State Boundary Commission Affirms Signatures on Referendum Petition for Dexter's Cityhood

A referendum vote on Dexter's cityhood could come before voters as early as February 2013, according to village officials.

On Wednesday, the State Boundary Commission certified that a petition signed by 373 residents was "legally sufficient" to submit to Steven Hilfinger, the director of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

If Hilfinger affirms the commission's findings, an election date will be set. The election will be used to determine whether the cityhood process should move forward.

According to Dexter Village Council Trustee Jim Smith, the election could come as early as February or May.

"We suggested to the commission that May would be better given that the Ann Arbor Transit Authority is considering an election at that time. It would make sense to hold our election the same time as the county," he said.

In the event the village is required to hold its own election without other state or county ballot proposals, the cost would be roughly $5,000 according to Courtney Nicholls, assistant village manager.

More information on Dexter's process is available online at http://villageofdexter.org/city_study_committee/cityhood_index_page.htm.