Sec. 8.
(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a petition filed under section 6 shall be addressed to the county board of commissioners of the county in which the territory to be affected by the proposed incorporation, consolidation, or change of boundaries is located, and shall be filed with the clerk of the county board of commissioners not less than 30 days before the convening of the board in regular session, or in any special session called for the purpose of considering the petition. The county board of commissioners shall by resolution determine whether the petition complies with the requirements of this act and whether the statements contained in the petition are correct. If a majority of the board determines that the petition does not comply with the requirements of this act or that the statements contained in the petition are not correct, the board shall not conduct further proceedings on the petition. Subject to subsection (4), if the board determines that the petition complies with the requirements of this act and that the statements contained in the petition are correct, the board shall, by resolution, provide that the question of making the proposed incorporation, consolidation, or change of boundaries be submitted to the qualified electors of the district to be affected at the next general election or at a special election before the next general election. The question shall not be submitted at an election to be held less than 60 days after the adoption of the resolution.
(2) If it is proposed to incorporate an incorporated village as a city without change of boundaries, both of the following apply:
(a) The initiatory petition provided for under section 6 shall be addressed to the village council or other legislative body of the village and shall be filed with the village clerk at least 30 days before final action is taken on the petition.
(b) The powers and duties of the county board of commissioners and county clerk under subsection (1) are assigned to the village council and village clerk, respectively.
(3) A petition covering the same territory, or part of the same territory, shall not be considered by the county board of commissioners more often than once in every 2 years, unless the petition is signed by not less than 35% of taxpayers whose names appear on the latest assessment rolls under the requirements of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157, as being assessed for real property taxes within the area proposed to be annexed. The assessing officers who are charged with the duty of assessing real property within the area proposed to be annexed shall report as of the date on which the petition is filed the total number of names on the rolls, within that area, to the clerk of the county board of commissioners not more than 14 days after the filing date.
(4) A vote is not required if the city owns the land sought to be annexed.
(5) After the adoption of a resolution under subsection (1) submitting a question to a vote of the electors, neither the sufficiency nor legality of the petition under section 6 may be questioned in any proceeding.
History: 1909, Act 279, Eff. Sept. 1, 1909 ;-- CL 1915, 3311 ;-- Am. 1917, Act 225, Eff. Aug. 10, 1917 ;-- CL 1929, 2244 ;-- CL 1948, 117.8 ;-- Am. 1953, Act 169, Eff. Oct. 2, 1953 ;-- Am. 1955, Act 147, Imd. Eff. June 7, 1955 ;-- Am. 2003, Act 303, Eff. Jan. 1, 2005