BY SCOTT SULLIVAN
EDITOR
Saugatuck City Council Monday voted to join Saugatuck Township jointly cutting election costs via sharing early-voter administration costs.
Though Michigan’s Constitution requires both same-named entities to maintain separate polling places, the Saugatuck together can offer streamlined, simpler early voting.
Other options were each bear state-mandated added costs to do so, or have Allegan County oversee the process for them.
Michigan, city council noted, still has $30 million to distribute across 83 counties statewide to help smaller municipalities recover service-consolidation costs.
The larger township hall, 3461 Blue Stary Hwy., which attends 2,997 residents compared to downtown Saugatuck’s iconic and historic hall’s 102 Butler St. former village hall.
City and township clerks Jamie Wolters and Lori Babinski, respectively, will jointly oversee early voting.