Holly Township Supervisor reflects on 2011, looks ahead to 2012

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Jesse Lambert

Some of Holly Township's assets and internal structure have undergone significant change over the past year.

Volunteers from the community and Holly Township staff continue to whip Oak Hill Cemetery into shape. A section of the drive path has received a fresh bed of limestone and a window in the mausoleum has been repaired. The edge of the cemetery continues to be battled back and after another season there are signs of major progress.

In the coming months, the township will be submitting official grant paperwork in order to line up another season of improvements along with village of Holly-administered Lakeside Cemetery. Both cemeteries are among the oldest historic sites in all of Holly.

Amidst all of the goings on within our downtown this past summer, the Township Hall managed to receive a new roof. The building at 102 Civic Drive is a registered state historic landmark and serves as Holly Township's public offices. All scheduled monthly board meetings are held upstairs which can be accessed from Saginaw Street.

The township also owns a very nice slice of waterfront property along the Shiawassee River. This property came to the township via quit claim deed several years ago. A bit of progress is made on this property each season. This past fall, a group of volunteers helped to spread a layer of woodchips atop a safety path for easier access.

During the latter part of the year, the Holly Township Board of Trustees approved funding for a major computer technology upgrade. The last time Holly Township upgraded technology was in January of 2009. Through the availability of new software and updated hardware, the township's five member staff will be able to more efficiently field and respond to requests from you, the taxpayer.

Most if not all of Holly's community events improved dramatically during 2011. The Holly Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored “Sights, Sounds, and Tastes” was a very well-attended event as was Holly's Memorial Day Ceremony, and Independence Day Celebration. The Halloween costume parade was a big hit among all ages as nearly a thousand people attended.

Protect and Serve day helped some to learn safety procedures and others to experience fire trucks and police cars up close and personal. With the circus slated to come back again this summer, Holly will surely have plenty going on.

During the 2011 calendar year, Holly easily opened up over ten new businesses. These new businesses have helped to hire locals of all ages and provided a much needed shot in the arm to volunteer recruitment. Please continue to shop local and show your Holly pride!

Due to the 2010 Census and corresponding increase in Holly Township's population, available revenue increased by just over $100,000 this year. This increase in revenue is permanent provided our state legislators do not alter the funding mechanism that makes up state shared revenue. With this increase, Holly Township now operates on just over $750,000 each budget year.

With a fund balance (the township's bank account) that exceeds six months of operating expenses, and the additional six figure yearly revenue increase, Holly Township is in a very comfortable financial and operational position.  

While assessments for homeowners will continue to slide in Holly Township during the upcoming tax cycle, this will have very little impact on Holly Township's budget. With all the added revenue expect an active spring, summer and fall from your Township administration.

As a reminder, look to your mailbox during the month of February in search of your assessment change notice from Oakland County. Each property owner of record is mailed a letter to inform them of any changes on their upcoming tax bill.

A Big 'thank you'
A very big 'thank you!' is in order for those who volunteered or contributed towards community goodwill. It is through your charity that Holly has been afforded so much success and positive feedback.

Through volunteerism, our community has really begun to carve out a niche within Oakland County. This past year Holly played privy to an on-site regional morning newscast, a wildly popular Dickens' festival with an accompanying parade (complete with the HHS marching band), and the shooting of a major Hollywood production. It was the volunteer effort that helped ensure the success of these events and others all across Holly.

The good news regarding our community's image and activities makes Holly a very appealing community. Please make sure you pass along this information regarding our successful year when the opportunity arises.

Consider opening your schedule in 2012 to donate a few hours of your time to a community organization. With all the successes our community has had during the 2011 year, we will need even more volunteers to improve during 2012.

As always, questions and comments are much appreciated.



Happy New Year,
Jesse Lambert
Supervisor, Holly Township