Officials hope to turn the Village of Dexter into a city.

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The Village of Dexter submitted a new map to the state Boundary Commission last month in its quest for cityhood, and village officials are hoping that it will approve the new boundaries at a hearing next month.

The village has spent about $40,000 on the process, most of it on the boundary map, said Courtney Nicholls, assistant village manager. who is handling the cityhood process.

On Dec. 15, the village submitted a new petition to the boundary commission, and if it’s found to be “sufficient,” the boundary commission will set a date and conduct a public hearing, adopt its findings, and approve the petition.

However, the new map faces opposition from the Dexter Area Historical Society because it includes Gordon Hall, the stately mansion build by Judge Samuel Dexter and bought several years ago by the historical society.

Nicholls said if the Boundary Commission decides the cityhood effort should move forward, within 45 days any citizen can obtain signatures on a petition asking for a referendum. If no referendum petition is filed, village voters will elect a nine-member charter commission to write a city charter that then will be sent to the governor for approval.

Once approved by the governor, village residents will vote on the charter and if it's approved, the village will become the City of Dexter.

The village formed a city study committee to investigate the pros and cons of cityhood in 2006, and the committee recommended that the Village Council move forward with the process.

Among its findings was that village residents would pay lower taxes than they currently do. Scio Township residents would see a reduction of 1.5 mills, or $1.50 for every $1,000 of taxable value, according to information provided by the village.

Webster Township residents would see a reduction of 3.5 mills, or $3.50 for every $1,000 of taxable value.

The report estimates total savings to taxpayers in the village of more than $250,000 per year.

The council adopted a resolution declaring its intent to pursue city status and incorporate as the City of Dexter in May 2007 and hired village engineer Orchard, Hiltz and McCliment to put together a boundary map, which was completed in January 2009.

Residents circulated petitions in support of cityhood and gathered 164 signatures, about 7 percent of the village’s eligible voters and property owners, and filed the petition with the State Boundary Commission on Nov. 6, 2009.

The Dexter Historical Society is upset about the inclusion of Gordon Hall in new proposed boundaries for Dexter in the petition for cityhood.

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The village is actually three separate areas, Nicholls said.

“The village petitioned to keep its boundaries the same as they are now,” she said. but couldn't because the sections of the village — the old village, the Westridge subdivision and The Cedars of Dexter housing development — don’t touch.

On April 12, 2010, the council voted to resubmit the petition and changed the boundaries to include Gordon Hall and the back half of the Mill Creek Sporting Goods store property so all the corners meet, Nicholls said.

• Download a map showing the new proposed boundaries.

The new boundaries square off the corner and make them contiguous, she said.

However, members of the Dexter Area Historical Society and Museum are adamant that Gordon Hall not be included in the new city boundary.

Paul Bishop, chairman of the Gordon Hall Management Committee, said the property is zoned for agricultural use.

“Judge Dexter built and developed Gordon Hall in Webster Township and we want to keep it that way,” Bishop said. “There’s a problem with zoning as there is no provision for agriculture in the Dexter zoning ordinance.

“They can develop continuity by annexing other property and leave us alone.”

If the Boundary Commission approves the new map, village officials hope the next step — a public hearing — could be held this spring.

Dexter’s Website has extensive information about all the steps involved as well as the history of the process to date.

Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter with AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Dexter stories, visit our Dexter page.