New homeowner? How much should you set aside for repairs?
When you buy a home, don’t plan on spending over $20,000 on repairs. But life goes on.
Living on Grosse Ile has its perks – lush surroundings, privacy and lake views – but it comes at a price.
And Grosse Ile residents, who say they already pay too much in taxes, are balking at a proposal that would force them to pay even higher taxes.
In November, residents will vote on a plan to buy the private toll bridge that connects the island to the mainland downriver, a hotly contested proposal that has deeply divided residents and the community. It is unclear whether the bridge would continue to collect tolls if voters approved it.
Proponents say the municipality needs to purchase the bridge to provide an alternative to the Wayne County bridge, which needs significant structural repairs that will result in closures in the near future. In addition, purchasing the toll bridge would allow the municipality to set the amount of the toll, which they say could reduce costs for local residents.
Critics think this is nonsense.
“This is not the right time to put something like this on the ballot in November,” Grosse Ile resident Frank Gerner said at a Township Board of Trustees meeting. “I know we’re a small community, and I love our community … but there are so many things that aren’t being considered.”
There are two bridges that connect the 18.3 square mile island to the mainland downriver. The first is the Wayne County Bridge, also known as the free bridge, which is owned by Wayne County. The second is the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge, which is privately owned by Paul Smoke and is for sale. It was built by Smoke’s grandfather in 1912. The Grosse Ile Toll Bridge Co. charges two-axle vehicles a toll of between $3 and $4.50 each way to cross this bridge.
Smoke could not be reached for immediate comment.
Lifeline to the island
The free bridge still needs a ton of repairs. In 2020, a Free Press investigation found that Michigan jurisdictions were struggling to keep up with aging bridges due to a lack of revenue and rising costs.
This resulted in the Wayne County-owned Grosse Ile Parkway bridge being abruptly closed for unexpected repairs. It turned out that the free bridge was no longer safe to use.
Since then, bridge users have resumed normal operations and even received $20 million in government grants for critical repairs in 2023.
Since around 17,000 vehicles cross the free bridge every day, the local council wants to offer residents an alternative and buy the private bridge owned by the Smoke family.
But it’s even worse for taxpayers who say they can’t afford the costs.
However, the municipality argues that the proposed levy will not increase Grosse Ile Township’s total millage beyond the rates in effect in 2023.
The new bridge will cost up to $59 million.
Voters will decide in November
The proposal was approved by the council by a vote of 7-0 and put to a vote in November. Trustees Carl Bloetscher, Kyle de Beausset, Ute O’Connor, Jamison Yager, Joe Porcarelli, James Bundy and David Nadeau all voted to adopt the resolution.
The local council argues that there is no other alternative and that the decision will be left to the voters so that residents can decide whether they want it or not.
Jalen Williams is a reporting intern at the Detroit Free Press. Reach him at [email protected].
