Editorial: City Council grants itself longer terms

Although city council terms are four years under the current city charter, at Monday’s meeting the Belleville City Council voted unanimously for a resolution that gives themselves an extra year and makes their current term five years.
City Manager Jason Smith said at the Michigan Municipal League conference Mayor Voigt spoke to Mayor Colestock of Eaton Rapids about odd-year elections. Mayor Colestock said they had changed their election years by resolution rather than by a ballot question. She sent information to Belleville and they adapted it for our city.
Smith said the city attorney looked it over and said Belleville could make this change in a similar fashion and the attorney general said she preferred votes of the people, but a resolution would work. The council voted unanimously to change the terms of councilpersons Beebe and Kissel from expiring in 2025 to expiring in 2026. The terms of Mayor Voigt, Mayor Pro-Tem Bates, and councilman Priest, which expired in 2027, will now expire in 2028.
City clerk/treasurer Briana Hootman said this change will save the city $5,000 in costs for the odd-year city election which has nothing else on the ballot and brings only about a 5% turnout.
Mayor Voigt said this should have been done years ago.
The next council members, elected in 2026, will be for four-year terms again.