Vote ‘YES’ for renewal of recreation millage tax

This coming Tuesday, Aug. 4, Hamtramck voters will be asked to renew a 10-year recreation tax.
By now, a number of voters have already cast their ballots through the mail, or via in-person voting.
For those of you still deciding, we urge you to continue supporting this much-needed millage.
Before we go further, it should be pointed out that this is not a new tax. Nor is it an increase in the existing tax.

Keep in mind, this tax supports your parks, festivals and community programs. Also, there’s a huge offering of programs and other activities for all ages that it also supports.
We understand family budgets are extremely tight these days, and many residents are cutting back on expenses. Plus, a number of residents are rightly upset at how much they pay for water and sewer service.
But our recreation programs are critically important, especially if we all want to enjoy a certain quality of life.
We know that for many residents who enjoy the various programs and parks the school district provides and maintains — and yes, the recreation department is part of the school district –this tax renewal is essential to see passed.
Here’s a reminder of some of those recreation programs and services that Wolyniec outlined:
• Summer camp, karate, soccer, baseball, cricket, basketball and dance for our youth. There are adult fitness and sports leagues. A pool at Hamtramck High School offers open swimming, swimming lessons and water aerobics.

• The community center has a weight room, sauna, basketball courts and fitness classes.

• Recreation also provides senior programs such as field trips and tailored fitness classes. Recreation also provides special events like Movies in the Park, Fall Harvest, Parent and Me dances, Snowfest, and the popular “Trunk or Treat” before Halloween.

As to the anti-taxers – who are against any tax, no matter what its purpose – it’s unlikely we can convince them to support this tax either.
To a degree, we understand.
However, in our opinion, this is a quality-of-life issue. Let’s not allow those who oppose taxes in general kill this request.
We urge voters to cast their support for the tax renewal, which amounts to a mere $150 a year for most households. In other words, vote YES on renewing the recreation tax in this Aug. 4 primary election.
Don’t let this opportunity pass us by. The alternative could be a lot more youths with too much time on their hands and nowhere to go but looking for trouble.
It’s important enough that we’ll say it again: vote YES in support of the recreation millage renewal.
Posted July 31, 2026