The City of Saline is asking its registered voters to weigh in on two proposed amendments to the city’s charter during the upcoming Presidential Primary election scheduled for Tuesday, February 27, 2024. Now, thanks to a new measure approved by voters statewide back in 2022, all registered voters have an extended time period in which to cast their in-person vote for any election, including the upcoming election in February.

Saline’s Proposed Charter Amendments
Both amendments will have a minimal impact on residents while streamlining certain city operations and bringing the city into compliance with state law.

The first proposed amendment for Saline voters eliminates the city’s requirement to post its city council notices and proceedings in a printed newspaper and instead allows the city to post the notices and proceedings on its website. According to a press release by the City of Saline, “These changes do not alter the City’s statutory posting requirements. For example, the City would still be subject to state law for posting required notices such as those related to certain public hearings or direct mailings associated with proposed zoning changes.”

The second proposed amendment changes the City Council’s annual meeting calendar. As written, Saline’s charter specifies the city council’s first meeting of the year will be the first Monday in January. Because in some years the first Monday of January is January 1, that would require the council to meet on a Federal holiday. The amendment changes the requirement to the first Monday after January 2.

The two proposed changes are at the recommendation of the city’s Charter Review Task Force, following months of review and discussion. According to the Task Force’s report published in September 2023, the group was established at the request of the City Council to identify, “charter amendments [that] may be of benefit to the broader Saline community and the City as an organization.” The group consists of Saline citizens, city staff, and a council member.

Formal language for the ballot measure, along with the original and revised charter wording, can be found on the city’s website.

Voting Options
There are multiple ways for Saline voters to cast a ballot in the February 27th election, including the new option to vote early, in person. According to the new Michigan law, there must be a period of time in advance of the established election day when voters may cast an early, in-person vote at an early voting location. That period must begin at least nine days before the election date but can be as long as twenty-nine days before that date. The exact window is determined by individual municipalities and must be communicated to voters in advance.

For Saline voters, the early voting window for the February 27th election is February 17 through February 25th. Any registered voter in the city of Saline may vote in person early, by visiting one of two established early voting locations. The two early voting locations for voters in the city of Saline are:

Pittsfield Township Hall
6201 W. Michigan Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center
4135 Washtenaw Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Voters may also vote at their normal polling site on Election Day, if they prefer, or vote via absentee ballot. More information about all voting options is available on Saline’s website and Washtenaw County’s website.