By Larry Merrill/Michigan Townships Association The August primary ballot question in Onekama Village and Onekama Township to dissolve the village drew statewide attention from media and policy pundits who portrayed the election as a harbinger of voter willingness to consolidate Michigan local governments. In the aftermath of its defeat, proponents contend that failure resulted from […]
Onekama
Posted inMichigan Government
Election 2012: Community stays attached to its government; confusion crops up on citizenship query
Michigan’s primary election did not pass without a couple of bumps — one for poll workers navigating Michigan election law, another for advocates of a plan to actually dissolve one of Michigan’s 1,000-plus local governments. In Onekama, southwest of Traverse City, a proposal to abolish the government of the village of Onekama — and thereby […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Onekama provides test case on government consolidation
Most Michigan voters who find their ways to the polls today will be making decisions on who will run their governments and how they’ll fund such operations. The residents of the village of Onekama have a bigger question to answer: Keep the local government we have, or live under the neighbor’s? The 400 or so […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Consolidating government easier said than done
By Tom Ivacko/Center for Local, State and Urban Policy With the citizens of the village of Onekama and Onekama Township voting today on whether to merge – and with local governments across Michigan looking for ways to save dollars while continuing services – Michiganians might be wondering: Will consolidation be coming to my community anytime soon? Not […]