Pontiac voters will decide next week whether to approve $75 million in bonds to repair the city's deteriorating roads. City leaders say the proposal would fund lasting fixes for streets that have not received major investment in decades.
According to the mayor, the last real investment in Pontiac's roads came in the 1980s, and conditions have worsened since. For residents, that means a rough ride every day. "Sometimes, I feel like we've been bombed, dodging the potholes," said Katrina Mabin, who lives on Earlmoor. She said getting in and out of her driveway is a bumpy experience. "I have to go really slow, really slow," Mabin said.
A block up from Mabin, William Swartzendruber said the problem extends well beyond Earlmoor. He pulls a trailer and said one of its leaf springs broke because of road conditions. "Like one road will be OK and the next thing you know, you're driving and there's a 6-inch pothole," Swartzendruber said.
The bonds would let the city borrow money to pay for road repairs. Mayor Mike McGuinness said the measure authorizes a millage that may be levied, but the city is in a strong financial position. He said Pontiac wants to pay the debt service on the road financing each year from its existing resources.
McGuinness said the goal is not to raise taxes even if voters approve the measure. "In other words, we don't even intend to levy those millages each year. We're going to pay for it from our existing general fund and other revenue sources," he said.
Still, approval would give the city the authority to raise taxes if necessary. McGuinness said that if it came to that, 60% of the burden would fall on businesses. For homeowners, the rate would be $2.40 for every $1,000 of taxable value. As a Pontiac homeowner, the mayor said he worked out the figure for his own house. "It would be under $100 each year," he said.
The bond money would go toward neighborhood streets. Major roads such as Huron Street are maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation and are separate from the city's effort.
Both Mabin and Swartzendruber said they would be willing to pay if it comes to that. Swartzendruber noted that road quality affects a vehicle's lifespan: "the better the roads are, the less repairs I am going to have to make." Mabin said money is tight, but the work needs to happen. "We're poor enough around here. Everything is going up, but I mean, we got to get it done or we are going to have to get a new car," she said.
Not every resident is sold. Jennifer Woods, who has lived in Pontiac her whole life, agreed the roads "need some help," but said she is unsure how she will vote. Citing rising costs and the price of gas for her commute, she called the prospect of higher taxes "a hard pill to swallow right now."
McGuinness said that if the measure fails, long-term fixes would be delayed and the city would be left with more temporary repairs to address major road problems.
