Dexter to get state Boundary Commission decision on cityhood petition Wednesday

The new boundary does not include either Gordon Hall or the back half of the Mill Creek Sporting Goods, which was mutually agreed to by the Village of Dexter and Webster Township officials.

Prior to the new boundary agreement, both Webster Township and the Dexter Area Historical Society voiced objections to the inclusion of Gordon Hall in the proposed boundaries because of easement agreements on the property. The land is part of a 425 agreement between the village and Webster Township, which says that if the village becomes a city, it is responsible for paying taxes to the township for 12 years on the property.

The Boundary Commission will “meet to review the village’s cityhood petition and make a recommendation to the Director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs that he should either deny the proposed incorporation, approve the petition, or revise the boundaries of the area proposed for incorporation and approve the proposal as revised,” according to information from Courtney Nicholls, assistant village manager.

About 60 people attended the State Boundary Commission public hearing at the Dexter Library earlier this year and none spoke in opposition.

If the villages gets a green light, any citizen can obtain signatures on a petition asking for a referendum within 45 days.

If no referendum petition is filed, village voters will elect a nine-member charter commission to write a city charter that’s then sent to the governor for approval.

Once approved by the governor, the village electors have a vote on the charter and if approved, the Village of Dexter becomes the City of Dexter.

For a look at the agenda for the meeting, click here.lara_bcc_sbc_10_i_2_agenda_050912_383843_7.pdf

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