LANSING, Mich. — Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and Attorney General Bill Schuette issued a joint statement Friday afternoon on the lawsuit they filed against Troy City Clerk Aileen Bittner Friday in Oakland County Circuit Court.
In the lawsuit, they claim the City has violated state law by not calling a special election on in February and instead choosing to follow City Charter by appointing Dane Slater mayor until the November 2013 city election.
“I’m disappointed that city officials have chosen to go this route,” Johnson said in a press release Friday evening. “Unfortunately, we now must seek a legal remedy to uphold state election and recall law. Our position all along has been that state law requires an election in this situation. Troy residents have the right to choose the city’s mayor in February, and the attorney general and I will see that that happens.”
“As Michigan Attorney General, my job is to enforce the law,” Schuette said in the press release. “I am fully supportive of Secretary of State Johnson’s efforts as Michigan’s chief elections officer and agree that the law is straightforward. A February election is required.”
"The City is not claiming that our Charter trumps state law," Troy City Attorney Lori Grigg Bluhm said Thursday. "Instead, since there are two conflicting State Statutes, the City is obligated to follow the path that allows us to uphold both state law and our charter."
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. Both the City of Troy and the Secretary of State were also sued Thursday by political activist Robert Davis and Citizens United Against Corrupt Government (see attached PDF file).
To view the lawsuit and previous correspondence between the city and the state, please see the attached PDF files.
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It seems that it's often the "States rights" and "defer power to the locality" folks, that suddenly feel they need to intrude in the governance of localities when they have the whim. Honestly, I don't know how someone who practices good governance, like Gov. Snyder, can put up with Schuette and his ilk. Makes no sense to me. Time for Snyder to tug the chain on this bull dog before he further erodes the legitimacy of his administration, and party.
"Mayor Joyce Daniels" is used in it at least three times, yes.
All this seems murky business and a power grab by some known and unknown entities that are (or are not?) working together under the guise of State Constitution interpretation.
possible I hope Maureen McGinnis could run without giving up her council seat, i.e., she still retains her seat until November when her term expires if she doesn't win a February Mayoral race. If she does win, then someone will have to be appointed to take her vacated council seat until November. Better check with the State on any plans for vacancy fulfillment though, and get it in writing :-p
She could gather the required signatures from her church in a few days.
Everybody needs to know what kind of person Bob Gosselin is--it's easy to understand him when you see the history of sleaze he's perpetrated in his political career.
"Attorney General Bill Schuette is always running for office, much to Gov. Snyder's chagrin" http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/09/tim_skubick_attorney_general_b.html Schuette is quickly becoming the Eric Cantor of Michigan politics: never met a podium he didn't like, politics BEFORE policy, and gets little of substance accomplished for his constituents. Ruth Johnson appeared to have an obsession (to the exclusion of much else) over a check box placement on the Nov. ballot that 1) would accomplish nothing except confusion (perhaps the intent?) & 2) the courts already had ruled AGAINST. That all said, as Laitner in the Freep recently said: "The dispute is seen by municipal law experts as a classic test between the usual primacy of state over local statutes and the long tradition in Michigan of HOME RULE, which gives WIDE LATITUDE TO CITIES for SETTING THEIR OWN operating rules."
I wonder if this AG would of been at the Manoogian mansion parties, then rules nothing went on....... 6 police lost their positions, or jobs, for trying to do the PEOPLES WORK
As was said above, Voted in by the People, Voted out by the People, Has to be Voted in by the People ........... ??? I think the only place that can happen is, our U S const. even then the office is voted on by 400+ members..... this appointment thing is not Healthy, or wise. the whole purpose of our system is to try and appear to be above, the feel, the smell,and quagmire of improprieties. .
As far as Slater, Slater has not done a darn thing as mayor so far. Totally incompetent.
With his concentration on publicity and taking on symbolic cases that drive his party's, or his, political agenda, he's taking taxpayer time and money away from the more urgent and substantive issues for our citizens (aka, his bosses). As a result, we end up as de facto campaign contributors for his future run(s). I do not appreciate that. And there are many other citizens, including our Governor, who feel the same. There's still time for Schuette to return focus on protecting the rights of citizens, and what's best for Michigan moving forward. Ultimately, that is what will not only serve Michigan best, but him as well, if he has future plans.
Our city attorney has only one interest, serving her client, the citizens of Troy. This frivolous partisan game should be summarily thrown out of court.