TOWNSHIP CONSOLIDATION - S.B. 809 (S-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 809 (Substitute S-1 as reported)

Sponsor: Senator Walter H. North

Committee: Government Operations

CONTENT

The bill would amend Public Act 156 of 1851, which prescribes the powers and duties of county boards of commissioners, to increase the number of signatures required to initiate proceedings for the consolidation of townships within a county. Currently, proceedings for consolidation may be initiated by the filing of a petition with the county board of commissioners signed by a number of registered electors, who are residents of the area proposed to be consolidated, equal to at least 5% of the total population of each of the affected townships. The bill would increase the minimum signature requirement to 20%.

Proceedings for consolidation of two or more townships within the same county could be initiated by the passage of a resolution by a majority vote of the members of the township board of each of those townships to submit the consolidation proposition to a vote of the electors of the affected townships. The resolution would have to specify a date for the election.

Under the Act, if the board finds that a petition for consolidation has met the conditions prescribed in the Act, the board must submit the proposal to the voters of the affected townships. The board must reject the petition if a proposal to consolidate the same townships had been voted on within the preceding two years.

MCL 46.16b - Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim

FISCAL IMPACT

Although local unit consolidations may reduce expenses, no townships have consolidated in several years. This bill would have no State fiscal impact.

Date Completed: 5-14-98 - Fiscal Analyst: R. Ross

FLOOR\SB809 - Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.