(CONSTANTINE) – Ballot language has been approved on three proposals that will be brought to voters in Constantine this August.

Monday night the Constantine Village County approved ballot language for the proposals. They are asking for grant assessments to fund police operations and equipment; fire operations and equipment; and ambulance service.

The ballot language is being sent to St. Joseph County Clerk Lindsay Oswald prior to the May 10 deadline. If the proposals are approved in August, the Constantine Village Council would be authorized to create a millage for each of them. The amount of each millage could vary annually.

Originally the idea was to have one ballot with all three of the proposals on it for the voters. Constantine Village Manager Mark Honeysett says in discussions with attorney Catherine Kauffman and Constantine Fire Chief Mike Haydon, it would be better to have the three assessments presented individually.

Honeysett explains that the reason they like the idea of three separate ballot proposals is if the community didn't like one of the proposals, but voting against it, it would not defeat the other two proposals.

If the proposals are approved, Honeysett says the Council would need to schedule a public hearing on the proposed special assessment district. Following that hearing, the Council can then adopt a resolution approving the district, costs and plans. The costs would be determined by the budget for the specific services, giving time for the budget to be done and ready for review by September. It would allow the Council time to determine how many mills would be needed.

A second public hearing would be held on the assessment rolls, then the Council could certify and approve them.