Fairhaven Township is heading into its annual budget season with its financial housekeeping already underway. Before the township holds its public hearing on the proposed 2026-2027 budget, the board of trustees took time to address compensation for several key personnel — approving pay increases that will take effect as the new fiscal year begins.
The annual meeting is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. on March 19th, with the public hearing on the proposed budget following at 6 p.m. Residents who want to participate in the budget process or simply stay informed about where their tax dollars are going should mark that date on their calendars. Public hearings are the formal mechanism through which communities have a voice in local government spending decisions, and Fairhaven Township is providing that opportunity before the budget is finalized and adopted.
The Pay Increases Approved
The most significant compensation adjustment approved by the board involves Clerk Shawna Beachy, whose annual salary will increase from $12,350 to $16,200 — a raise of $3,850. Township clerks carry a workload that tends to be underestimated by people outside of local government. Election administration alone is a demanding and technically complex responsibility, and that sits alongside record keeping, meeting minutes, public notices, correspondence, and a steady stream of administrative tasks that require consistent attention throughout the year. The previous compensation of $12,350 was modest for the scope of that role, and the board’s decision to bring it up to $16,200 reflects a more realistic acknowledgment of what the position demands.
Assessor Valerie McCallum will also see her compensation increase, moving from $23,049 to $23,510 annually — a more modest adjustment of $461. The assessor’s role is foundational to the township’s financial health because accurate property assessments are the basis on which millage rates generate actual revenue. Getting assessments right requires both technical knowledge and ongoing attention to the local property market, and maintaining fair compensation for that expertise is a practical investment in the township’s fiscal accuracy.
Notably, the other board members did not request pay increases for themselves — a detail worth acknowledging. Elected officials who serve without seeking additional compensation for themselves while ensuring that the employees who depend on township salaries are fairly paid reflect exactly the kind of public service orientation that builds community trust in local government.
Police Chief Ward Carter’s hourly rate will see a small but formal adjustment, moving from $28.98 to $29.00 per hour. On Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day — the three federal holidays where holiday pay applies — his rate will increase from $43.47 to $43.50 per hour. The dollar amounts of those changes are minimal, but formalizing them in a board resolution ensures the compensation structure is clean, consistent, and properly documented going into the new fiscal year. Police chiefs in small townships carry significant responsibility for public safety with limited staffing resources, and keeping compensation properly structured is part of retaining capable leadership in those roles.
The fire department also received attention. The board approved an increase of $75 for each fire department officer, which translates to approximately an extra $3,350 for each officer paid semi-annually. Fire department officers in small townships are typically volunteer or part-time personnel who give substantial time and effort to keeping their communities safe while working other jobs to support their families. The semi-annual structure of their pay reflects the way small township fire departments typically operate, and the $75 increase per officer, while modest, is a meaningful acknowledgment of their ongoing contribution.
Why These Decisions Happen Before the Budget Hearing
The timing of these pay approvals — happening during the financial review that precedes the budget hearing rather than after — is deliberate and makes practical sense. Before the township can present a proposed 2026-2027 budget to the public and ask residents to weigh in on it, the board needs to know what the actual personnel costs in that budget will be. Approving compensation changes before the budget hearing means the figures presented to the public at the March 19th meeting reflect the actual cost structure the township is planning around, not hypothetical numbers that might change before adoption.
This kind of sequencing reflects a board that understands the budget process and wants to present residents with an accurate and complete picture at the public hearing. A budget hearing where major compensation decisions are still pending would produce a proposal full of unknowns — not a useful document for public input. Getting the pay decisions settled first creates a solid foundation for the budget conversation that follows.
What to Expect at the March 19th Meeting
The annual meeting at 5:45 p.m. will handle the standard business that Michigan townships are required to conduct at their annual sessions. The budget hearing at 6 p.m. will then give residents the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed 2026-2027 spending plan before the board adopts it. Anyone who has questions about the compensation increases approved ahead of the hearing, or about any other line item in the proposed budget, should plan to attend and raise those questions during the public comment period.
Township annual meetings and budget hearings are among the most direct forms of democratic participation available to Michigan residents. In small communities like Fairhaven Township, attendance at these meetings genuinely matters — the officials making decisions know the people who show up, and public comment carries real weight in how final decisions are made.
Budget season is running across the entire Thumb region simultaneously right now, with multiple communities at similar stages of their annual financial cycle. The Otter Lake Village Council recently adopted its 2026-2027 budget and set millage levies, with Clerk Terry Gill noting a small anticipated decrease in rates from the prior year — a piece of good news for property owners in that community. And the Deckerville Village Council rescheduled its March meeting to March 16th specifically to hold a public budget hearing before adopting its own 2026-2027 budget and setting millage rates — another community moving through the same annual cycle at the same time of year.
For Michigan residents who want to understand how township annual meetings and public budget hearings are structured and what residents can expect when they attend, the Michigan Township Association provides accessible guidance on the legal requirements and procedural expectations that govern township governance across the state. And for those wanting broader context on how Michigan communities set compensation for elected officials and township employees, the Michigan Municipal League offers resources on local government employment structures and compensation frameworks that apply to townships and villages throughout Michigan.
