Cityhood — how far have we come? How did we get here?

Manchester — village or city? With the election set for November 7, the decision is coming closer. A public informational meeting will be held in the Village Room on September 26 at 7pm.

by Marsha Chartrand

It has been five years since the Village of Manchester began the process to become a city.

In 2018, Village Council started discussing the possibility of changing its form of governance from a Village to a City. At its January 7, 2019, meeting, Village Council took the steps to appoint a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) to explore what the impact of city incorporation might be. Over the next six months — January through June of 2019 — the CAC solicited input from village residents, staff, and Manchester Township to put together a report on those impacts. The CAC then developed its report, which was presented to Village Council at its meeting on July 1, 2019.

In Michigan, cities have more autonomy, and more responsibilities, than villages due to their municipal structure. Villages and townships are tied together in certain decision making, even when it’s not beneficial for both village and township residents. A city assumes the legally required duties of primary local units of government: assessing property, collecting taxes for the county and schools, and conducting county, state, and national elections.

Many people do not understand that cityhood is not about making things “bigger and better,” nor is it a way to “change our small town into something it’s not.” It is not about higher taxes or a new police force or forcing changes on our fire department. A “city” is basically an independent form of governance that allows the entity now known as the “Village of Manchester” to make decisions on its own, independently from other governmental agencies.

Compared to other communities the size of the Village of Manchester (2,091 residents according to 2010 SEMCOG data as reported in the CAC report of 2019), 74% are cities rather than villages. The trend seems to point toward eligible villages becoming cities.

The designation of “city” does not reflect the size of the community, however. Michigan’s smallest city is Omer, located in northeastern lower Michigan, with a population of just 270. The city of Gaastra in the western UP has 320 residents.

Those are some of the facts that the CAC members learned during their six-month period of due diligence prior to making a recommendation to Village Council. As part of the Citizens Advisory Committee’s process, the May 7, 2019, regular meeting included an invitation to the community to share their thoughts about the prospect of such a change. In attendance were residents from Manchester Village, Manchester Township, and Sharon Township, along with local and neighboring government officials.

Beginning in August 2019, a petition was circulated among village residents to determine that there was a sufficient number of residents who were interested in pursuing cityhood; along with a boundary map submitted to the State Boundary Commission, which indicated the city boundaries would be exactly the same as the current village boundaries. These steps ended up taking longer than usual due to the pandemic starting in March 2020 and the closure of many state offices over several months. However, the residents’ petition and the boundary map were finally approved in April 2021.

Further delays ensued while the petition was sent to the LARA director for signature, which again was delayed for several months and approved on January 3, 2022. A Charter Commission was elected at the next regular election, November 8, 2022, and completed its work on January 26, 2023. The Charter was approved by the Governor’s office on April 25, 2023, allowing the proposal for a new City Charter and a new City Council to be put on the ballot for the November 7, 2023, election.

The members of the CAC and those who followed them on the City Charter Commission were all unanimous not only in recommending that Manchester pursue cityhood at this time, but also in their personal desire to serve the community in the best way possible. Here is what three of them had to say at the time of their election last fall:

“The most important thing that this Commission can accomplish is to produce a Charter document that reflects the history and culture of the Manchester community and fosters its values for future generations,” said Dan Geyer, a recent Village retiree who served on the Charter Commission.

“I decided to run for the City Charter Commission because I wanted to help finish what we started,” said Denise Collins, co-owner of Frank’s Place and a member of the DDA. “In 2019, I was on the Citizens Advisory Committee. After researching the pros and cons of becoming a city, we voted unanimously to move forward towards cityhood for Manchester. To accomplish our goals, we need the community to be involved and give their input.”

“I decided to get involved with the Charter Commission primarily because of the work I did on the Citizens Advisory Committee,” said Herb Mahony, a lifelong Manchester resident. “My involvement in the research we did made me want to be part of the process to move that forward. I’ve worked in a variety of appointed and elected positions; I’ve been on Village Council; and I’ve been involved in government at a city, county, and regional level. I have worked within enough different positions that I think I have a decent level of insight for what needs to happen.”

“I look forward to learning more about Manchester community values and building community trust,” said Samantha Tank, a relative newcomer who also serves on Village Planning Commission. “I am also looking forward to gaining a better understanding of the local political process. The most important thing (we will do) is creating an open space where the community can provide input and direction into the City of Manchester in a way that balances current values and future opportunities.”

The September newsletter that Village residents received with their monthly water bills has a list of Frequently Asked Questions about cityhood, as well as a section on Misconceptions and Facts. Residents will also have an opportunity to address staff and council members with additional questions about cityhood at a community forum set for 7pm on September 26 in the Village Room on the lower level at 912 City Rd. The City Charter is available for review here.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.