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2008 Policy Book
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Agriculture is facing increased pressures at the local level from zoning, Right to Farm legal challenges, annexation and urban sprawl. We encourage Michigan Farm Bureau to provide training and assistance for members to become involved in their county and township governments and to serve on local commissions and boards to protect agriculture and enhance the quality of life in our communities.
Maintaining a clear line of communication between local officials and county Farm Bureau members is key to resolving local issues. We recommend:
- County Farm Bureaus present policies and information to local officials.
- County Farm Bureaus position themselves as a primary source of information on agricultural and land use issues.
We support Michigan's current Township government system. We believe local government should look for increased economic efficiencies through consolidation of services and streamlining regulations. Townships should not be required to combine government services they now provide, (e.g. elections, property tax collections), with multiple jurisdictions, unless a township chooses to and determines that the township's residents would be better served by the multiple jurisdiction system for certain services.
We encourage all townships to require standardized residence address signs to be readily visible at the driveway entrance to facilitate emergency response.
