Shelby Township One Step Closer to Getting 41-A Court Move on Ballot

After a nearly 20-year long discussion in Shelby Township over whether—and where—to construct a new 41-A Court building, the question may go to the voters.

Supervisor Rick Stathakis has asked township attorney Rob Huth to draft language for an advisory ballot question designed to be a “conversation starter” among board members and residents.

The question is included on Tuesday’s Board of Trustees agenda. 

“Do you support the Shelby Township Board of Trustees securing funds by allocation from the general fund, selling bonds and/or authorizing tax revenues, to support the design and construction of a new District Court building in Shelby Township?”

Stathakis told Patch he wanted to discuss the issue with board members during the board meeting rather than in a work session to be more transparent about the issue.

“The objective is to get the question on the ballot and we will,” said Stathakis.

If the language is approved, it will be further discussed, and the issue would be included on the Feb. 28, 2012, ballot.

John Cavanagh, co-founder of EPIC/MRA, a Lansing-based polling firm, told the Macomb Daily that if he were conducting a poll of Shelby Township residents, he would ask a multi-tiered question and boil down the answers, and then provide follow-up questions.

The wording of the new language does not make mention of a timeline for the construction or how much it would cost.

Cavanagh also told the newspaper that the election date, Feb. 28, is the same day as the Michigan Republican Presidential Primary, and therefore there may bring an influx of Republicans to the polls.

Moving the 41-A District Courthouse, which serves Shelby, Utica and Macomb Township, has been for several years.

. However, Shelby has said it would go into deficit if it built a new building because it wouldn’t make enough money to pay for itself. Through feasibility studies, Macomb has said that the township would actually make money off the 41-A District Court.

Legacy costs for Shelby Township also remains a point of contention.