The effort to annex a portion of Lansing Township into the city of Lansing won’t make the ballot, for now.
An Ingham County Circuit Court judge on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum from printing the proposal on November ballots, Byrum, officials from the city and township and the man leading the effort confirmed.
A copy of the order was not immediately available from Judge Clinton Canady III’s office but online court records show Canady issue the temporary restraining order.
The township said annexation organizers had misread or misrepresented state law and the annexation should not be allowed on the ballot.
Earlier this year, about 120 residents signed a letter to the city of Lansing asking for the annexation. It includes the Groesbeck neighborhood, which is surrounded by the city of Lansing and is one of five non-contiguous areas that make up the township.
The city of Lansing, through an unanimous city council vote in August, endorsed the annexation that would have brought in more than 2,000 new city residents. The city intends to appeal Canada’s decision, according to a statement from a city spokesman, Scott Bean.
Township Supervisor Maggie Sanders said that, barring a successful appeal, the decision keeps the township together without the risk of a vote that could split the township.
Canada ordered that a hearing be held on the issue. The original order had a hearing scheduled for Sept. 21, which would have been too late for making it on the ballot, said Byrum. Online records also show the hearing will now be held Sept. 12.
Ballots need to be available for military and overseas voters by Sept. 24 and for absentee voters by Sept. 29 and it would take at least a week for the various approvals of final ballot language as well as the physical printing and computer programming necessary for an election, she said.
State legislators have until Sept. 9 to weigh in on ballot issues and Sept. 12 is likely the last possible date to make changes, Byrum said.
Sanders said the township had planned for informational meetings with residents in advance of the November vote.
She said the annexation would raise taxes on many residents and could have effected township services.
Advocates for the annexation, including DeMarco, have cited uncertain finances of the township as being among their reasons to seek a change.
This is a developing story.
Annexation of Lansing Township’s Groesbeck neighborhood will be ballot on November
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