Practice Areas
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Automobile Accidents
- Aviation
- Business & Commercial
- Business Reorganizations, Bankruptcy & Creditor
- Civil Litigation
- Colleges & Universities
- Commercial Lending
- Criminal Law
- Custody
- Divorce
- Employee Benefits
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Entity Formation
- Environmental
- Family Law
- Health Care
- Immigration
- Labor & Employment
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Municipal
- Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
- Public Finance
- Public Schools
- Real Estate
- Securities
- Tax
- Technology and Intellectual Property Law
- Trusts & Estates
Municipal Law
Our firm has served municipalities and other public bodies for more than 50 years. Our clients include townships, villages, cities, counties, public authorities, courts, public school districts, colleges and universities, public utilities, and public and semi-public corporations.
Our municipal law attorneys review current matters of interest to local governments and public entities, including new legislation, court decisions, and administrative rulings. We publish a Local Government Law Bulletin which is distributed as a courtesy to clients and others. Our municipal lawyers are available to speak at seminars on a wide range of issues of concern to municipal clients.
Our municipal law services include the following:
General Municipal Services
- Ordinances, resolutions, and charters
- Duties of public officers
- Agreements and franchises
- Annexation and boundaries
- Federal and state grants
- Freedom of Information Act
- Open Meetings Act
- Elections and referendums
- Purchase and sale of land
- Licensing and regulation
- Fire and police protection
- Legislation
Real & Personal Property Taxation
- Administration and collection
- Tax tribunal appeals
- Tax abatements and incentives
- Special assessments
- Payments in lieu of taxes
- Tax allocation matters
- Special millage levies and rollbacks
Litigation
- Condemnation
- Construction disputes
- Zoning and land use
- Ordinance enforcement
- Abatement of nuisances
- General liability and disputes
Zoning & Land Use Planning
- Preparation and review of zoning ordinances
- Review of PUDS, special land uses, and site condominiums
- Mineral removal regulations
- Public hearings and notices
- Master plans
- Land division/subdivision issues
Municipal Bond Counsel
- Tax exempt and taxable obligations
- Infrastructure financing
- Tax anticipation and county delinquent tax revolving fund financings
- Private activity bonds
- Elections and ballot proposals
- Special assessment proceedings
- Revenue and rate structures
- General obligation (tax) pledges
- Multi-municipality contracts
- Security law disclosure
- Tax increment financing
Labor & Employment
- Contract negotiations and administration
- Arbitrations (contract and Act 312)
- Representation cases and responses to union organizing campaigns
- Unfair labor practice cases
- Hiring and discharge
- Employment discrimination cases (federal & state)
- Employment policies and handbooks
- Wage and hour (federal and state)
- Pension plans
- Section 403(b) annuity plans
- Section 457 deferred compensation plans
- Health and other welfare benefit plans
- Section 125 cafeteria plans
- Veterans preference hearings
Environmental
- Site audits
- Underground storage tanks
- Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act
- Solid waste regulation
- Enforcement/cost recovery actions
- Administrative proceedings and permits
- Superfund (CERCLA), Clean Water Act, Stormwater Regulations, RCRA, Part 201
- Community right-to-know requirements
- Real estate transactions
Water, Sewer & Drainage Systems
- Right-of-way acquisition
- Financing
- Ordinance development, amendment, and enforcement
- Compliance with state and federal requirements
- Drain code proceedings
- Regulatory guidelines
- Contract operations/privatization
Libraries
- District library agreements
- Township and other public libraries
- Cooperative libraries
- Library millages and other library financings
More Information
Contact us to schedule an appointment with an experienced Michigan municipal law attorney.
The following lawyers are experienced in serving the legal needs of municipal clients:
The following legal assistants are also experienced in the Municipal practice area:
News Articles
- Health Care Plan News for 2012 - Delay
- Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones to Host Hospitality Reception at 2012 Michigan Townships Association Educational Conference
- Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones to Host Hospitality Reception at 2012 Michigan Township Association Educational Conference
- What Constitutes a Lawful Use of Public Funds?
- Is Your Website ADA Compliant?
- Recent State Efforts to Diminish The Role Of Local Government
- Circuit Courts Have Equitable Jurisdiction to Hear Challenges to Drain Commissioner’s Authority to Act on Petitions
- Personal Notes of Public Officials Are Not Subject to Disclosure Under the Freedom of Information Act in Certain Circumstances
- Publicly-Funded Health Insurance Contribution Act
- No-Very-Serious-Consequences Rule for Zoning Restrictions on Mineral Extraction Reestablished
- A Majority Vote of All the Members of a Zoning Board of Appeals is Required to Reverse the Decision of an Administrative Official or Body
- Billboard Companies Using Sign Ordinance Language as a “Loophole” for Digital Billboards
- Supreme Court Holds Platted Road Running Parallel to Lake Does Not Divest Riparian Rights From Front Lot Owners
- Attorney General Issues Opinion on Michigan Medical Marihuana Act
- General Authority for Inter-Local Cooperation
- Changes in Emergency Management Law Serve as a Reminder of Opportunities for Overcoming the Challenging Economic Climate Through Inter-Local Cooperation
- John H. Gretzinger Becomes a Member of the Firm
- Required and Optional Flexible Benefit Plan Changes
- Ross A. Leisman Appointed to the Kent County Building Authority
- Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones to Host Hospitality Reception at 2011 MTA Educational Conference
- So You Think You’re Entitled to Wastewater Services? . . . Think Again, Says the Court of Appeals
- Changes in Michigan Law Regarding Sunday Sales of Beer, Wine and Spirits
- James F. Scales and Matthew E. Fink Have Become Members of the Firm
- MDEQ Cannot Force Township to Install Public Sewer Systems
- Conveying Property From a Partnership to One of the Partners Constitutes a Transfer of Ownership for Purposes of Uncapping the Property’s Taxable Value
- Michigan Court of Appeals Clarifies Affirmative Defenses Under the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act
- MMBJ Recognized in Inaugural Best Law Firms Publication
- Michigan Supreme Court Eliminates No-Very-Serious-Consequences Rule for Zoning Restrictions on Mineral Extraction
- Court of Appeals Vacates Special Use Permit for Lack of Specificity in Zoning Ordinance
- Michigan Supreme Court Overturns Ruling That a Religious Entity’s Equal Protection Rights Were Violated When a Township Denied Its Variance Request
- Fall 2010 Municipal Seminar
- Clarification of Law Regarding Ability to Opt Out of an Existing Downtown Development Authority District
- Congress Considers Extension of ‘Build America Bond’ Program
- Recent Case of Interest
- Legislative Commission Finds That State Imposed Over $2.2 Billion in Unfunded Mandates in 2009
- Recent Case of Interest March 2010
- Recent Attorney General Opinion of Interest March 2010
- Ronald M. Redick Reappointed for an Eighth Term as Chair of the Grand Haven Charter Township Planning Commission
- Court of Appeals Clarifies Statutory Zoning Requirements for Planned Unit Developments
- Review of Cell Phone Tower Applications
- Recent Case of Interest – January 2010
- COBRA Premium Reduction Program Extended
- Joshua D. Beard Becomes an Associate of Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones
- Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones to Host Hospitality Reception at 2010 MTA Educational Conference
- State Assists With USDA Re-Lending Program (Act 108 of 2009)
- Michigan Highway Advertising Act Updated
- Recent Cases of Interest November 2009
- Recent Attorney General Opinions of Interest November 2009
- Ronald M. Redick Selected as a Member of Michigan Lawyers Weekly 2009 Up & Coming Lawyers