City Responds to Attorney General; Troy, Secretary of State Sued

Less than a day after the Michigan Attorney General's office threatened to sue Troy if it did not call a special election in February, Troy City Attorney Lori Grigg Bluhm once again defended the city's decision Friday to wait till November 2013 to hold an election to replace recalled Troy Mayor Janice Daniels.

In the letter to Attorney General Bill Schuette's Chief Legal Counsel Richard Bandstra, Bluhm said Troy can satisfy both the state election law as well as the City Charter by holding a November 2013 election.

"The City of Troy acknowledges that there is ambiguity in the recall and subsequent election process as provided under Michigan election law," Bluhm wrote, in part, in her two-page letter. "We are committed to uphold both State election law and also our City Charter provisions."

To read the letter from Bluhm to Bandstra – as well as previous correspondence between the city and the state – please see the attached PDF files.

The city has been locked in a battle with the Michigan Secretary of State's office since Council voted on Nov. 21 not to seek further advice from the state regarding the process to replace Daniels, who was recalled on Nov. 6. According to Bluhm's Nov. 30 letter to Bandstra, a lawsuit was filed Thursday against both the City of Troy and Secretary of State officials by political activist Robert Davis and Citizens United Against Corrupt Government (see attached PDF file).*

"This case is pending in the Oakland County Circuit Court, and upon information and belief, it also seeks an injunctive order requiring the City of Troy to hold a February 2013 election."

Bluhm concluded her letter by asking Bandstra to let her know "if there is anything that the City can do to avoid a lawsuit and still do what is in the best interest of our community."

Meanwhile, Council voted 4-2 on Nov. 12 to appoint acting Mayor Dane Slater as Mayor of Troy until November 2013. Council is scheduled to filter through a pool of 41 candidates who have applied to fill Slater's vacant seat on Council at Monday's Troy City Council meeting.

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*Correction: We originally wrote that the Secretary of State had sued Troy when, in fact, both Troy and the Secretary of State have been sued. The story was updated to reflect this correction at 2:05 p.m.