Ordinance Summary
A Referendum is needed on an ordinance for the voters of the Village of Beulah, Benzie County, to approve or reject Ordinance No. 2025-001 (full text below) as adopted by the Beulah Village Council on February 11th. Ordinance No. 2025-001 would do the following:
- Provide by ordinance for the reduction in the number of trustees on the Beulah Village Council to four (4).
- Reduce the influence of Beulah residents on changes to Beulah Village governance.
- Reduce the number of the council quorum from four (4) to three (3) members, allowing only three (3) council members to conduct council business and approve Council Resolutions and Ordinances.
- Reduce the number of council members engaging in deliberations or discussing policy changes to two (2) without violating the Open Meetings Act (OMA) 1976 PA267, MCL 15.261-15.275.
Ordinance Text
Ordinance No. 2025-001
AN ORDINANCE to provide for reduction in the number of trustees
on the Beulah Village Council from six to four.
THE VILLAGE OF BEULAH ORDAINS:
Section 1. Reduction of number of trustees on council
As authorized by Section (2), Chapter II of the General Law Village Act (1895 PA 3, as amended), the number of trustees on the Village Council shall be reduced from six trustees to four trustees who, with the president, shall constitute the council.
Section 2. Term of office
After the effective date of adoption of this ordinance, two Village trustees shall be elected at each succeeding biennial Village election. This ordinance shall not shorten the term of any incumbent trustee. Nor shall this ordinance shorten or eliminate a prospective term unless the nomination deadline for that term is not less than 30 days after the effective date of this ordinance.
Section 3. Effective date
This ordinance shall take effect 45 days after the date of its adoption, unless a petition signed by not less than ten percent of the registered electors of the Village is filed with the Village clerk or Village office within such 45 days. If a petition is filed within such period of time, this ordinance shall then take effect only upon its approval at the next general Village or special Village election held on the question of whether the ordinance shall be approved. Notice of any delayed effect of this ordinance and the right of petition under this section shall be published separately at the same time and in the same manner of the ordinance or a notice of the ordinance is published in a local newspaper of general circulation.
Section 4. Adoption
This ordinance shall be adopted by an affirmative vote of a least two-thirds of the members of the Village council.
Section 5. Publication
The Village clerk shall certify the adoption of this ordinance and cause the same to be published as required by law.