Voters in the City of Chelsea, Lima, Lyndon and Sylvan townships approved a new 3-year millage of 0.75 mills by an unofficial vote count of 2,725 to 1,336 or 67.10 percent.
In Sylvan Township, there was a tie vote of 166 for the millage and 166 voting against it.
Lima Township voters approved the millage 771 votes to 517 votes while Lyndon Township voters approved the proposal 108-92.
In Chelsea, 1,680 voters approved the proposal while 561 voted against it.
Chelsea Area Fire Authority Chief Rob Arbini thanked the voters who supported the department.
He said the funds will not be collected until the summer tax roll in July but before then he will begin the hiring process of interviewing candidates and vetting them.
“We will bring six firefighters onboard to serve area residents as well as those who visit, (the CAFA area),” he said.
Below is the ballot language.
CHELSEA AREA FIRE AUTHORITY MILLAGE PROPOSAL
Shall the Chelsea Area Fire Authority, County of Washtenaw, Michigan, be authorized to levy annually a new additional millage in an amount not to exceed .75 mill ($0.75 per each $1,000 of taxable value) against all taxable property within the limits of the Chelsea Area Fire Authority for a period of three (3) years, 2026 through 2028, inclusive, for the purpose of providing funds for all purposes authorized by statute and law, including operating and equipping the Chelsea Area Fire Authority? The estimate of the revenue the Chelsea Area Fire Authority will collect if the millage is approved and levied by the Chelsea Area Fire Authority in the first year of levy (2026) is approximately $983,000. By law, the Chelsea Downtown Development Authority will receive a portion of the millage collected from the Chelsea Downtown Development Authority District only.
