SAGINAW CO. VOICE VOTES H.B. 5365: FIRST ANALYSIS
House Bill 5365 (as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative Jim Howell
House Committee: Judiciary
Senate Committee: Local, Urban and State Affairs
Date Completed: 3-31-04
RATIONALE
The Saginaw County board of commissioners has been required to elect all officers, appointees, agents, and servants by an oral vote of its members under Local Act 653 of 1905. Some people believe that the county should no longer have to follow the nearly century-old rule requiring oral voting, and that the board's voting should be governed by Sections 46.3 and 46.3a of the Michigan Compiled Laws, which lay out voting procedures for county boards of commissioners.
CONTENT
The bill would repeal Local Act 653 of 1905, which requires that all officers, appointees, agents, and servants elected by the Saginaw County board of supervisors be elected by viva voce vote (an oral vote) of the board members.
ARGUMENTS
(Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)
Supporting Argument
As part of recent efforts by Saginaw County to bring the rules covering the conduct of its government into line with those of the rest of the State, the county has asked that Local Act 653 of 1905 be repealed. The request is part of an ongoing effort by the county to repeal a series of Local Acts that were implemented at the beginning of the Twentieth Century and apply only to the Saginaw County government. Public Act 14 of 2004, for example, repealed Local Act 540 of 1903, which provided for a Saginaw County board of auditors.
Legislative Analyst: J.P. Finet
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Fiscal Analyst: David ZinAnalysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb5365/0304