What will a City Charter change?
Manchester — village or city? Will it be very different after all?
by Marsha Chartrand
As the election approaches on November 7, it is likely that some residents still have lingering questions about the new City Charter and how much things will change — or not — should the majority vote “Yes” for city status.
Gathering last week with three of the key players in this quest — Village President Pat Vailliencourt, Village Manager Michael Sessions, and Charter Commission Chair Jeff Wallace — we covered some of the major questions that are still being asked. Two that seem to come up often are the questions of police and fire coverage.
The fact, said Sessions, is that there will be no impact on our current police services, which are provided by the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office. “Our own department may happen at some time in the future,” he says. “That will depend on service and cost, not on cityhood.”
Vailliencourt said that she and Sessions have met with Manchester Township on the topic of fire service, and the township has given them figures based on the same cost formula as the other townships pay.
“There are new numbers,” Sessions explained. “The cost has gone up for everyone, based on the number of runs. We anticipate that our cost for fire coverage will increase, whether we are a village or a city.”
Vailliencourt added, “We have also received a personal commitment from the Township Supervisor that there will be no lapse in fire service.”
Another question that Vailliencourt says she has heard often is a concern that the change from Village to City will hurt township residents. To that, she responds a resounding “no.”
“When we met via Zoom with the State Boundary Commission for a public hearing on April 28, 2021, Ron Milkey, Township Supervisor, is recorded in the Summary of Contents of the meeting as saying the Township staff’s workload will go down as they will lose the assessing, tax collection, and tax tribunal work of the Village, amongst other items. Therefore, the Township does not feel they will need to increase taxes to cover current services,” she noted, quoting from the meeting summary, which was attended by several members of the public as well as Village Council, administration, and staff.
Sessions added that the Village/City intends to leave taxes at the same rate, regardless of the outcome of the vote. There will be no change in millage rate.
Mostly, the trio agreed, the facts support that a vote pro-City will reduce the liability of residents, allow City residents to control their own future, and streamline government by eliminating a duplication of taxes between Manchester Township and the Village.
“Village residents, businesses, and property owners, will no longer pay taxes to Manchester Township,” Wallace pointed out. “This is good for village residents; the people who are actually affected by the issue are the ones who will be voting on it.”
The October newsletter that Village residents will receive this week with their monthly water bills includes a new graphic explaining changes about cityhood. Residents will also have an opportunity to address staff and council members with additional questions about cityhood and the new City Charter at a community forum set for 7pm on Tuesday September 26, in the Village Room on the lower level at 912 City Rd. A second public meeting is planned for October 17, also at 7pm in the Village Room.
The City Charter is available for review here.
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