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White Lake property owners are a part of a Special Assessment District to cover the cost of lake services. The district is comprised of approximately 1600 property owners located on, or having deeded access to White Lake in the Townships of White Lake and Highland in Oakland County, Michigan. The Special Assessment is added to the "Winter" tax bill.
2013-2017 assessment rates are as follows:
- Lakefront properties: $210 per year
- Lake access properties: $25 per year
- Commercial properties: $515 per year
This Special Assessment District is managed by the White Lake Improvement Board, which was formed over 25 years ago to improve the water quality of White Lake through managed weed control, dredging, testing, and safety efforts. (White Lake water level maintenance is covered under a different assessment.)
The White Lake Improvement Board membership consists of:
- Highland Township Supervisor - Rick Hamill
- White Lake Township Supervisor - Rik Kowall
- Oakland County Commissioner - Eileen Kowall
- Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner - Ricky DeVisch
- White Lake Citizens League Representative - Chuck Neville
Past Public Hearings
On September 16, 2009 the White Lake Improvement Board held a Public Hearing to present the assessment rates for the 2010-2012 period. The White Lake Citizens League recommended an overall 32% reduction in the assessment rates from the average assessment of the last 5 years. Click here to view the presentation slides from the meeting.
On July 14, 2010 the White Lake Improvement Board held a Public Hearing to discuss a proposal from the WLCL to reallocate funds from the current Special Assessment District to pay for Oakland County Sheriff Marine Patrols on White Lake this summer. The Improvement Board voted in favor of the proposal. Click here to view the WLCL presentation slides from the hearing. NO additional assessments or taxes resulted from this proposal, and NO reduction in services originally planned in the 2010-2012 SAD resulted from this proposal.
On September 24, 2012 the White Lake Improvement Board held a Public Hearing to present the assessment rates for the 2013-2017 period. The White Lake Citizens League recommended that the rates be increased to provide funding for a dredging project during the 5-year period.
Click here to view the presentation slides from the meeting.
On April 29, 2015 the White Lake Improvement Board held a Public Meeting to review potential changes to the Dredging Project. Click here to view the information packet from the meeting.
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February 11, 2016
Misleading Flyer Circulated
An article was published on Tuesday February 9, 2016 in the online edition of the Oakland Press, and in their Thursday, February 11, 2016 print edition. Click here to read the article.
As the article indicates, there was an anonymous flyer (included in the Oakland Press article) being circulated in an attempt to attack Scott Ruggles for allowing the material dredged from White Lake during our recent dredging project to be deposited on his farmland along White Lake Road.
After being contacted by White Lake Township Supervisor Greg Baroni on Friday, February 5, 2016, members of our Dredging Oversight Committee worked extensively with him, providing the necessary background information, data, and DEQ contacts for the Township to independently investigate the claims in this flyer.
As a result of the Township's thorough investigation, they issued a public statement (click here to read the full statement - also quoted in the Oakland Press article) which confirms that:
- "...the Township does not believe that concern should exist about the quality of [White] Lake's water due to test results of lake bottom sediments. Likewise, the sediments removed as part of the dredging project do not present a risk to area groundwater based on their apparent use at the Ruggles Farm located in the Township."
We are pleased that the outcome of this unfortunate incident confirms the excellent job that our Dredging Oversight Committee did throughout the entire dredging project.
Supporting Documentation
MDEQ White Lake Dredge Project.pdf
MDEQ Dredge Sediment Review Policy
MDEQ Michigan Background Soil Survey.pdf
2015 Water Quality Report for White Lake Township
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