Brighton City Council Discusses Possible Elimination of Two DDA Positions

During Thursday’s Brighton City Council meeting, council members discussed the possibility of eliminating two positions connected with the Downtown Development Authority.

Councilman Jim Bohn requested that the city eliminate the Downtown Development Authority director and the DDA clerk instead of not filling two Department of Public Services positions, according to a report from the Press & Argus.

Many councilmembers, including Shawn Pipoly were opposed to the suggestion, according to the report, saying that the DDA director and clerk “secured several million dollars’ worth of grants, and the money was used to make significant improvements to the downtown.” 

The budget of the DDA and the Principal Shopping Development was brought up in a previous meeting in April, which was attended by Brighton merchants defending the money spent to help develop and maintain the downtown area.

DDA Director Matt Modrack defended the budgets in April telling the Brighton Patch in a previous report, “it’s an essential part of the success of downtown. I think the pertinent question is, is it working and the answer is yes- an unqualified yes.”

The revised $7.4 million general fund budget was approved, according to WHMI, which will result in a projected surplus of $195,000. 

According to press reports, under the proposed 2013-2014 budget, the city’s millage rate would decrease by 0.78 mills, residents will not see a $3.36-per-year increase in their trash-pickup fee and their property taxes will decrease next year.