Grosse Pointe Shores Council Ends Move to Macomb Discussion--For Now

Following months of tense, if not aggitated, discussion about potentially , the council Tuesday night decided to put the topic to rest, for now.

The Shores council unanimously agreed to accept a report from the Move to Macomb Committee about the findings. In the same vote, the council put the committee's work to rest.

Councilman Dan Schulte, who spearheaded the creation of the committee and was the council liasion, motioned for the council to consider putting the move on the November ballot. The motion did not gain any support, meaning the topic is squashed for now.

Councilman Alexander Ajlouni said he believes the topic may deserve to be revisited and researched in a more complete, professional manner that would allow residents to be more well-informed before actually making a decision.

The committee originally submitted a final report that highlighted only the tax savings for residents but did not answer the myriad of other questions. There were also two town-hall meetings held by the committee but neither were well attended.

Mayor Ted Kedzierski read a letter from another resident who requested it be done during Tuesday's meeting in which the resident criticized the latest final report naming specific items he felt were not complete, which is why he's not in support of such a move at this time.

During a recent council meeting, some of the council members questioned the first version of the report the committee submitted and its completness. Schulte responded that he was being treated like a dog by residents pestering him with questions that ultimately don't matter.

Meanwhile, there has also been a signature petition floating about the community in an attempt to get the issue before voters without involving the council. When Schulte was asked about the petition, he said he knew nothing about it during a recent council meeting but his name is the first on the list of contacts in an email being circulated within the community.

In May, an update from Schulte from the committee morphed into a demand on the council to take some action. to see how the majority of the community felt about the topic.

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The topic drew much debate during a recent special meeting and many residents still have questions about how such a move would impact their lives beyond tax relief.

Eligibility for the was among the first issues to be reviewed and it is among one of the biggest concerns that remain.

To add to the confusion, there is conflicting legal opinion among the council about whether the topic must first be voted upon by residents of the Shores before going before voters of Macomb and Wayne counties.

Ultimately, such a change cannot happen without the approval of the majority of voters from both counties. Many believe even if Shores residents would eventuallly decide they want to make the move, Wayne County would fight it as the Shores is a significant source of tax revenue for the county.