Sylvan Township is joining the Washtenaw Urban County community.
At the July 11 Sylvan Township Board meeting, the vote was 3-2 (Kurt Koseck and Cyndi Jabara against) to sign a cooperation agreement with Washtenaw County to participate in Washtenaw Urban County for federal assistance from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development during the period of July 1, 2018-June 30, 2021.
The trustees who voted against joining both felt that they didn’t have enough time to consider the agreement. Teresa Gillotti, from the Office of Community and Economic Development, did a presentation about the Washtenaw Urban County program at the board’s July 11 meeting, and a decision about joining had to be made by July 14.
The Washtenaw Urban County community works to create housing opportunities and a suitable living environment for low-to-moderate-income residents. Benefits of becoming a participating jurisdiction include direct annual allocations to meet community needs, Community Development Block Grant funds based on community needs, and low-and-moderate-income households can qualify for home repairs, accessibility improvements, and down payment assistance.
Gillette explained that smaller communities like Sylvan Township often bank multiple years of funding to use on specific projects in qualifying areas.
For more information about this program, please go to: http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/community-and-economic-development/housing-and-community-infrastructure/urban_county/index_washtenaw_urban_county
During his report at the board meeting, Sylvan Township Supervisor Tom McKernan mentioned the possibility of reducing the 4.4 millage amount paid by Sylvan Township residents.
“Because of increased property values, we’ll soon be ahead of schedule paying things back,” McKernan explained. “I want to put together a committee of citizens to see if that’s a sensible way to give tax relief over the next 10-12 years.”
McKernan said that will be a topic on the board’s Aug.1 agenda.
