The Dexter Village Council has given a preliminary thumbs-up to the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority’s (AATA) $465 million, 30-year plan to expand transit services countywide.

At its meeting Monday, the council approved an Act 7 Interlocal Agreement with Scio and Webster townships to select a resident who will represent the three municipalities on a proposed Countywide Transit Authority Board. The 15-member board would be charged with overseeing and implementing the AATA’s Master Plan, which is scheduled to be completed in April 2012.

Village President Shawn Keough directed Trustee Jim Carson to begin meeting with the other municipalities once they, too, pass the Interlocal Agreement later this month.

“I don’t have a problem meeting with the other municipalities, but I have already indicated that I do not wish to be this area’s representative on the board due to time constraints,” Carson said.

According to AATA, the city of Ann Arbor would have the largest number of seats on the board with seven; Ypsilanti would have one representative; and seven other seats would be reserved to represent geographic blocks of outlying areas of the county based on population.

Ann Arbor’s representation is higher due to its 2-mill tax that currently funds AATA, which likely won’t go away once the countywide board is established, said Michael Benham, AATA special assistant for strategic planning.

Trustee Joe Semifero said he was skeptical about how one representative for the three diverse municipalities of Dexter, Scio Township and Webster Township could adequately convey local officials’ concerns on the board.

Terri Blackmore, executive director for the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study, said representatives would be required to meet with local municipalities quarterly as well as submit notes from board meetings.

“The best representative is one who knows what these municipalities want, and he’ll have to know what our expectations are in regards to feedback,” Trustee Ray Tell said.

Blackmore said choosing a representative does not automatically commit the village to joining the AATA's transit expansion plans.

“This does not in any way commit you to participating in and funding the actual transit service,” she said.

For more information on AATA's Master Plan, visit theride.org.