Michigan House Bill HB6001

Michigan 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 9/26/24
• Refer: 9/26/24

Caption

Cities: home rule; method for serving blight violation notices; modify. Amends sec. 4q of 1909 PA 279 (MCL 117.4q).

Impact

This bill significantly impacts how blight violations are handled in certain Michigan cities, potentially streamlining the process and consolidating authority in local governments. The hearing bureau is designed to handle violations like zoning, property maintenance, and illegal dumping without the jurisdiction over criminal offenses. The cities will bear the operating costs of these bureaus, which may lead to increased local government efficiency while ensuring that blight issues are addressed aptly.

Summary

House Bill 6001 amends the Home Rule City Act of 1909 to allow cities with certain population thresholds to establish an administrative hearings bureau dedicated to managing and adjudicating blight violations. Specifically, cities with populations of 7,500 or more, or 3,300 or more in a county with over 1.5 million residents, can create this bureau. It will be responsible for accepting admissions of responsibility for blight violations and collecting civil fines as outlined in municipal ordinances.

Contention

There are notable points of contention regarding the operational limits of the administrative hearings bureau. Critics may argue that giving local governments more power to regulate and adjudicate blight violations could lead to arbitrary enforcement or potential abuse of discretion. The bill also allows cities to impose civil fines up to $10,000 but requires safeguards to ensure reasonable and proportionate outcomes, such as the potential to waive fines for first-time offenders who correct violations. This provision aims to balance enforcement with fairness, but its implementation could be contentious at the local level.