Politics & Government
Ballot Language Approved for Court House
Supervisor Rick Stathakis' has created an organization that will fund the Feb. 28 elections.
Shelby Township Supervisor Richard Stathakis and the Board of Trustees want to know what you think of a new 41 A District Court building and now, they’re one step closer to getting the issue on the Feb. 28, 2012 ballot.
During a, the Board of Trustees approved, 4-3, language regarding financing a new building.
The language is: “Do you support the Shelby Township Board of Trustees authorizing funds from the Capital Improvement fund and/or selling bonds for the design and construction of a $5 million (or less) District Court Building even if it means cutting services or raising taxes in order to keep the Court in Shelby Township?”
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Since its illegal for the Township to fund an advisory election, Stathakis - keeping to his promise to get this issue before voters - started a fundraising committee called We The People. If the Committee fails to raise the $5,000 necessary to put the ballot question before voters in February, Stathakis said he’ll pay the money himself.
The building is 33 years old and Stathakis said the township is running the current facility to the ground. He said the issue, which has been before the Board several times over the course of many years, needs to go before voters.
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“The way I see the reason this has gone on for 20 years is because everyone has had a say except for residents. Now they are going to have a chance to do it,” Stathakis said.
During the Dec. 20 Board of Trustees meeting Stathakis was appointed as Interim Clerk until the position is filled next month. He said his role as Clerk will not conflict with the We The People campaign. “No, not at all because it’s totally outside the realm of the Township. The reason I had to go out and formulate that committee is because it had to be mutually exclusive from Township operations.
We the People has nothing to do with the Township,” he said. “I still have rights as a citizen to get involved in government, even if I’m in government and that’s what I’m doing. I’m exercising that right, but I’m doing that for the people of Shelby Township.”
