Livonia · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Livonia public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Housing Sustainability chapter for the Master Plan
Proposed Vision 21 Master Plan amendments would add a new Book 5 on Housing Sustainability and revise the Future Land Use Map. The commission was to consider asking City Council for authorization to release the drafts for public review before an adoption hearing.
Zoning moratoria tool (proposed Section 13.16)
A proposed new Section 13.16 would establish how and why the city can impose moratoria — temporary holds — on specific zoning uses. This would give the city a tool to pause certain types of development while rules are studied or updated.
Regulating data centers in Livonia
The commission was scheduled to hold a public hearing on whether to amend the zoning ordinance to define and regulate data centers, including which districts they could occupy and what special requirements would apply. This could shape whether large data center facilities can come to Livonia and under what conditions.
Lead service line replacement grant
The city landed a $5 million state Drinking Water State Revolving Fund award — $500K forgiven, $4.5 million at 0% interest over 20 years — to find and replace lead water lines. The bond notice of intent is the paperwork step.
Golden Oaks Village senior housing PILOT
The Housing Commission plans 100 income-restricted senior cottages on 9.5 acres of city land next to Newburgh Village, financed largely by state low-income housing tax credits. The 3% PILOT would take the site from $0 in taxes to roughly $37,000 a year once built and occupied.
Fiscal year 2025 budget adjustments
Leaf pickup, recycling, transit staffing and bus repairs, cable fund shortfalls and higher Great Lakes Water Authority bills are driving year-end amendments. Council Member Carrie Budzinski pressed whether these costs were built into next year's budget.
Fiscal year 2026 budget amendments
Leaf pickup, recycling, transit staffing and bus repairs, cable fund shortfalls and higher Great Lakes Water Authority bills are driving year-end amendments. Council Member Carrie Budzinski pressed whether these costs were built into next year's budget.
2026 Asphalt Road Program
The city's fourth year of the 2022 road millage will repave 22 segments for $3.8 million, with Harrison Road from Plymouth to West Chicago as the biggest project. Extending Nagle Paving's contract prices skips bidding but keeps a Livonia contractor with a bidder's preference working locally.
Flock automated license plate surveillance
A first-time resident speaker, an engineer, warned that Flock and similar AI surveillance systems are dangerous and unsecured, and offered to brief council — echoing earlier concern that the contract passed on consent without debate.
Residential cross-connection control program
Livonia must inspect roughly 36,000 homes' water connections for backflow hazards under a state mandate — a program neighbors have had for years. It could cost about $600,000 the first year and will be reviewed in committee.
Proposed FY 2027 City Budget and Property Tax Millage
The proposed $235 million budget is on the table, with property tax revenue projected at $79.8 million. Residents should know their average city tax bill is about $1,404/year and that only 32 cents of every tax dollar stays with the city. Big question marks: aging buildings and rising repair costs.
Shelden Park improvements
The $5 million Shelden Park renovation is moving forward with bids $500K under estimate, but resident Steve King argues neighbors want a swimming pool, not the planned splash pad, and says there's been too little public input.
Dump truck purchases and procurement transparency
Residents pushed back hard on nearly $950,000 in dump truck purchases placed on the consent agenda without questions about how many trucks the city already owns. McCullough defended the cooperative purchasing agreement as fully documented in the packet.
Lower credit card fees for city payments
Switching from Point and Pay to BS&A drops the resident card payment fee from 2.8% to 2.65% and consolidates vendors.
Westbrook Drive rear-yard drainage improvements
Neighbors on Westbrook Drive south of Whitcomb are in line for rear-yard drainage fixes, with the contract headed to Dynamic Underground Group. Residents Jerry Karasinski and Denise Mika raised questions, so it goes to the full Regular agenda.
Wonderland Flats permit deadline extension
The apartment project's developers want two more years to apply for permits under a court-enforced consent judgment. Council wants a full committee briefing first, and questions remain about what has already been built on the site.
Middle Belt Road improvement cost share
Costco, Meijer, and El Car Wash are jointly spending roughly $27 million to rework Millennium Park — moving Costco's fuel station to the back, adding a Meijer gas station and a car wash, and redesigning exits to ease the notoriously dangerous Middle Belt Road entrance. All three petitions were unanimously approved by the Planning Commission after revisions and head to the May 18 consent agenda.
First medium-sized adult foster care group home proposal
Livonia's first medium-sized adult foster care home (7-12 residents) is proposed for the historic Joshua Simmons house. Residents raised concerns about room sizes, showers, medication storage, and neighbor notification.
Virtual/Zoom option for Council meetings
A resident argued the 30-minute comment cap and lack of virtual access violate the Open Meetings Act and ADA. Brockway is studying Zoom options with legal, the clerk, and communications; Budzinski warned all public meetings would need streaming, with budget implications.
CDBG plan funds Hillcrest Park and library accessibility
The CDBG plan puts $150,000 toward Hillcrest Park and $450,000 toward accessible bathrooms at the Civic Center Library, plus mental health, domestic violence, food and senior transit services.
Clean Express car wash Fox Drive access condition
A 25-foot strip of land owned by an unresponsive landowner is holding up both a car wash development and a $1.2 million traffic signal at Six Mile and Fox Drive that Masco, Schoolcraft College and seven other developers are helping fund. Council split on whether to soften the access condition and will vote June 1.
Water and sewer rate increase effective July 1
Typical households would pay about $4.60 more per month starting July 1, a 6.16% bump driven by GLWA and Wayne County costs. The hike funds replacing failing water mains, including one section that has broken 96 times since 2016.
Middle Belt Road commercial development cluster
Three related waiver petitions — Costco, Meijer and El Car Wash — would reshape traffic and fueling services along Middle Belt between Schoolcraft and the railroad. Costco's plan includes a right-turn-only exit and a new four-way-stop entrance.
Myrna Avenue water main replacement
Two big contracts advance: a $689,000 Myrna Avenue water main replacement (a 71-year-old main) and the annual water main break sidewalk repair program. Work should wrap before school starts in the fall.
Firefighter cancer screening and prevention
The fire department wants Grail-Galleri screenings for its remaining firefighters after piloting the test on 30 members — 80% of firefighter line-of-duty deaths last year were from cancer. Council also discussed station gear dryers.
Early voting accessibility at City Hall
State law requires early voting at a publicly owned site, and the Election Commission picked City Hall. Critics, including Council President Reid and resident Laura Jonica, say the steep front ramp is not truly ADA-compliant; the Clerk points to curbside voting and a 12-of-14 audit score.
State preemption of local zoning
The council formally opposed a Michigan House package that would override local zoning on housing density, warning of unfunded infrastructure and service burdens.
ZBA/Sheets proposal controversy
Residents, including Laura Jonica, Greg Ralko, and Christopher Martin, again demanded the council re-vote on the Sheets gas station approval, arguing the Zoning Board of Appeals exceeded its authority granting a use variance and that Linda Scheel's rescinded vote manipulated the process.
Newburgh Road reconstruction and traffic signals
A $590,000 engineering contract amendment moves the Newburgh Road rebuild forward from Ann Arbor Trail to Plymouth Road, adding five replaced traffic signals — three paid by Wayne County.
Snow plowing and driveway ice buildup
A widow recovering from hip surgery asked the city to look at plow-mounted snow gates that prevent ice chunks from blocking driveways — a common issue for older residents in Livonia.
Livonia police immigration policy
The mayor's office told council that LPD is amending its policy on immigration enforcement, specifically around notifying border patrol on traffic stops, saying local resources shouldn't be diverted to federal immigration enforcement. Several residents pushed back hard on ICE activity during audience communication.
Car wash at Buca di Beppo site
Multiple residents urged the council to rescind its December 17 approval of the car wash at the Buca di Beppo site, arguing Councilmember Ptashnik's own comments on car-wash oversaturation justify a new vote by the current council. Ptashnik clarified rescission can be moved by any member.
Proposed car wash spacing ordinance
Council may bar new car washes within a mile of existing or approved ones along the same corridor, targeting clustering on roads like Plymouth Road.
Election Information
Livonia just dropped all the essential details you need to get ready for the August 5 election. Check out the official city site to make sure your vote is ready to count.
Municipal Bond
Livonia is putting a massive $150 million municipal bond on the August ballot to upgrade city buildings, which could end up raising your local property taxes. It's a big decision on how the city spends money and updates its aging infrastructure.
Civic Center Redesign
Livonia is planning a massive 10-year overhaul of its Civic Center campus to completely revamp local government facilities and community spaces. If you live in the area, get ready for a totally reimagined hub for local events and city services.
Emergency Alert System
Livonia just launched a brand new emergency alert system to keep everyone in the loop during a crisis. You'll definitely want to opt-in so your phone gets all the important safety updates.