Washtenaw judge tosses complaint against Ann Arbor Clerk over public power petition signatures

A Washtenaw County judge dismissed a lawsuit arguing Ann Arbor City Clerk Jacqueline Beaudry wrongly certified petition signatures for a ballot measure to create a municipal electric utility. The Ann Arbor Responsible Energy Coalition, financially backed by incumbent utility DTE Energy, claimed the clerk improperly accepted signature sheets in batches and that the ballot question improperly combined multiple topics.

Judge Patrick J. Conlin ruled the clerk's process complied with the Michigan Home Rule City Act. DTE has commissioned an analysis pegging the up-front cost of municipal power at $1 billion, a figure the pro-utility ballot group calls wildly inflated.

Both sides issued statements after the ruling: the city attorney called the clerk's process vindicated, while the coalition said it may appeal, and the public-power group promised to make its case to voters this fall.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.