Politics & Government

Wayne County Judge: Fire Millage Petition Meets Requirements

Plymouth Township will hold a special meeting Sunday to discuss the judge's ruling.

The Plymouth Township Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting Sunday at 7 p.m. to discuss a decision regarding a fire millage petiiton made by a Wayne County judge this week.

Circuit Judge Wendy Baxter ruled Thursday that the Plymouth Township Citizens Action Group met state requirements for a fire services petition they submitted to the board during a .

The group, she said, gathered enough signatures on a petition seeking to put a fire services millage on the Feb. 28, 2010 election ballot for it to be automatically accepted by the board.

Find out what's happening in Plymouth-Cantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The proposed ballot item would levy one mill in a special assessment district to maintain firefighter-provided EMS services in the township after the City of Plymouth pulls out from its on Jan. 1. The move leaves the township's fire department and, the citizens group fears, a reduction in services for township residents.

According to Plymouth Township Clerk Joe Bridgeman, the board will meet in closed session for the first part of the Sunday meeting to discuss the ruling with the township attorney, and will then present any decision about next steps to the public in the open meeting to follow.

Find out what's happening in Plymouth-Cantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to Bridgeman, the ruling means the township needs to move forward with steps laid out in the state statutes, which says that after a petition for a ballot item has been accepted, township officials need to set a date for a public hearing.

A Wayne County Circuit Court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. to ensure the township has complied with state law.


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