MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - This year the millage that funds Meridian Township's pathways will expire and the Township has the option to renew the millage with the approval of residents.

"We will be able to collect taxes for 2017, but if the Board takes no action beyond that, we would not have available funding source to basically take care of the pathways that exist or any potential future construction," said Derek Perry, Assistant Township Manager and Director of Public Works & Engineering.

The Board was asked if they wanted to proceed with a renewal, which rate they would be comfortable collecting, the length of the term and which ballot the millage would be on.

"Of course we should renew it. I think we should put a renewal for 12 years on the August ballot and we should word it so it's renewing the .27 and we should ask to restore the pathway millage to the full third of a mill that the voters originally approved," said Trustee John Veenstra.

The Board decided to proceed with a renewal and discussed which ballot it would be placed on.

"I prefer the November ballot, there's more people that get to vote on it," said Trustee Milton Scales.

"I prefer August and it's right that there are more people and it might get a higher percentage of the vote in November, but we have massive evidence that our pathways are very very popular in the Township, so I think we would easily pass a pathway millage on the August ballot," stated Trustee Veenstra.

Treasurer Julie Brixie and Trustee Ron Styka agreed that it should be on the August ballot, and Clerk Brett Dreyfus said he believes it would be passed no matter which ballot it is placed on.

A consensus was made to place the renewal of the pathway millage for 12 years on the August ballot and to restore the millage to .3.