The Village of Manchester will become a city. Not only did voters approve the city charter proposal on Tuesday, they chose a familiar face to serve as the city’s first-ever mayor.
Patricia Vailliencourt is the former village president and new Manchester mayor. About 66% of voters supported the city charter proposal that will make Manchester a city. Vailliencourt says becoming a city means residents will no longer have to pay township taxes and it gives the local government more autonomy and funding opportunities.
"The state law—Michigan state law—says that a village is subservient to the township it’s located within, and so there are grants, there are different things that now we can qualify for as a city."
Vailliencourt says her top priority as mayor will be to pursue those new financial opportunities. She also says, despite the new legal title, Manchester’s governmental operations and priorities will remain largely unchanged.
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