Christine Burns is doing her homework and the outcome could help determine Oxford’s future.
Burns, who serves as the village clerk, treasurer and assistant manager, came before the township board last week to let officials know she’s finishing writing a research paper on the topic of cityhood for the village.
‘It’s important to our entire community, not just to the village, not just to the township,? she said.
The paper will allow Burns to receive her Master of Science in Administration (with a Public Administration concentration) from Central Michigan University on May 6.
‘In order to graduate, we’re required to choose a topic that is important to our work and related to our work,? she told township officials.
She later told this reporter she’s doing this paper on her own, not as a village official, and the village is not paying for her education.
Burns emphasized her paper is not politically-motivated or designed to sway residents toward a pro-cityhood stance.
‘One of the things that’s been drilled into our heads throughout this program is that there’s no room for opinion in this paper ? strictly facts and data,? she told the township board.
‘The data is the data is the data. You can’t skew it. You can’t bias it. You can’t have an opinion about this,? Burns later said. ‘I am neutral about this.?
It will be ‘a research paper which the people can look at and make an educated decision on what’s best for our community as a whole.?
During the course of her data collection, Burns has consulted the Michigan Municipal League, state Boundary Commission and ‘all the villages that have successfully and unsuccessfully incorporated? as cities such as Chelsea, Holly, Lake Orion, Caseville and Sparta to name a few.
Looking at other villages, she’s learned that ‘none of us are alike.?
‘We all have are little quirks. So, there’s no cookie-cutter approach you can take,? Burns said. ‘When you do your cost-benefit analysis, there’s some things that apply and some things that don’t.?
Other villages can be ‘used as guidelines? to ‘pick and choose what’s beneficial.?
‘There is a right way and a wrong way to go about it,? she said.
Burns has also consulted with Oxford Township officials Supervisor Bill Dunn, Treasurer Joe Ferrari and Clerk Clara Sanderson, all of which have been ‘wonderful about providing information to me.?
‘I’ve got 35 pages of data so far,? Burns said.
Burns admitted when she first heard the village was looking into cityhood she was ‘kind of all fired up about it? and thought ‘this is a great idea.?
‘You have to remember, I came from a city,? she said. Prior to arriving in Oxford in August 2005, Burns worked for the City of Clare for 14 years and was born and raised there.
But as her research progressed, she realized there are ‘two sides to every story.?
‘As I get more data and I get more information, both sides become more clear, more in focus,? Burns said. ‘If I had to go to the polls right now, I couldn’t tell you which way I would go only because of the fact I still need to do some more number-crunching.?
‘I haven’t solidified my recommendations. That’s the only part of my research that has any sort of opinion one way or the other.?
Ultimately, she said it’s up to the residents.
‘My opinion is whatever the people in the Village of Oxford want, that’s what I want. If they deem (cityhood) is the best thing, great. If they deem it’s not important, that’s fine too. I can live with either decision they make.?
Burns told the township board she was informing them of her master’s degree project in order to keep them ‘in the loop? and ‘open the doors of communication so you know where I’m at with it.?
‘I just want everything to be out in the open,? Burns told officials.
‘This doesn’t just affect Oxford Village. It affects Parks and Rec. It affects the township. It affects the community as a whole.?
In addition to village officials reviewing it, Burns said Dunn, Ferrari and Sanderson ‘have all agreed to look at my paper ? rip it apart, make suggestions, critiques, challenge everything.?
Having people with two different perspectives read it will help ‘eliminate any bias.?
‘I want this to be the best project it can before I share it with you, the village and the community as a whole,? she told township officials.
Editor’s Note: When Burns? paper is finished, excerpts of it and her recommendations will be published in The Oxford Leader.