Politics & Government

Shores Council Asks City Attorney to Check Impact of County Move

The Grosse Pointe Shores City Council delays creation of a committee to study a move from Wayne to Macomb County. Schools are among the chief concerns that could put a halt to the idea.

Before creating a committee to study moving from Wayne County to Macomb County, council asked the city's attorney to look into the impact such a move would have on schools. 

The council agreed last month to a surprise motion by Councilman Dan Schulte to study such a move. Conversation Tuesday began with a focus on how to develop a committee to do the study but evolved into a request to the city attorney, Mark McInerney, to check into a few of the chief concerns voiced by residents and council members.

Among those issues are schools and the sea wall in Lake St. Clair. McInerney agreed to look into the schools but said the sea wall ownership is its own issue independent of the move to Macomb because so many already claim ownership from residents through deeds and more.

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The decision was a surprise to Schulte, who said afterward he sensed other council members seemed less confident Tuesday about looking into the possibility than they did last month when they unanimously agreed to it. 

Mayor Pre Tem Ted Kedzierski said the answer to some of the key concerns might make the entire study a moot point. If for example, students were forced out of , then the study should no longer move forward–a point all of the other council members, including Schulte, agree with. 

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Additionally, Mayor James Cooper said he believes it's premature to develop a committee now before some basic information has been gathered.

He also explained that the five mayors of the Grosse Pointes are planning to discuss an all-Pointes consolidation during one of their council meetings.

Heenan suggested it as a measure to fight the redistricting that has been approved dividing the Pointes into two separate house districts from its current and historical representation with one district. Heenan also said the Pointes should then consider leaving Wayne County to join Macomb County–a change that is only attainable to Grosse Pointe Shores now because it straddles the county lines.

Undertaking such a study will be an expensive endeavor loaded with legal questions and opinions and if all of the Pointes want to consider such a move, Cooper said it's only fair to allow that opportunity. It would also allow sharing of the associated costs, he said.

Ultimately, the change would need the approval of both Wayne and Macomb counties before it could happen–a legal requirement brought up Tuesday by McInerney.

Schulte said he felt the information from McInerney was frustrating because in the past McInerney had said only the residents of the Shores would have to vote on the move. All of the feedback residents have expressed to Schulte has been in favor of the move and part of what drives the motivation is lower taxes, he said. 

Schulte also argued against Cooper's thought that it was premature to develop a committee, recalling the emphasis he said was placed upon moving to Macomb County as one of the benefits to becoming a city. 

Councilwoman Victoria Boyce said the issue does not boil down simply to taxes but there must also be a review of what type of services residents would receive for their money. 

The municipality is interwoven with county-related services, funding and other issues, and there are many questions that need to be answered about how those same issues would be handled in Macomb.  

Wayne County Commissioner Tim Killeen, who spoke to council Tuesday on unrelated topics, said there are a variety of services likely used by residents that most wouldn't necessarily think of, such as mental health or junvenile services. 

Killeen, who does not have an opinion either way, emphasized the need for such a change to be determined by the residents. 


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