FAQ: 2025 Public Safety Millage Renewal

The Public Safety Millage is a dedicated source of funding that supports the Farmington Hills Fire and Police Departments. Voters are being asked to renew this millage on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.

The Millage renewal will support maintaining staffing levels in the City’s nationally recognized Farmington Hills Police and Fire Departments.

If approved, the Public Safety Millage renewal will be reflected on your July 2026 tax bill.

According to recent FBI data, Farmington Hills is one of the safest cities in the state and nation with a population of 50,000 to 100,000 residents.

Renewing the Public Safety Millage ensures the City can:

• Maintain current staffing levels in both the Police and Fire Departments.
• Sustain high-quality emergency response and prevention programs.
• Continue initiatives that make Farmington Hills one of the safest cities of its size in the state and the country.

Without renewal, the City would lose critical funding that supports over 80 public safety positions. This would directly affect the ability of the Police and Fire Departments to provide the current level of service that the community depends on.

Charter Amendment Public Safety Millage 

Shall Section 7.02c of the Farmington Hills City Charter be amended to allow a renewal of the previous voter-approved additional special tax rate for purposes of the public safety functions of the Fire and Police Departments by authorizing the City to levy a millage in the amount of 1.4764 mills (being $1.48 per $1,000 of taxable value) for ten years, starting with the July 2026 levy (resulting in the authorization to collect an estimated $7,269,000 in the first year if approved and levied), which taxes are to be used only for purposes of fire and police staffing and equipment?

If approved, residents will continue to pay the same millage rate that they are currently paying. The renewal ensures funding for public safety without adding new taxes. If renewed, only four cents of every tax dollar collected will pay for this Public Safety Millage.

Multiply your home’s assessed value x .0014764:

•          Your home’s fair market value = $260,000

  ·         Your home’s taxable value = $130,000

  ·         Multiply $130,000 x .0014764 = $191.93 annually

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•          In 2024, the Farmington Hills Emergency Dispatch Center received over 133,000 9-1-1 calls, an average of 366 calls per day. More than triple the calls in 2014, when the millage was last renewed.

   

  ·         Firefighter/paramedics respond to nearly 13,000 annual incidents, a majority of which are medical emergencies with many requiring advanced life support and transport to a trauma center.  

   

  ·         Police responded to over 53,000 incidents in 2024, nearly double the amount in 2014 when the millage was last renewed.

   

  ·         The Fire Department has 115 sworn and civilian employees operating out of five fire stations strategically located throughout the City, all of which are staffed 24/7 to provide fire and EMS services. 

   

  ·         The Police Department has 169 sworn and civilian staff members who support the Operations and Administrative Bureaus, in addition to Dispatch, with emergency services available 24/7.

•          The Farmington Hills Police Department was one of the first agencies in Michigan to be accredited and re-accredited through the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, reflecting the Department’s commitment to go above and beyond law enforcement standards. 

   

  ·         The Police Department has increased its community engagement, participating in nearly 150 community events in 2024, including high school career days, trunk or treats and community safety talks.

   

  ·         Farmington Hills Police officers support a variety of multi-jurisdictional task forces, including South Oakland Narcotics Investigative Consortium (SONIC), Oakland County SWAT Team and Oakland County Auto Theft Unit. 

   

  ·         In 2024, the Farmington Hills Police Department became the first department in the state to provide training to help all of its officers and dispatchers identify, respond, de-escalate and assist individuals experiencing a mental health episode. Officers responded to over 400 mental health-related incidents in the past year. 

   

  ·         The Farmington Hills Police Department coordinates with the Michigan State Police Division of Homeland Security and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office for disasters and emergency preparedness.    

   

  ·         The Farmington Hills Police Department added a crime data analyst in 2024 so police can be proactive in using resources to keep Farmington Hills safe. 

• The Farmington Hills Fire Department has an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) rating of 2, which indicates a high level of quality and effectiveness in fire service and protection for the community. Farmington Hills is one of only 22 departments in Michigan with an ISO 2 rating. 

• The Farmington Hills Fire Department shared fire safety and prevention education with over 5,600 Farmington Public Schools students and staff during its 2024 fall assembly program, in addition to other community outreach initiatives, including car seat inspections, CPR training and smoke alarm installation. 

• Farmington Hills Fire Department is part of two mutual aid groups activated when emergency circumstances overwhelm Department resources. This allows the FHFD to receive and give aid to surrounding communities during crises. OAKWAY Mutual Aid and Western Wayne Mutual Aid. 

• The Farmington Hills Fire Department worked with the Consumer Product Safety Commission resulting in a nationwide recall of 130,000 cell phone battery power banks due to fire risk.

• The Fire Prevention Division completed 1,465 inspections of local businesses for fire safety code compliance in 2024. 

• Every day is a training day at the Farmington Hills Fire Department, as personnel work to be prepared to support the community during modern-day natural and manmade disasters.