On March 2nd, City Council held the first of two Capital Outlay and Infrastructure Committee Meetings to discuss the subject matter of a new police station. This topic will be discussed again in a follow-up Capital Outlay Meeting on Wednesday, March 11th. You can view the agenda packet here: https://livoniami.portal.civicclerk.com/…/agenda/4918

At the meeting, the administration recommended Council move forward with the new police station building proposed last year with a parking garage and funds to demo the current building. Differences from last year’s proposal would be no changes to the courthouse parking and the fuel station would remain where it is.

You can find notes from the July 9, 2025 Capital Outlay meeting on this subject here for details about the original proposal: https://voterunservelivonia.com/…/july-9th-2025…/

The proposed police station would not be a millage increase and would not require a ballot vote. Proposed funding sources for the $57M project are:

• $35M capital improvement bond (25 year term; paid for with $2.4M in annual savings from retiree benefits and previously identified as funds for a new City Hall)
• $4M from the Capital Improvement Fund
• Use of tax administration fee for up to 3 years for $6M (300 out of 319 cities in Michigan charge for this fee, it would cost residents on avg. $45 per year)
• The administration is reaching out to federal, state and county leaders to get the rest of the funding.

Police Chief and President of LPOA shared deficiencies in the current police station including space constraints, liabilities with jail footprint, substandard working conditions for staff (including fitness area, workspace and accommodations for female officers). Modern facilities will help attract and retain officers. The police chief also noted that the city has made investments in a new recreation center, new department of public works building, a new senior center, and sizable investment to Fire Station #1 without making similar investments in the police station.

If the project were to move forward, a likely timeline would be a Council vote for a notice of intent on a bond with a follow-up vote after 45 days, a Council vote for a tax administration fee to be included on the summer tax bill. Construction would begin this year with the new station opening in winter 2028.