(NR) LOCAL NEWS online at hometownlife.comA8 Hometown Weeklies | Thursday, February 23, 2012

ary 2011.Themaster plan for 2012-16 was

approved unanimously with someamendments made to it that includ-ed adding some community historicalitems like the Bennett Arboretum andplan for the Northville Township-ownedSevenMile property. One big hope forthe five-year plan is to increase thepathway connectivity in the communi-ty, which could include having a poten-tial bike/walking connection toMayburyPark.

The public comments regarding the2012-16 recreationmaster plan centeredon increasing the pathway connectionsthroughout the community.Resident JerryMittman saidMaybury

is one of themost popular destinationsin the area, but for bicyclists and pedes-trians fromNorthville it’s difficult toget to without having to drive. He saidmaking better use of what the commu-nity already has should be a priority.The Northville Township Board of

Trustees also approved the plan and itwas expected the Northville City Coun-cil would do the same at their meetingon Feb. 21.

By Philip AllmenStaff Writer

For now, the new Oak-land County Commission-er districts drawn lastyear will stand.An InghamCounty Cir-

cuit Court judge issuedan opinion Feb. 15 thatPublic Act 280 of 2011,which reduces the num-ber of commissionersin Oakland County from25 to 21 and turns redis-tricting duties to theRepublican-controlledcounty commission, wasunconstitutional.The redrawn maps

were created last yearby a 5-member thatfavored Democrats, 3-2. Republicans chal-lenged the district mapslast year, but the Michi-gan Court of Appeals andMichigan Supreme Courtrejected the challenge.The Michigan state

Legislature then passedthe law, citing cost sav-ings to Oakland Coun-ty. Gov. Rick Snyder’sspokesperson said at thetime it created great-er transparency to theredistricting process.The law only affectsOakland County.

The reasonsJudge William Col-

lette based his opinion onthree issues:* a need for a two-

thirds majority votefor approval, because itdealt with a local matter;* limited time for coun-

ty voters to request ajudicial review of a newapportionment; and* a violation of the

Headlee Amendment asit relates to unfundedmandate.“We are glad that

Judge Collette saw the“Republican Power-

grab Bill,” for what itwas — an outrageousattempt by Republi-cans to change the law,just for Oakland Coun-ty, for Republican polit-ical gain,” stated FrankHouston, chairman ofthe Oakland CountyApportionment Commis-sion, in a release. He wasone of the plaintiffs inthe case.“Judge Collette’s deci-

sion allows candidatesand voters to begin aconversation about howto move state and coun-ty forward instead ofworrying about (Oak-land County Executive)Brooks Patterson’s try-ing to cheat democra-cy for personal politi-cal advantage,” Houstonadded.

Challenge likelyOakland County Execu-

tive L. Brooks Pattersonsaid he expects Collette’sopinion won’t stand.“Ingham County Cir-

cuit Court has a longrecord of ruling in favorof Democrats, only tobe overturned by high-er courts,” he stated ina release. “This mat-ter will be settled inthe Michigan SupremeCourt.”If it were to stand, he

said it can create majorfinancial woes for theCity of Detroit. The Leg-islature changed popula-tion-based funding stat-utes to benefit Detroitfollowing major decreas-es in the last census.Those changes were notpassed with a two-thirdmajority, he said.“How can the law be

one thing for Democrat-ic areas and somethingelse for the rest of thestate?,” he stated.

No surpriseCommissioner Bob

Hoffman, R-Highland,said he wasn’t surprisedat last week’s ruling,although he favors thelaw. “It would actuallysave taxpayers money,”he said.The timing of the law,

isn’t surprising, either.Asked if partisan politicsplayed a role the legisla-ture’s passing of the law,Hoffman said “I thinkthat’s a fair assessment.It’s a lot about politics onboth sides.”Commissioner Kathy

Crawford, R-Novi, saidthe five-member com-mittee in place to redis-trict commission bound-aries promotes dissi-dence between the politi-cal parties.“When you have the

chair of the Democratsand the chair of theRepublicans on the com-mittee what do you thinkthey are going to do?,”she said. “That is theway it is right now, theyare going to be very par-tisan.“For someone who

doesn’t think this isn’tpartisan is very naïve.”She said she will wait

to see what Collette’sfinal ruling will be, sincelast week’s news was hisopinion on the case.The Republican caucus’

legal counsel explainedthe judge still want-ed to study it and therehasn’t been a final rul-ing yet, she said, not-ing she expects the issueto advance to the stateSupreme Court.“I think it’s just a wait-

and-see thing. I reallydon’t knowwhat is goingto happen with it.”

Nathan Mueller contrib-uted to this report.

County commissionmap will stand;

Patterson vows appeal

PLANContinued from page A1

JOHN HEIDER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

AARP tax helper Teri Kuehn, left, assists Jane Smiley in filing her 2011 taxes on Feb.16 at the Northville Community Senior Center. Seniors and low-income individualscan get assistance at the center on Thursdays for the next four weeks. Appoint-ments are recommended.

Tax help