Livonia Is Standing Firm Against Defund-the-Police Nutjobs

Livonia — With a police and fire operating millage—officially coined Renew Livonia—on the August 4 ballot, a small coterie of malcontent activists are proliferating “defund the police” motifs to protest City Hall, the mayor, the city council, and whatever else. They want to vote down the millage, which renews and holds operational funding in place without raising taxes. In short, they want to degrade the quality of life for all Livonia residents.

The timing of this effort is interesting given that we are far from the Covid-era “defund” movement that was quickly dropped when liberals realized their progressive wing had lost touch with normal voters.

But this time the tactics are more aggressive than usual.

Livonia’s current defund-the-police movement is no longer a singular progressive left-wing movement. This current iteration—led by a broke-down band leader with a personal vendetta against the city—doesn’t want to you or anyone else to acknowledge they are, in fact, trying to defund the police. Some of that comes from the awareness that being anti-police isn’t exactly cool in social settings, and also because some of these people are ideologically blind to their own bullshit.

According to representatives of the Livonia Fire Department, a lack of funding at the current rate would result in shutting down engines and firefighter layoffs. The Livonia Police Department, already stretched thin with a staffing shortage of over 30 officers and tired from running hard after a burst of violent crimes occurring in June, could see further declines in recruiting.

The lack of awareness many residents have have about the urgency of this renewal comes from the fact Livonia’s first responders, while heavily stressed, have rose to every challenge, providing the city a stable and constant security blanket.

At recent press conference, Livonia Chief of Police Thomas Goralski acknowledged the hardship his department has been under stating “Our officers have been busy.”

A relatively close-knit community where everyone seemingly knows each other, Livonia is unique for a “small big city,” as many locals like to call it. The sixth-largest city in Michigan by population, and currently ranked the fourth-best city in Michigan for quality of life, Livonia operates like a township with a general operational fund and separate millages for additional operations, such police, fire, etc.

This allows residents to keep better control of taxpayer dollars and keeps city operations closer to the ground, which is to say, closer to the voters, in contrast to cities that fund all city services through a general fund that creates a disconnect between the government and the people.

The current forces trying to defund the Livonia police—and disrupt the quality of life for everyone else—have become so toxic that a silver lining has emerged. Unofficial alliances have formed for the betterment of Livonia.

With local politics just as fractured and combative as on the state and national levels, the issue of police and fire funding has brought many conservatives and liberals together.

Current Mayor Maureen Brosnan working closely with her opponent in the last election to fund the police? You bet. Current and former city council members who’ve disagreed on a broad range of issues working together to support the police and fire departments? It’s happening.

Mike Testa, possibly the most indispensable resident of Livonia, is spending his days and nights dropping off signs and shirts to residents and working behind the scenes to get endorsements.

Livonia Police Association President Tyler Vines and President of the Livonia Firefighters Union Scott Heraty both presented the Renew Livonia millages to the Livonia Democrat Club, not exactly huge fans of the police, and getting their endorsement? That stunned prominent Democrats in the city.

The Livonia Republican Club, not exactly huge fans of millages, endorsing Renew Livonia the next day? Mind blowing. When was the last time both political parties agreed on anything?

Renew Livonia is an operating millage for police and fire, but perhaps it’s more than that. Could it be a moment in time forming a broader and deeper bipartisan coalition? Political theorists have often argued that most Americans will find agreement when presented with real important issues.

“[Residents] may see this public safety millage renewal as just a benefit to police or fire at the expense of tax payers” Vines told Michigan Enjoyer, “however, the true benefactors of this funding are the citizens of Livonia that benefit from exceptional first responder services. Investing in this millage is an investment in your safety, family, neighborhood, schools, parks and the core fundamentals that first responders protect each day.”