HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — For many seniors and disabled adults, public transportation services in certain Oakland County communities have provided a much-needed lifeline.
“I think it is because there’s a lot of people that don’t have the transportation and it would be a great idea,” Donna Cox said.
“Everybody doesn't own a vehicle and it’s hard for them to get around. And it would be fine with me,” Andrek Williams said.
A countywide proposal on the Nov. 8 ballot would maintain services currently provided by Western Oakland Transportation Authority (WOTA), North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA) and Older Persons' Commission (OPC) in the Rochester area and expand services beyond those areas.
Voters will decide if they support a .95 mill tax — or 95 cents per 1,000 of taxable home value — for the operation and expansion of transit services throughout Oakland County.
“It opens the door for you to be able to get transportation where you need to go in Oakland County,” Rick Hamill said.
Hamill is the Highland Township Supervisor and a Chairman of WOTA, which presently serves residents in Highland, White Lake, Waterford and Walled Lake.
“If the millage passes, it takes the fence down and makes it countywide, so now you could go anywhere in the system,” Hamill said.
The proposal had bi-partisan support from the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, but Commissioner Bob Hoffman, whose district includes Highland, was a no vote.
“I am in favor of transit, but this is a tax without a plan, without a study and all it’s going to do is hurt the working poor in my district and there’s a lot of working poor in my district,” Hoffman said. “I think this is bad government on steroids and I’m urging everyone to vote no on this until you come up with a plan that works for the entire county.”
