Dexter's Proposed City Boundary Petition Moves Forward Following Public Hearing

The process for the village of Dexter's proposed cityhood moved one step closer Tuesday following a public hearing with the Michigan Boundary Commission.

More than two dozen residents attended the meeting at the but provided only minor verbal feedback to the commission.

Libby Biel, who was a member of the village's city study committee in 2006, affirmed her support for Dexter's petition.

"We will be masters of our own destiny," Biel said. "For that reason, I support the village's petition."

Ray Biel agreed.

"It's high time that Dexter become responsible for our own actions," he said.

If the boundary is approved, Dexter, which currently includes parts of Scio and Webster townships, would become its own home-rule city.

During the meeting, Dexter Village President Shawn Keough and Webster Township Supervisor John Kingsley requested that the commission approve a revised boundary, one that’s been modified since in October 2011.

The new boundary was mutually agreed upon by the municipalities and does not include Gordon Hall, which resides in Webster Township, or the front half of in Scio Township.

Webster Township and the Dexter Area Historical Society (DAHS) had voiced objections to including Gordon Hall within the proposed boundaries. The land is part of a Public Act 425 agreement between the village and Webster Township. The agreement says that if the village becomes a city, it would be responsible for paying taxes on the property to the township for 12 years, according to Ann Arbor.com.

"We don't want any more property in the village than is necessary to fulfill the contiguity issue with our proposed city boundary," Keough told the commission.

DAHS President Gil Campbell said the Historical Society approves of the revised boundary proposal.

What residents can do

Following Tuesday's meeting, residents have 30 days to send written comments via email (obrienk@michigan.gov) or fax (517-241-6301) to the Boundary Commission. Correspondence must be received by 5 p.m. Feb. 16. Written comments submitted by U.S. mail must be postmarked no later than Feb. 16. All correspondence must be identified by docket No. 10-I-2 and must state whether an individual supports or opposes the proposed boundary.

Letters may be mailed to the Michigan Boundary Commission, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, P.O. Box 30254, Lansing, MI 48909.

Once all correspondence has been received, it will be posted on the state Boundary Commission's website, and residents will have seven days to submit a rebuttal. After three months, the commission will make a recommendation to the director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.