Traverse City Light & Power Utility Restructuring Question (November 2010)
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A Traverse City Light & Power Utility Restructuring Question was on the November 2, 2010 ballot in the city of Traverse City, Michigan, which is in Grand Traverse County.
This measure was defeated
- YES 1,786 (31.96%)
- NO 3,802 (68.04%)
[1]
This measure sought to restructure the Traverse City Light and Power utility so that it would be under the control of the city commission. This measure would have essentially made it a department of the city. Lack of transparency and decision control over the utility led to a petition drive to get this issue on the November ballot. Currently, Light and Power has its own seven member board and makes decisions on an independent basis. Other council members noted that a public vote was not the best option to solve the problems and felt that other ideas should be discussed first.[2]
Some residents felt that more control over the utility would benefit them, helping to keep track of what is decided. But others were not sure the city was up for the task of running the utility. The utility used to be a part of the city government until 1979 when residents voted to make it independent. The goal then was to give city commissioners fewer issues to deal with and let a board with more specific knowledge deal with the utility. If this measure had been approved, changes would have been made to the board. Former Mayor Dodd of the city stated that those on the board currently would stay there. He said that nothing would change in the way it is run, it would just be accountable to the city commission instead of being independent. The current mayor at the time of the vote did not think putting the board under commission control would have been prudent and preferred they remain independent.[3]
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