KALAMAZOO, MI -- A $70.3 million donation could either be Kalamazoo's ticket to independence or a sacrifice of its autonomy, warned Commissioner Jack Urban.

During Monday's Kalamazoo City Commission meeting, Urban stressed caution moving forward with plans to use a philanthropist-funded foundation to solve budget woes. A donation by William Johnston and William Parfet would help eliminate the City's structural budget deficit and cut the average property owner's tax bill by about one-third, but Urban warned it will also make Kalamazoo dependent on outside cash.

"This sounds great, but let's check out implications," he said. "I don't know what all of them are. This is a transformational undertaking; what will we be transforming to? That is a question that has not been discussed at all in your City Commission meetings."

Urban said the City will trade its current situation of financially-challenged and autonomous for dependency, but also recognized the potential to use the endowment to rely less on property taxes to solve budget problems.

"Initially we will be dependent with independent donors paying the city property tax for you," he said. "It doesn't move ball into self-sufficiency for the City."

Urban acknowledged that there has been little public discussion of the donation and said he wants to solicit as much feedback from residents as possible.

"This is your city and we are your elected representatives," he said. "We have big responsibility to fulfill hope you reach out to me with your hopes and reservations and share them with the other commissioners as well."

During the public comment section of Monday's City Commission meeting, resident Marta Lehman told officials to keep money out of politics.

"I am the Foundation for Excellence, not two millionaires who want to pour in their money to put influence under the City," she said.

Donors who committed $70.3 million during a three-year period are reviewing the draft of an agreement outlining shared intentions with the Kalamazoo City Commission.

The written agreement was drafted by Kalamazoo City Attorney Clyde J. Robinson with input from City Manager Jim Ritsema and Mayor Bobby Hopewell. If Kalamazoo philanthropists William Johnston and William Parfet agree to the memorandum, it would go to the Kalamazoo City Commission to be discussed at its next business meeting.

Ritsema said he expects to hear back from the donors by the end of the week and is tentatively planning to bring a memorandum of understanding to the Oct. 3 meeting.

Commissioners will have the ability to approve the agreement or amend it, at which point it would return to the donors and the process would start again. The memorandum will be released to the public as soon as it is available to commissioners, Ritsema said.