Letter to the Editor: Courthouse Should Use Existing Budget

Dear Editor,

$1.8 million dollars has been raised over the years to renovate the 40th District Courthouse at Eleven Mile Road and Jefferson.

Despite already having $1.8 million, they are taking out a $2 million bond so that they can build a larger brand new $3.5 million dollar building.

No matter what City Hall tries to tell you, this $2 million will be another tax showing up on our property tax bill as "City debt" or some other clever name like "Justice bond debt".

Do not be fooled citizens of St. Clair Shores, investors only invest in municipal or city bonds because our wallets are the collateral. If payments cannot be made, we the taxpayers are forced to make the payment.

If the bond issue wasn't bad enough, the courthouse already relocated to their temporary location BEFORE the bonds were sold. That is like buying a house, moving in, and doing renovations before you have signed the mortgage loan papers!  That just does not happen in the real and honest world. Why are we accepting that here in our community?

I do not care how well intentioned the motives are in building this new courthouse. Since there wasn't a vote of the people on this "future tax increase", we need to stand up and tell them that this is wrong!

They need to stop being so short-sighted and greedy and stop their $3.5 million courthouse plans.

Tell them that they need to revise their renovation plans to fit within their $1.8 million budget. Thank you.

--Ms. Erin Stahl BS, MSF
20113 Avalon, SCS MI 48080
586.774.8181
Erin@erinstahl.com