File Photo Voter in Alpena County will vote on a renewal request for the local youth and recreation millage. The Plaza pool depends on the revenue from the millage to help cover operational costs.

ALPENA – In August, Alpena County voters will be asked to renew the county-wide Youth and Recreation millage, originally passed in 2010. The millage generates approximately $450,000 to $500,000 annually for local, approved, non-profit, and governmental initiatives.

That original four-year millage was passed for a half-mill and charges property owners $0.50 cents for every 1,000 dollars of taxable value on the owners property.

It would cost someone who owns a home valued at $100,000, about $50 a year.

The millage has been renewed three times since its inception and has been used to help lower pay-to-play fees, improve sports and recreation infrastructure, and is the primary source of funding for the Plaza Pool.

Without the millage, it is unlikely the local pool would be able to stay open.

Chairman of the Alpena County Youth and Recreation committee, Tony Suszek, discussed the importance of the millage for the organizations they sponsor.”

“Many of the organizations we sponsor are an every year commitment, for instance, if not for our contributions to the Plaza Pool, it would probably be closed,” Suszek said. “We do get unique requests, like the Splash Park, but most of our sponsorships are the same from year-to-year.”

Although the exact number is unknown, the youth and rec millage has helped many organizations sustain their operations, make improvements, and various projects around the county would not have been possible without the committee.

“We are appreciative of the partnerships we have made with local groups, and the great ideas they have contributed to help improve Alpena,” Suszek said. “I don’t think there is a person in the community that has not been positively impacted in one way or another thanks to this millage.”

When the millage is due for a vote, the committee meets to evaluate the program, and the need to increase or decrease the amount of funding.

“As a committee we evaluate every four years, we consider possible changes, and the needs of Alpena County,” Suszek explained. “We also consider an increase to the millage but ultimately, we do not want it any higher than it needs to be.”

Suszek understands none of this would be possible with the support of the community and those that voted in favor of the millage.

“We want to thank the Alpena residents for voting and keeping this going,” Suszek added. “Without your help we would not have been able to make countless contributions to make improvements in the county and help organizations.”

Grant applications are now available for 2027 and can be found on the county website, www.alpenacounty.org. Allocations to be distributed for next year are expected to be around $600,000, if the millage proposal is approved.