Posted on Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 11:07 a.m.
Dexter cityhood process moves forward
By Cindy Heflin
Dexter residents could be voting on whether the village will become a city as soon as February, now that the state has affirmed signatures on a cityhood petition, Dexter Patch reported.
Voters in Dexter will likely vote next year on whether they want the village to become a city.
Downtown Dexter MI
If voters approve, the process continues, and a charter commission will be elected to write a city charter. If voters say no, the village will not become a city.
The village has been working toward cityhood for six years.
Comments
M
Fri, Oct 12, 2012 : 6:05 p.m.
I wonder how much money has been wasted on this fruitless endeavour.
Joe Semifero
Sun, Oct 14, 2012 : 1:12 p.m.
The Village currently contracts with the Sheriff for police services. A few years ago the Village looked into what it would take for its own police department, but the cost and liability of having a stand alone department did not justify with proceeding instead of continuing to contract through the County with the Sheriff. For fire, the Village is part of a regional fire department (Dexter Area Fire Department) with Webster Township and Dexter Township. There are discussions right now with Scio Township to combine with their department. If the Village were to become a city, these agreements would remain in place. The coverage area would not change based on whether or not the Village becomes a city. More info is available on the Village web site in the City Study Commission report, from a group of 18 residents that considered the pros and cons of cityhood in 2006-2007. http://www.villageofdexter.org/city_study_committee/reference/cityhood_final_report.pdf
Laura Jones
Sat, Oct 13, 2012 : 5:26 p.m.
OK, good point. My question is about police and fire. If Dexter becomes a city, what happens to the police arrangement currently in place and what about fire? Is Dexter going to have its own police force? Limit fire to city boundaries?
Joe Semifero
Sat, Oct 13, 2012 : 12:40 p.m.
So far the process has cost something less than $50,000, most of which was spent on correcting the legal boundaries for the Village. This, of course, is a fraction of the "money (that) has been wasted" every year paying almost $200,000 to the townships to provide assessing and elections which cost them less than $50,000 a year. If your concern is reducing wasted money, you should be in favor of cityhood with a strong charter limitatiion on taxation in the proposed city. The 1 mill that goes to Webster and Scio townships every year is over 70% "waste."