Livonia Officials Warn Public Safety Millage Failure Could Cut Dozens of First Responders

City leaders say renewal of public safety funding is critical to maintain police and fire services, but some residents want to send a message on spending priorities.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 2:50am

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Livonia city officials and the local police union are working to clear up confusion ahead of an August election, warning that voting down a public safety millage renewal could lead to the loss of dozens of first responders. The pushback stems from a separate proposal to build a new multimillion-dollar police headquarters, which some residents are tying to the millage vote. Officials say the millage funds salaries and benefits for police, firefighters, and paramedics, and its failure would force significant cuts to public safety staffing.

Why it matters

Livonia's public safety millage is a critical source of funding for the city's police, fire, and emergency medical services. If the millage is not renewed, the city could lose around $9 million annually from the public safety budget, potentially leading to the loss of around 40-45 police officers and 5-6 firefighters, as well as the closure of a fire station. This would significantly impact public safety and response times in the city.

The details

The public safety millage on the August ballot is a renewal, not a tax increase. It strictly funds salaries and benefits for police, firefighters, and paramedics. Some residents are tying the millage to a separate proposal to build a new $60 million police headquarters, but officials say the two funding sources are separate - the millage cannot be used for the new station, which would be funded by a bond and capital improvement funds. Without the millage, the city says it would have to make significant cuts to public safety staffing, potentially reducing the police force from around 107 officers down to 60-65.

  • The August ballot measure is a renewal of the public safety millage.
  • Police contract negotiations are set to begin this summer and will take months.

The players

Livonia Police Officers Association

The local police union that has been working to address confusion around the public safety millage and its relationship to the proposed new police station.

Tyler Vines

President of the Livonia Police Officers Association, who has stated that without the passage of the millage, the city will not be able to be competitive in retaining police officers.

Kayleigh Reid

Livonia City Council President, who has pushed back against claims that the operating millage could be used to fund the new police station, and has warned that failing to renew the millage could lead to significant cuts in public safety staffing.

Steve King

A Livonia resident who has advocated against the proposed new police station and has threatened to vote against the public safety millage renewal, though he says he does not want to defund the police.

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What they’re saying

“Can the plan or lose the millage. Can the plan or the safety millage goes down. We beat that other mileage and we're gonna beat that one.”

— Steve King, Livonia Resident

“Without the passage of the millage — which is strictly for wages for first responders — without that, you're defunding the police if you're not in favor of that.”

— Tyler Vines, President, Livonia Police Officers Association

“If people think that we are intentionally not giving money to our first responders and they don't let this mileage go through, we could be losing five to six firefighters, probably 40 police officers. We could have to shut down a fire station and because of that, there's going to be slower response times, less safe city.”

— Kayleigh Reid, Livonia City Council President

What’s next

The Livonia Police Officers Association and city officials have until August to convince voters to support the renewal of the public safety millage. Meanwhile, police contract negotiations are set to begin this summer and will take months.

The takeaway

Livonia's public safety millage is a critical source of funding for the city's police, fire, and emergency medical services. If the millage is not renewed, it could lead to significant cuts in public safety staffing, including the potential loss of dozens of first responders. While some residents want to send a message on spending priorities, city leaders warn that failing to pass the millage renewal could have serious consequences for public safety in the community.