With New City Charter, Dexter Adopts Non-Partisan Elections

THE PROPOSAL THAT Dexter adopt a new Charter and move from a village in the State of Michigan to a city just barely passed on Nov. 5. The vote was a squeaker: 955-814. The new Dexter City Charter calls for non-partisan elections in Section 4.02:

The election of the Mayor and six (6) Council Members shall be on a non-partisan basis.

The general election statutes shall apply to and control all procedures relating to city elections, including qualification of electors, establishment of precincts, verification of petitions, registration of voters and voting hours. The City Clerk shall give public notice of each city election as required by Michigan Election Law.

There was a vigorous campaign against cityhood. Sue Sherill, an anti-charter advocate, explained her reasons for opposing the proposal.

“My objective is that people get the full picture of what becoming a city means,” Sherill said. “I want to give them the tools so they can make an informed decision.”

Opponents pointed out that the new Charter would give City Council members the power  to raise the city’s operating millage to 17.5 mills. The village Council has had the same ability to set the millage rate at the maximum 17.5 mills. Over the past half a dozen years members of the Dexter Village Council have backed a hike for a 0.5 street millage.

The new City Charter also requires candidates for office to be registered to vote in Dexter for a minimum of one year prior to the date of appointment. In addition, the new Charter disallows people “in default to the city” from running for local office.

Finally, the City Charter requires Dexter’s mayor and/or City Council members to forfeit office if an individual misses “three or more consecutive meetings without being excused by the Council.”

Ann Arbor is one of just a handful of Mich.’s 1,800 cities that still requires partisan elections for local office. During the Aug. 2014 primary election, the question of whether Ann Arbor’s elections should remain partisan affairs was brought up to candidates for mayor and City Council.