It’s time the Legislature fixes a problem that’s been making neighbors into enemies for years. Michigan’s annexation laws are out-of-date, allowing cities to swallow up vast chunks of developing townships in a race to increase a municipality’s tax base.
The practice in this area has led to threats, lawsuits and harsh words between township boards and city councils.
Under current law, land can be annexed to a city through a simple vote of the residents of that land and the city.
This, of course, makes it all too easy for cities to snatch up surrounding land - often because the landowners want to develop it in a way the township won’t allow.
There can be legitimate reason for annexing land into a city, often involving a township’s inability to provide certain services to the area.
But the concern that a township can’t reasonably provide police and fire service to a growing area is simply irrational. Many townships provide all the services cities do.
East Lansing is entrenched in its own annexation struggle.
Two MSU students who live in Bath Township filed a petition for the city to annex more than 1,000 acres of land, including Melrose Apartments, 16789 Chandler Road.
The students have said they’re worried the township can’t provide them adequate emergency services, such as fire and policing services.
But no one has proven that Bath Township’s services are insufficient to protect the apartment complex and its 936 possible residents.
And whether anyone does, the township will have its work cut out for it to get people to vote against the measure.
Certainly East Lansing residents will vote for the annexation - they have thousands of dollars in tax revenue to gain - and residents of the disputed land, who are mostly students, traditionally already have ties to the city.
So what this particular conflict has become, and what others like it also will become, is a clash for tax dollars - not for the safety concerns of the land’s residents.
The state needs to give townships a powerful tool to defend themselves against this problem.
It’s important to empower both municipalities dealing with an annexation.
After all, the effects of a land annexation are felt by the township and the city, not just the residents who live on the land in question. Since everyone has to deal with the repercussions of taking or losing the land, it’s only fitting that everyone has a chance to decide what happens to it. Residents of the township that contain the disputed area should rightfully have an opportunity to speak out on the issue as well.
When money is at stake, simply taking is too inviting. No matter what community the area finally is included in, East Lansing and Bath Township will still co-exist immediately next to one another. Rather than set a negative tone, allowing all concerned parties a chance to sound off will allow for the best possible resolution to the problem.
