Your Vote, Your Right: The City's Attempts to Hide the Truth About Zoning
The people will win, not the lawyers.
The Brief
Why: People are voting yes because they like Harbor Springs the way it is
If you care, do something about it: Reach out to Harbor Springs voters, your neighbors and help them understand why VoteYES439 matters to you.
It takes a lot of effort to preserve Harbor Springs: With 23 Days to the election, we meet with voters daily to help them understand that VoteYes takes us back to the zoning that has worked for decades. Email weloveharborsprings@gmail.com to volunteer.
A Plan Moving Forward: With a win on Yes, the community will get the zoning right, assure full community agreement, and refresh the zoning. But take out the parts designed to expand density and explosive development.
Communicate: The Harbor Light refuses to publish any articles on the zoning, so this newsletter is the only way to communicate. Please share this email with friends and ask them to subscribe.
Vote Tripling is a simple technique to get a concerned citizen to remind three of their friends to cast their ballot as a YES Vote. By bringing in three new voters, this technique strengthens turnout and triples the number of people sharing their voice! Studies have shown that people are significantly more likely to vote when they’re asked to do so by someone they trust. Because the reminder comes straight from a friend or family member, this method cuts through the noise of politics as usual.
Questions: We are hosting Town Hall sessions online Thursday, October 17 5:30PM (Register for Zoom) and Saturday, October 26 10:30 AM (Register for Zoom) and at the Colonial Inn in person Oct 22 from 5:30-7:00 PM
Stay In Touch: We need to know who you are. Please fill out this contact update form.
The City’s October Surprise
The City is claiming that they have a confidential memo from their lawyers stating that if you vote 'Yes', Harbor Springs zoning regulations will vanish, creating a scenario of "no zoning." They are refusing to release the contents of this memo until after the election — a classic political trick often called an "October Surprise." This tactic is designed to scare voters into believing that the consequences of a 'Yes' vote are catastrophic and legally uncertain.
Let’s set the record straight:
A 'Yes' vote repeals the recent zoning amendment, reverting our city back to the previously trusted zoning rules that worked for our community. This has been done successfully in hundreds of municipalities nationwide. There is no mystery here — just a return to what we know and trust.
The Michigan courts have repeatedly upheld that zoning changes are legislative acts and therefore subject to voter referendum. The case Korash v. Livonia (1962) makes it clear that repealing a zoning ordinance simply reverts back to the previous zoning rules — not a situation of "no zoning." The Michigan Court of Appeals in Beyea v. Township of Coldsprings (1995) also affirmed this: successful referenda on zoning changes restore the prior status.
The City Council uses lawyers and leaks to twist a simple democratic process into something intimidating. But zoning decisions belong to the people — not to a handful of city officials or lawyers. The City has had its chance, they should stand down and let democracy work. The precedent is clear: zoning referendum allow citizens to control their community's development, and our referendum is no different.
This election has become more than just zoning — it is about your voice and your right to be heard. Just last week, the Mayor asked the City Council to explore limiting yard signs. Really? Let’s send a message that we, the citizens, are not intimidated by vague legal threats. We demand transparency, respect, and the right to decide what is best for our community.
Vote 'Yes' to restore our zoning. Vote 'Yes' for transparency. Vote 'Yes' for democracy.
Poll
The Cultural Steam Roller
A Video version of the recent article The Cultural Steamroller Heads for Harbor Springs (Article) (Instagram)
