Lansing Township authorizes lawsuit against county over annexation
FRIDAY, Aug. 19 – The Lansing Township Board of Trustees voted yesterday to authorize a suit against Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum to stop her from putting an annexation question on the …
Lawyers to seek an injunction to keep it off the Nov. 8 ballot
FRIDAY, Aug. 19 – The Lansing Township Board of Trustees voted yesterday to authorize a suit against Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum to stop her from putting an annexation question on the November ballot.
“We believe, as do our lawyers, that we have a very strong legal argument,” township Supervisor Maggie Sanders said today.
In July, 122 township residents in the Groesbeck neighborhood petitioned the city to be annexed.
The Council voted unanimously Aug. 8 to approve annexation language and forwarded it to Byrum to put on the ballot for the affected precincts, where about 2,200 people live.
Township lawyer Michael Gresens of Thrun Law Firm sent a letter to Byrum on Wednesday arguing whether she had the legal authority to put the proposals on the township’s ballot.
“I don’t have a choice,” Byrum said today. “I have to put ballot questions on the ballot when I receive a resolution authorizing that action. I can’t pick and choose.”
Sanders and Township Treasurer Kathy Rodgers argue the legal questions involved are too important not to pursue in court.
“This could impact other townships,” Rodgers said.
The township argues that the city was required to have a valid petition drive, with language vetted and authorized by the county clerk. Twenty percent of the impacted residents in a proposed annexation area would be required to sign the petition, then it could be on the ballot. It would also have to be approved by the State Boundary Commission.
Lansing spokesperson Scott Bean said today the administration was “confident” that the city had done the right thing because City Attorney Jim Smiertka was confident.
“We are confident that this will be on the ballot and a lawsuit by township officials to stop their own residents from voting on their governance will not be successful,” Bean said.
For her part, Byrum said the township was following the process allowed to them to stop something from getting on the ballot.
