Clinton County News Ankford Plan Ins Approval

'ttOft'G AND SONS BOOK BINDERS 3 PAPERS SPRINQPORT, tllCHClinto. n County News $Mwwq~ihsL Clinton, CbwcL SintsL 1856 116th YEAR No. 44 ST.JOHNS, MICHIGAN March 1,1972 15CENTS ankford plan »5* ins approval 'Constitutionality doubtful1 By TIM YOUNKMAN Under the new plan, Bath Township tenth per cent imbalance, or a 1.1 would continue to be one district; to 1 ratio. ST. JOHNS—The Clinton County DeWitt, Township would be divided Newman said the Lankford proposal Apportionment Committee Thursday into three districts, with one (the amounts to a 1.26 to 1 ratio between night approved a redisricting plan City of DeWitt) Joining Olive Township the highest and lowest populated dis calling for an 11-man board of com to form a district; Eagle-Watertown tricts, which could be challenged as missioners, despite protests that the_ would be one district; Westphalla- unconstitutional. plan was unconstitutional. Rlley-Bengal townships would Join Newman cited a court case in The committee approved the plan into one district; Victor and Ovid Muskegon County in which there was by a 4-1 margin, with Clinton County townships would be a district; a population spread from the largest Prosecuting Attorney John Newman Bingham Township and the third to the smallest district of 24.2 per casting the lone no vote, claiming precinct of St. Johns would be a cent or a ratio of 1,28 to 1. The the plan was unconstitutional accord district, while the other three pre court ruled it unconstitutional and ing to recent state court rulings. cincts in St. Johns would comprise added that even a ratio of 1.1 to 1 The plan was originally submitted another district; Dallas-Lebanon- would not guarantee constitutionality. by Gerald Lankford, a county com-* Essex would form one district; and Newman said there was ano question mlssloner from DeWitt, who had Greenbush and Duplain townships about what the courts would do," if worked on the project for the board would become one district. the Lankford plan was passed. He said Clinton county News Photo By Timothy Younkman of commissioners. The board Lankford noted that the proposed there was too much of a population approved the formula in January, plan only alters two precincts of difference between the largest and but learned that they could not appor Clinton County Prosecutor John Newman, center, presents his 7-man about 27 in the county. smallest districts to be approved tion themselves following a Court by the courts. apportionment plan to the county apportionment committee Thursday night. of Appeals ruling. The way the districts are divided In the proposed plan, each district Palmlter told the committee that He introduced his plan after indicating he would not vote for the 11-man- That turned the matter over to a he thought "the plan meets the guide special committee which included commissioner would represent formula later adopted by the committee. Newman said the plan was un approximately 4,000 people. The lines set down before us," and immed Ernest Carter, county clerk; Velma iately called for a vote on the plan. constitutional and was the only committeeman to turn thumbs down when it Beaufore, county treasurer; Newman, smallest district would be Greenbush- Duplain with a 3,847 population, while Newman had submitted a plan for a James Palmlter, GOP county chair-' seven-member board of commission came to a vote. Others shown are Ernest Carter, left, county clerk; .Robert man; and Robert Niblock, Democratic the largest would be Bath with 4,832 residents. ers based on a one-man-one-vote Niblock, foreground, Democratic Party chairman in Clinton County; and county chairman. ratio of 1.08 to 1, which,' he said, Under the Lankford Plan, all of Newman said the Lankford Plan would be within the constitutional Velma Beaufore, county treasurer. the. districts would change except was unconstitutional since it did not guidelines of the Muskegon County Eagle-Water town, currently repre adhere to a one-man-one-vote guide ruling. sented by Robert Montgomery. line presented by the Court of Appeals In the Newman plan, Greenbush, Several.commissioners will be living in January. Each district, theoret Duplain and Ovid townships would in the same district, causing a runoff ically, must have the same population Three school districts become one district; Essex, Lebanon, in the primary. and the courts only allow for a one- Dallas, Bengal and Bingham (except for enumeration district 218) town ships would comprise a district; the ,City of St. Johns and enumeration an building district 218 (67 people) would.lie; a 'district; Westphalia, Eagle and Watertown townships would join for a Three Clinton County school dis The Clinton County Intermediate voters' approval to start construc district; Bath, Victor and a portion trict s—the Intermediate district, district board voted unanimously tion, v of DeWitt Township would be a dlsr Bath Community Schools and DeWitt Monday to go ahead with the purchase The construction would replace the trict; northern DeWitt, Olive and Riley school district—have announced plans of nearly four acres on US-27 south Couzens Building, which currently of expansion and building construc of Taft Road, three miles south of houses some junior high school and area continued on page 2 A tion. St. Johns, high school students. Supt, B. Stanley Pocuis said the A citizens' committee is being purchase price of the land was $9,000, ST. JOHNS—City commissioners phase of the sewer treatment plant formed to make plans for an elec which is included in the board's ap tion, hopefully in June, Carlson said. here Monday night voted on two expansion. proval of a $126,000 bonding reso resolutions determining the fate of The study must be complete and Ag conference airs The project would reouire$2l500,000 lution. The board Intends to con from the bond loan program in which city frlnge'.areas for the near future the construction or implementation struct a new district office building and approved plans to start a study done and in'operation Dec. 1, 1972. 90 per cent of everything above a for the superintendent and staff, cur 7-mill levy would be paid. on the sewer plant expansion. It was noted that the phosphate phase rently housed in an old building across Commissioners voted unanimously could be hooked Into the present To break it down to the individual farmers* problems from the courthouse in St. Johns. taxpayer, Carlson said It would, cost to deny a request by Sandlwood Mobile system now, but complete expansion Plans were formulated In October Home Park to allow for disposal of of the treatment facilities must be the district approximately two ad ST. JOHNS — Higher operating The program involves the coopera during a meeting of the county^s ditional mills to build the new high untreated sewage into the city treat done by Dec. 1, 1975. Total cost of tion of agents in Clinton, Eaton, six school district superintendents ment facilities. the project is expected to reach at costs, increased competition, tight school. A committee of faculty, ad credit and more government regula Ionia, Ingham and Shiawassee coun- and their board presidents. They de- ministration, board of education and "I sympathize with theman'sprob- least $1.2 million. ..;ties.,The,.speakers include^fiye agri welded there should be larger facil lem," commented Commissioner Roy tion. -citizen members would be formed to These are a few of'the problems cultural "economists, a local banker j" ities for the intermediate district of evaluate the needs and provide sug Ebert shaking his head, "but I'm not In other action, the commission: fices to better provide and administer, —Heard a planning commission facing today's farmers that will be Clinton County Probate Judge and gestions to the architects. in favor of extending services out the Michigan Cooperative extension services. side the city limits.* recommendation asking approval of discussed Wednesday (March 8) when The current high school building the hew city ordinance, which will a distinguished group of agricultural director. Pocuis said the bonds will be paid would be converted into a middle Commissioner Jeanne Rand noted Ag economist John Doneth of Mich through a millage spread of less ^that if they approved the request now throw open the ordinance to ists visit St. Johns, for a Central school. The Warren Holmes firm has public hearings at both the planning Michigan Agriculture in Action Con igan State University will discuss than .25 of one mill, which does not been contracted for this project. the city would be hard put to limit agriculture under communism with a need voter approval once passed by city services outside the boundaries, commission level and the city level. ference at Smith Hall, The firm had already done some es Anyone interested in reviewing the Exhibits and displays will be colored slide report of a trip into the board. He said the law provides timating of renovation at the Couzens especially with the new developments communist Russia and Yugoslavia in' for the levy if it Is' within one-tenth growing up on the fringes,., ordinance can stop In to the city of featured with the speakers for the building and indicated it would cost fices, but there are not enough copies one day meeting1, starting at9:30a.m. 1971. of one percent of the district's total more than $500,000 to repair. Mayor- Robert Wood told com valuation. missioners that the city needs a available to hand out. and running until 3:15 p.m. continued on page 2 A Carlson noted that the present high The board has contract Warren school's capacity is about 330 stu new subdivision ordinance to go along continued on page 2A Holmes Company, a Lansing archi with the proposed master plan to dents, while 375 are now enrolled.

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