Clark Twp. Residents Reject Charter Township Idea; Split on Name Change
By Amy Polk

Clark Township residents at the June 30 annual meeting said no to becoming a charter township and were divided on changing the township name. Trustees can still revisit both ideas in the future if they choose, but said they probably won't without public support.

Supervisor Linda Hudson called for an advisory vote on whether the community should become a charter township. The audience was overwhelmingly against the board pursuing charter township status, with only two people voting in favor.

Clark Township qualifies to become a charter township because it has met the population requirement of having 2,000 or more residents. Charter township status would have enabled board expansion from five to seven members and would have empowered the board to raise the operational millage to five mills without a vote of the people, among other changes. Most residents at the meeting objected to the prospect of spending more money to pay two additional trustees, a cost of about $4,400 per trustee, based on last year's total pay to one of the trustees.

Presented with some of the additional costs of becoming a charter township, several in the audience said they did not want to spend more money, did not want higher taxes, and did want to levy more mills.

The question was raised, Mrs. Hudson said, because of citizen curiosity and interest. One of the benefits she saw in addition to more representation is the fact that three trustees could meet and discuss business without having to call a meeting every time. With a five-member board, three is considered a quorum, and therefore subject to the Open Meetings Act requirements to call a public meeting.

As a charter township, an annual audit would be required, although Clark Township is audited annually already. The supervisor would also have more authority over daily township operations, or a superintendent could be hired to manage facilities and public works. In a charter township, ordinances have to be published before and after adoption, a budget must be presented 120 days before the new fiscal year, and a compensation commission would set township board salaries.

The second advisory vote on changing the township's name revealed an audience divided on the topic of changing Clark Township's name to Les Cheneaux Township. About half voted for the change and half voted against it. Mrs. Hudson said the idea has been discussed at previous meetings, and she has heard a favorable response to the idea. Recently she has heard more people voice attachment to the name, however, and admitted it would cost an undetermined amount of money to change the name on signs, clothing, and equipment. The board provided information on the history of the current name, which commemorates J.B. Clark of St. Ignace, who introduced legislation to reunite the two townships of Cedar and Sherwood in 1902, effectively drawing the villages of Cedarville and Hessel and all the Les Cheneaux Islands into one township.

The idea to become Les Cheneaux Township came about, in part, Mrs. Hudson said, because of the multiple identities of the area, known as the Les Cheneaux Islands, Clark Township, "The Snows," Cedarville, and Hessel. Les Cheneaux defines a region that includes not only Clark Township, but the 36-island archipelago, and the islands and shoreline areas just east and west of Clark Township's borders. The Les Cheneaux name has some historical value. So does the Clark Township name, which enjoys a 105-year history and significance of uniting the communities within one political border.

The name Les Cheneaux seems to describe the community's place on the map better than the name Clark Township, Mrs. Hudson added. Clark Township is "the government," not a "place," she said.

Several at the meeting believe the area is already known as Les Cheneaux and needs no further confirmation or identity.

"I don't think changing the name is worth the time and effort," said Michelle Sheckler of Cedarville. "We have a lot more important things to do than changing our name. We need to focus on economic development, and other priorities. We're already known as Les Cheneaux, and it probably won't do anything to unite the township more."

Joe Forrester, a newer Cedarville resident, said he experienced some confusion when he thought he was moving to the Les Cheneaux Islands and discovered all the paperwork he completed for the move said "Clark Township."

"I kind of wondered if I was coming to the wrong place," he joked of the potential for getting confused by all the different names.

Treasurer Katie Carpenter said there may be some marketing and promotion appeal by adopting the Les Cheneaux Township name, but admitted she is divided on the issue.

Mrs. Hudson and some in the audience agreed with the promotional appeal of the name "Les Cheneaux," and how the more attractive tag can be used to better market the region.

"After looking at this list of pros and cons, I have to admit I'm not objective on this, and I am partial to the name Les Cheneaux Township," she added.