Turtle Woods may receive aid under Oakland County parks millage proposal

TROY — Conservation and preservation efforts for Turtle Woods may see further assistance if voters approve an Oakland County Parks and Recreation Department millage proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot.

In July, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted 16-3 to approve a resolution to place a millage proposal on the general election ballot.

The new millage would replace Oakland County Parks’ current 0.35-mill levy set to expire in 2029 with a new tax rate of 0.65 mills that would expire in 2043. If approved, the 0.3-mill increased rate would generate $24 million annually for investment in parks, trails, recreation programs and conservation. For a home with a taxable value of $133,000 — taxable value being generally half of a home’s market value — the 0.3-mill increase would equal around an additional $40 per year on top of the current cost for the same home of around $30 annually. The 0.65 mill is equal to 65 cents per $1,000 of taxable value. According to Oakland County Parks, if the millage is approved, it would generate around $52 million in 2024.

According to the county parks department, the proposal would provide better access to county parks with free entry to the parks and dog parks — excluding pay-to-play attractions, such as golf courses, waterparks, campgrounds and off-road vehicle activities — more recreation possibilities, and upgrades and expansions to park grounds. This includes plans to expand the 15 parks within the county park system to 19, which includes Turtle Woods in Troy.

“The reason we are excited about the potential of the millage is their interest in increasing their conservation work, especially in the more populated regions of Oakland County,” Six Rivers Land Conservancy Executive Director Christopher Bunch said in an email. “As a land conservancy that is focused on land conservation as a critical need in this region, we are always excited and grateful when our public agency partners commit resources to conservation, in addition to the important work they do for more developed recreational access, opportunities and infrastructure.”

Turtle Woods is an over 70-acre protected county park on Troy School District-owned property, and Six Rivers Land Conservancy works with Troy Schools on a land contract related to this preserve. The property is located on Square Lake Road, between John R Road and Dequindre Road, and includes wetlands and prairies that feature a wide variety of plant and animal species.

Six Rivers has the ability to negotiate a sale through the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Department as a part of their agreement with the school district. Board of Education President Karl Schmidt said the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund typically requires properties to move from private to public ownership in order to secure the grant money. The Troy School District has an ability to revert to ownership of Turtle Woods if they don’t approve of the next proposed buyer offered by Six Rivers.

In January, an attempt to secure the grant money, roughly over $3.7 million, initially failed due to the volume of high-profile projects applying to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund this year. Melissa Prowse, the manager of planning and development services for the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Department, mentioned there would be plans to reapply for the grant money in April and wait until December to see if they acquired the money.

“Based on feedback from last year’s application, we are confident that the revised proposal OCP provided to the MNRTF in April (which includes a larger discount on the property from the TSD) will be successful,” Schmidt said in an email.

While the passing of the millage proposal wouldn’t initially affect the acquisition of the property, it would go toward improvements.

“While our ‘development’ of Turtle Woods will be minimal, including a new entrance drive, parking lot, restrooms and trail and boardwalk improvements, we’ll be able to do this much more quickly, and in a more robust way, if the millage passes,” Prowse said in an email. “If the millage passes, I anticipate we’d be able to do all that work in one project, instead of phasing it out over several years, which would be a huge benefit to residents of Troy and the surrounding communities.”

The millage proposal also includes increased outreach and funding for local parks and recreation projects, which would allow for resources to be available to the city of Troy.

However, the decision to place it on the ballot was not unanimous.

“My reservations are raising the tax 70% and making it a 20-year tax instead of 10 year. I’m absolutely outraged that they would do that. It’s not good government. It’s irresponsible, and if they want to promote that to the public, they need to put in the headline, ‘this is 70% tax increase,’” Oakland County Commissioner Bob Hoffman said of his no vote. Commissioners Michael Spisz and Karen Joliat also voted no. “I support the parks,” Hoffman said. “I’ve always voted for every Oakland County Parks and Rec millage, but this one I will not vote for. This is outrageous and an insult to the taxpayers.”

Supporters of the proposal said it would support needed investments.

“I think everyone in Oakland County has a great appreciation for our county park system. It’s one of the most robust park systems in the entire state, and I would even go as far as across the country. This millage proposal really puts us on a course to make the needed investments today to maintain and preserve the enjoyment for folks today and long into the future,” Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairman David Woodward, D-Royal Oak, said. “For me, it really comes down to three things. This millage is going to allow for better access for everyone to our county parks. It’s going to create new recreation opportunities for all, and it’s also going to lead to more nature preservation for today and future generations.”

For more information on the Turtle Woods Preserve, visit sixriversrlc.org/turtle-woods-preserve, and for more information on the Oakland County Parks millage proposal, visit oakgov.com/community/oakland-county-parks/2024-millage.