By Mary Drier (Contact / Staff Bio)
March 14, 2009 - 12:01 p.m. EST

SEBEWAING — Despite offers and counter offers by the township, the process for the village of Sebewaing to become a city continues.

During a special meeting Tuesday, the Sebewaing Village Council agreed with the recommendation of the Sebewaing City Committee to reject Sebewaing Township’s last offer, and to continue the process of becoming a home-ruled city.

Several council members noted the decision wasn’t personal, but rather a business one to lower taxes for village residents because they are ruled by both the village and township government, and pay both village and township taxes.

“This last offer they (Sebewaing Township) gave the village was to give some (tax) money for streets. I don’t understand that. They got a letter just like we did saying the township can’t legally give the village tax money for streets,” said city committee member Judy Schweitzer. “The offer for them to get taxes for parks and police is nice, but village residents already have this, and their proposal would just be upping village taxes.”

One of the reasons the village started the city process was to lower village taxes by only paying one government instead of two, and to be self-governing.

About 2,000 people live within the village limits, and there are about 1,000 who live in the outlying township. If the village does become a city, the township would lose about 43 percent of its tax base.

On March 2, the township offered to give the village $69,000 this year for streets, and offered to try for ballot proposals to levy .15 of a mill to help pay for parks and police protection.

Initially, some thought the offer was acceptable. But, after a week to review it, concerns were raised.

“Actually, after looking this over, their offers seem to be getting worse,” said village Trustee Joanne “Josi” Brooks, who also serves on the city committee. “This offer increases taxes on (village) residents even more.”

The village levies a total of 14.551 mills, and the township levies a total of about 6.02 mills. If the village becomes a city, residents wouldn’t have to pay township taxes, but there would have to be an arrangement with the township for city residents concerning fire and ambulance services and the funding for those services.

Besides the village and/or township millages, there are other taxes levied totaling about 22.02 mills for county and school operations.

City committee member Don Bollstetter also felt residents won’t approve tax increases.

“I really would like to see this settled so there is no more squabbling,” said Bollstetter, adding that options to do so are running out.

The representatives from the two municipalities are scheduled to meet with Thursday with the Department of Labor and Economic Growth - State Boundary Commission (SBC) for a determination of whether or not to let the village-to-city process continue.

“If they (SBC) give us the go-ahead, it would let the people of Sebewaing decide if they want this or not,” said Schweitzer.

If the boundary commission approves letting the village become a city, there are several more steps in the process, and ones where the citizens themselves get to decide.

According to State Boundary Commission Manager Christine Holmes, changing government structure is a very complicated procedure with a lot of steps that have to be taken.

If the process makes it to the approval of incorporation step, there is a 45-day window for a referendum; and if there isn’t one, the commission’s decision is final and election to select the charter commission starts.

However, if there is a petition for referendum within that time period, it has to be signed by at least five percent of the registered voters and the signatures have to be verified as belonging to registered voters in the area. Then, the issue goes to a referendum vote to continue or stop the process.

If changing to a city progresses, a charter committee would be selected, a charter drafted and residents would vote to either reject or accept.

A concern of both the village council and the city committee was the additional area the SBC included in the proposed city limits. The SBC included Hickory Court, some farmland on Myers Road, and part of the Immanuel Lutheran Church-School property.

The SBC sets boundary lines to try to square off areas of incorporation, but sometimes they will make adjustments to their recommendations.

Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.