November 4 General Election – Proposed Charter Amendment Information
On the November 4, 2025, General Election ballot, voters will consider a proposed amendment to the Muskegon City Charter. The proposal language is as follows:
City of Muskegon – Proposed Amendment by Initiative Petition
To the Muskegon City Charter to Establish a 12-Year Term Limit on the Members of the City Commission
The Muskegon Charter would be amended to prohibit service on the Commission for terms or partial terms of more than 12 years. There are 6 former commissioners, one current Commissioner, and the Mayor who may be ineligible to serve if the Charter amendment is enacted.
Shall the Muskegon Charter Chapter III, Section 3 be amended to add that “A person may not serve on the City Commission for terms or partial terms that combined total more than 12 years” and to state that “ward elections become effective November 2, 1982”?
The city can not take a position on ballot initiatives. The following is correspondence from state officials following required state review of the petition language.
Correspondence from State Officials
The City of Muskegon has received letters from the Michigan Governor and Michigan Attorney General regarding this proposal. These letters (attached below) provide feedback on the proposal and its potential implications under state law.
[08-11-2025] Letter from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
The letter states in part:
Based on the review by the Department of Attorney General, I [Gov. Gretchen Whitmer] am notifying you that I do not approve the proposed amendment pursuant to the Home Rule City Act (HRCA), 1909 PA 279, MCC 117.1 et seq.
As the Department of Attorney General notes in its August 5th letter, the proposed amendment, at least in part, is inconsistent with the HRCA. MCL 117.5(1)(d) of the HRCA states: “…The term of a public official shall not be shortened or extended beyond the period for which the official is elected or appointed, unless he or she resigns or is removed for cause, if the office is held for a fixed term.” Section 36 of the HRCA, furthermore, states that “[n]o provision of any city charter shall conflict with or contravene the provisions of any general law of the state.”
[08-05-2025] Letter from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel
The letter states in part:
The city clerk has determined that the petitions are supported by a sufficient number of city voters for submission at the November 2025 election.
To the extent that the proposed amendment would shorten the term of a public official because that public official already served 12 years although their current elected term had not expired, such shortening of the public official’s term would be contrary to the [Home Rule City Act] HRCA. Section 117.5(1)(d) of the HRCA states: “…The term of a public official shall not be shortened or extended beyond the period for which the official is elected or appointed, unless he or she resigns or is removed for cause, if the office is held for a fixed term.”
In addition, the proposed amendment would be contrary to section 36 of the HRCA, which states that “[n]o provision of any city charter shall conflict with or contravene the provision of any general law of the state.”
However, since this proposed amendment is being proposed by an initiative petition, it is noted that if the Governor declines to approve the amendments, Section 22 of the HRCA requires the amendment to be placed on the ballot for voter approval notwithstanding the Governor’s disapproval.
The full official letters are available in the hyperlinks above. The text provided below each hyperlink has been formatted for accessibility and compliance purposes.
Voting Information
For complete information about the November 4, 2025, General Election, including voter registration, absentee ballots, and polling locations, visit muskegonvotes.com