RR Branstrom Daily Press Former County Commissioner, Gladstone Mayor and Michigan State Representative Douglas R. Bovin Voices Opposition to Ballot Proposal to Eliminate Special Assessments at Monday’s Gladstone City Commission Meeting .

GLADSTONE — During Monday’s regular meeting of the Gladstone City Commission, the last before the election, former commissioner, mayor and state representative Douglas R. Bovin expressed his opposition to the ballot measure to change the city’s charter .

A proposal that arises after a citizen petition appears on the ballot before Gladstone residents. If approved, the city’s power to conduct special assessments will be eliminated.

“It would be a disaster for the city if that happened,” said Bovin, who had unexpectedly attended the meeting to make a statement during public comment. “It would be an absolute disaster.”

As an example, he explained that shortly after buying a house in Gladstone in 1967, a project to install a new sewer system, water main and road hit him with four special assessments that he had to pay over about 15 years.

Although it hurt, “I’m very glad the city did it.” Bovin said. “The best investment we have ever made.”

He explained that if the question had been put to a vote of all the citizens of the city, asking if they wanted to pay higher taxes to fix something that only benefited the people on a certain street, they would have said no.

“You’re doing it the right way and most cities do it the same way.” Bovin told the commission firmly. “We are the ones who bring those services there; “It was justified that they charged us a percentage of it.”

Although Bovin has been retired from public office for more than a decade (most recently as Munising city manager, having been mayor of Gladstone three times, county commissioner for 22 years and state representative for District 108 for three years), understands that citizens do not see everything that a decision implies. He said he hasn’t agreed with all of the city’s actions, but “It is unfair to judge you only on one side” said.

Some people only have one side of the picture and think this will reduce taxes, but “A little knowledge is dangerous. “This proposal is not going to reduce your taxes,” Bovin said.

When he was in Munising, he explained, they had had no special evaluations, and “It was really difficult to get that city moving. We basically rebuilt the entire city. We made some changes, and when we did, we reduced taxes by four and a half million. It’s not magic. It’s just knowing what you’re doing.”

To the Gladstone City Commission: “I don’t know all of them, but I congratulate them on what they’ve been doing and they need special evaluations.” Bovin concluded. “Thank you.”