot. This means that residents in the Township have “benefitted” over time from lower tax rates than cities and villages that own their roads and collect property taxes to fund improvements in them.

“Any township road in Oakland County, the only way to improve [the roads] is through a special assessment district. They are never going to be repaved by the county. We agreed to maintain them, but not repave them. That is the case in every township subdivision in the state.”

-Craig Bryson,
Oakland County Road Commission

Special Assessment Districts (SAD)

Special Assessment Districts
To fund the rebuilding of our roads, we will need to form Special Assessment Districts (SADs) through which we agree to “tax” ourselves to pay for our roads. We will work with Bloomfield Township to form our SADs. A specific state statute - Public Act 188 - governs this process and allows us to work together as neighbors and solve our road problems. The statute and Township policies for SADs outline a straightforward process (see graphic below).

How it Works
Your share of the cost to rebuild our roads will appear as a special assessment on your winter tax bill. Each property can pay the special assessment over the course of 15 years, with interest at a municipal bond rate plus 1%. You will have the option to pay the full assessment for your property upfront if you choose.

A Special Assessment District is Not Unique to Vernor Estates
Neighborhoods throughout Michigan have employed this straightforward solution to repair their roads. In Bloomfield Township, residents in almost 20 neighborhoods have formed Special Assessment Districts through the Township process.

The Process to Fix Our Roads

Additional details about the Special Assessment Districts (SADs) and the process of forming them:

DONE - The Road Commission will estimate the cost of rebuilding the roads; the total cost of the project for the section will be divided pro rata among all the lots in that section.
DONE - Then Bloomfield Township will prepare petitions that residents supporting the SAD will sign.
Currently- Our neighborhood volunteers will need to obtain signatures from owners of 51% of the frontage and 51% of the parcels in the SAD. There is no specified period defined in either the statute or Township policy during which signatures can be gathered.
Once sufficient signatures are obtained, the petitions will be submitted to the Township for validation. There will be an opportunity to “cure” any issues with the signatures. If the required 51% support is validated, the Township public hearing process begins.
There will be two public hearings by the Township at which residents will have the opportunity to make public comments for the Township Board of Trustees to consider as the Trustees evaluate whether or not to approve the SAD.
Once the first Township public hearing is completed and the Board moves the project forward, the Road Commission will put the project out to bid.
- If the winning bid comes in below the estimated cost included in the petition, the assessment will be based on the lower construction cost.
- If the bids come in more than 10% above the Road Commission’s estimate, an additional public hearing is required by statute. The Township Board may decide to require recirculation of the petition with the revised cost numbers.
Once the Township Board of Trustees gives its final approval of the SAD, construction can begin. The plan is for construction to take place during the 2026 construction season.
The Township will issue bonds to finance the construction; residents choosing to spread the special assessment over 15 years will be charged interest at the bond rate plus 1%.
The actual assessment of each parcel will be based on the winning bid for the project. If the final actual cost comes in lower than the contractor’s bid, the difference will be refunded to the then-current owner of the property at the end of the 15-year period.
If a special assessment district is approved by the Township Board of Trustees, all residents in that section will pay the assessment, not just the residents who signed the petition.

Fixing our Roads

We have met with leaders from Bloomfield Township and the Road Commission of Oakland County, and have spoken with communities that have gone through the same process. We received the same answer from all: there is no state or federal funding available for Vernor Estates roads.

According to the Road Commission and Bloomfield Township, there are two main reasons why it’s incumbent on residents of Bloomfield Township neighborhoods to pay for their own road improvements:

The Road Commission does not have sufficient funding to pay for improvements in neighborhood roads.

Special Assessment Districts (SAD)

The Process to Fix Our Roads

Additional details about the Special Assessment Districts (SADs) and the process of forming them:

DONE - The Road Commission will estimate the cost of rebuilding the roads; the total cost of the project for the section will be divided pro rata among all the lots in that section.

DONE - Then Bloomfield Township will prepare petitions that residents supporting the SAD will sign.

Currently- Our neighborhood volunteers will need to obtain signatures from owners of 51% of the frontage and 51% of the parcels in the SAD. There is no specified period defined in either the statute or Township policy during which signatures can be gathered.

Once sufficient signatures are obtained, the petitions will be submitted to the Township for validation. There will be an opportunity to “cure” any issues with the signatures. If the required 51% support is validated, the Township public hearing process begins.

There will be two public hearings by the Township at which residents will have the opportunity to make public comments for the Township Board of Trustees to consider as the Trustees evaluate whether or not to approve the SAD.

Once the first Township public hearing is completed and the Board moves the project forward, the Road Commission will put the project out to bid.

If the winning bid comes in below the estimated cost included in the petition, the assessment will be based on the lower construction cost.

If the bids come in more than 10% above the Road Commission’s estimate, an additional public hearing is required by statute. The Township Board may decide to require recirculation of the petition with the revised cost numbers.

Once the Township Board of Trustees gives its final approval of the SAD, construction can begin. The plan is for construction to take place during the 2026 construction season.

The Township will issue bonds to finance the construction; residents choosing to spread the special assessment over 15 years will be charged interest at the bond rate plus 1%.

The actual assessment of each parcel will be based on the winning bid for the project. If the final actual cost comes in lower than the contractor’s bid, the difference will be refunded to the then-current owner of the property at the end of the 15-year period.

If a special assessment district is approved by the Township Board of Trustees, all residents in that section will pay the assessment, not just the residents who signed the petition.