South New Castle News

City of Milford issued the following announcement on April 29.

In a special Council Meeting on Wednesday, April 20, Milford City Council approved $13,001,562 in construction bids for the new Milford Police Headquarters.  Additional design fees and contingencies bring the construction grand total to $16.2 million with $805,594 being cash-financed from an established police building fund.  The city expects to borrow $15.4 million, coming in below the $20 million cap placed on the project by voters in January 2021.

“I want to acknowledge the mayor, because when he saw the costs start to escalate, and he knew the citizens put their trust in us to stay at a certain range,” Vice-Mayor Jason James said during the Special Meeting.  “We gave them our word. They voted on a referendum based on what we told them we could possibly do, and he was determined that we stay within those boundaries, so we did not deceive the taxpayer.”

For a Milford home with the average assessment of $150,000, property taxes will increase $103 annually beginning with the 2023 assessment.  View the chart below originally printed in the referendum FAQ flyer mailed in January 2021 to review other assessed values:

A complete review of the bid process and bid award winners can be viewed on the city website in the April 20 City Council Packet.  All bid packs included five separately bid alternates: upgrades to NE Fourth Street, an expanded rear parking lot, sod for the front of the building, a maintenance building and a high-density filing system.  Per the staff and construction management firm Richard Y. Johnson and Sons (RYJ) recommendation, Council declined the sod and maintenance building alternates to keep overall costs down. 

About the City of Milford: (www.cityofmilford.com) The City of Milford, incorporated in 1807 and located in Kent and Sussex Counties along the Mispillion River, is home to 11,000+ year-round residents, 500+ retail businesses and non-profits, local restaurants, parks, trails, small town events, major healthcare providers, an historic shipyard, and its own school district.   Known throughout the state as River Town, Art Town, Home Town, the City celebrates the beauty of its natural resources, the ingenuity of its people and its commitment to quality of life.

Original source can be found here.