The village of Dexter will continue on the path toward cityhood.
According to unofficial results from the Washtenaw County Clerk’s Office, voters Tuesday approved a yes or no question about continuing the seven-year-old process by a margin of 460 to 408, or 53 percent to 47 percent.
Dexter voters on Tuesday approved continuing the cityhood process.
Village Council President Shawn Keough said the results shows residents are open-minded and feel it’s worthwhile to continue to exploring cityhood.
“I am very thankful there were enough voters throughout the village that saw the merits of evaluating cityhood,” Keough said. “Over the next year or so, I look forward to electing a charter commission and working with the public to draft a charter for all residents to consider.”
“People who I saw today came out because they felt it’s important to support the process and a lot are sold on cityhood being a good thing,” he added.
The next step is for residents to elect a Charter Commission, a nine-member group that will write the governing document for the new city. That election could take place as soon as November 2013, which means those who wish to be a part of it would have to declare their candidacy by August.
That draft must then be approved by the Michigan Attorney General, after which voters in Dexter would vote on whether to accept the document. If Dexter voters approve it, the village would officially become a city.
Jim Smith, who formed the Committee to Keep Dexter a Village, said he was disappointed with the results and wished there was higher turnout, but said he was proud of his team that assembled to educate voters on their stance on the issue.
“We’ll just keep watching and see what comes up in the draft of the charter,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be weighing in on that and we’ll see how things unfold as we go forward.”
Residents in the Scio Township precinct voted against the measure by a margin of 373 to 336. But in the Webster Township precinct, where voter turnout was higher, the question was approved 124 to 35.
Residents in Webster Township currently pay higher taxes than those in Scio Township. If Dexter became a city, Webster residents would see their taxes decrease by approximately 3 mills compared to approximately 1.5 mills for those in Scio.
Cityhood proponents say the village of Dexter already provides its core services and it could reduce costs of paying for elections and assessing by $225,000 while eliminating a layer of government. Scio and Webster townships currently provide those services.
Smith previously said remaining a village would help retain a small-town feel and sense of community. He said the village pays relatively little in taxes to the townships and government wouldn’t be as simplified as proponents suggest.
Residents who spoke with AnnArbor.com a week prior to the vote expressed concerns that the cityhood would spur development. Several residents said they didn’t want Dexter to become another Ann Arbor and had not heard any clear reason to support cityhood.
Other changes that would occur if Dexter becomes a city include that city residents will no longer be able to vote for township offices and ballot questions, and all personal property taxes will be collected by the city and then distributed appropriately to the schools, county, etc.
Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter. Contact the AnnArbor.com news desk at news@annarbor.com.