LANSING ? Oxford Village’s bid to change its form of government will move forward in the legal process.
In a 3-0 vote, the Michigan State Boundary Commission Jan. 18 determined the village’s petition to incorporate everything within its existing boundaries as a city was legally sufficient and set a public hearing for 4 p.m. Thursday, May 3 in Oxford.
‘I thought it was a good decision to proceed forward,? said village President George Del Vigna, who attended the commission meeting. ‘I want to get it in front of the people and let the people vote one way or another.?
A location for the public hearing must still be selected, but it will probably take place at one of the schools based on conversation following the commission’s vote. The middle school is being considered as a venue.
Commissioners listened and asked questions as attorneys Thomas Ryan, representing the village, and William Fahey, representing the township, presented their cases as to whether the petition should be accepted or rejected.
Most of the arguments centered around details involving the village map filed with the petition and the legality of submitting a different map ? a version revised in 2006 ? than the one supposedly shown to signers when the petition was originally circulated in 2005.
“It is not sufficient to submit a legally sufficient map after the petition has been signed,” wrote Fahey in a document stating the township’s objections to the petition. “The problem here … is that the village obtained the proffered signatures … before it made substantial changes to the petition and the Part I map to correct deficiencies in the original submission that the Boundary Commission staff discovered. Thus, none of the signers were allowed to review a legally sufficient Part I map before they signed the petition.”
‘When you look at the map that was presented to the people who were signing (the petition), it shows (the boundaries of) the village as we know it today,? Del Vigna later told this reporter. ‘I think most people were aware that that’s what they were looking at.?
In the end, the state Boundary Commission was not persuaded by Fahey’s arguments against the petition’s legal sufficiency based on the issues he raised concerning the village map.
Township Supervisor Bill Dunn, who attended the commission meeting, said he would like to see the village petition’s legal sufficiency determined by a court.
‘No offense to the boundary commission, but it seemed like they ignored the law and basically said, ‘close enough,?? he explained.
Dunn said he will recommend to the township board that it direct Fahey to take the petition before a circuit court judge for a ruling.