Choose Your Poison

continued

The only way the county would assume Sylvan's debt, Turner says, would be if the township had no taxable value. "There is a lot of viable property in Sylvan," the commissioner says. "Because of that, it will never happen. But to be truthful, I understand their anger."

---

Turner, a Chelsea resident, knew little about the Sylvan development debacle until his election to the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners to represent District 1, which includes Sylvan.

"I was at the American Legion's Winter [2011] Carnival in Chelsea, and I had several people come up to me and say, 'I'm really concerned. We're being told we'll be assessed at 18 mills.'

"[The county] was talking about 18 mills over five years. I said, 'Times are hard. If you go after 18 mills, many of these people won't be able to do that. Some will have to go and borrow this money.'"