Four conflicts remain between the St. Ignace City Charter and city operations and now city leaders are seeking advice from the Michigan Municipal League on how to proceed. Stumbling blocks include the required due date of taxes, the requirement to publish the city's audit in the local newspaper, the meeting time of the board of review, and having the next year's budget prepared and presented to Council by October.

Council members have been meeting as the Charter Committee since January to review the 42-page charter booklet, the fundamental law directing city's operations.

Before any changes can be made to the charter, a public hearing must be held, followed by a public referendum.

The committee wants further investigation on late tax payment penalties, as the charter is not clear. Taxes are due September 1 and the city has been charging a penalty from that date, although the charter is not clear if the penalty should revert to July 1, when the tax bills are issued.

The charter clearly states the city's audit report must be published in the local paper, a requirement, contend committee members, that would be costly and is impractical. The annual financial report is more than 60 pages. At least for the last 15 years, the audit has been available for public viewing at the city clerk's office and copies also have been made available to those who have asked for it.

The charter requires the Board of Review meet on the fourth week of March, although it has been meeting on the third week. A letter from Mackinac County Equalization Director Jim Fenlon said that meeting on the fourth week is not enough time for his office to prepare state reports. The committee noted that other municipalities meet on the second week in March.

Having a budget prepared by October is too early, said City Manager Eric Dodson, although it is a requirement of the charter. The budget recommendation for the coming year has been presented to Council in November. Preparing the budget by October would mean the city would have only seven months of expense figures for the current year and little tax revenue, since taxes aren't due until September 1. The city, said Mr. Dodson, needs more time to prepare the budget.

Some outdated requirements in the charter, like election dates, do not need to be addressed because they have been superseded by state law.

The committee has reconciled two discrepancies between the charter and city operations which don't require a referendum. The city clerk had appointed the election inspectors until the committee noted the charter requires Council to make the appointments. Also, Council minutes were published in The St. Ignace News after they were approved, which was later than the 10-day publishing requirement in the charter. Now, draft minutes are published to meet the charter deadline.