Why not annex Highland Park, MI into Detroit? What about other merging other municipalities into other municipalities? (Warren: houses, bankruptcy)

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by BurtsBees

You're welcome to call 911 while in Highland Park and start the stop watch vs doing the same thing on the Detroit side. My buddy in HP should be there in minutes vs hours in Detroit

Do the response times differ in different sections of Detroit? (I.E. how is it in Downtown Detroit versus, say, Old Redford).

Another thing is: If Highland Park was integrated into Detroit, is there a way to reorganize the EMS system so that each part of Detroit, or at least the Highland Park area, would expect a reasonably quick response time in case of an emergency?

[Varner313]

I think all of detroit should merge with wayne-county (ala: indianapolis/marion-county 1970) and form an entirely new government. The issues that face detroit also faces the surrounding suburbs also- ALL the suburbs are basically losing their prospective tax-base, the quality of schools has worsen some and etc. By creating everything new with the government, police, fire, possible schools-system and other government services (water, sewage, etc) things could become better- but it has/must be under the direction of the Michigan state-government/governor to lead it hopefullly the right way.

[scolls]

Wait, didn't Highland Park lose their police force when the city went bankrupt?

And wow with all of Wayne County becoming Detroit. I'm sure the Grosse Pointes will love that one, along with Canton, Plymouth, Northville etc. Hell, I wouldn't even want that.

[Jelani Nehemiah]

Wayne County's governments are too fragmented for it to be any talks of muncipal mergers. Louisville and Jefferson county governments had a far different relationship than Detroit and the other Wayne county municipalities. That would not be a long talk.

[Remisc]

Originally Posted by scolls

And wow with all of Wayne County becoming Detroit.

Actually, it would be the other way around.

Detroit would become absorbed in a massive new entity that used to be Wayne County. It wouldn't even have to be called 'Detroit'.

[us66]

Originally Posted by Varner313

I think all of detroit should merge with wayne-county (ala: indianapolis/marion-county 1970) and form an entirely new government. The issues that face detroit also faces the surrounding suburbs also- ALL the suburbs are basically losing their prospective tax-base, the quality of schools has worsen some and etc. By creating everything new with the government, police, fire, possible schools-system and other government services (water, sewage, etc) things could become better- but it has/must be under the direction of the Michigan state-government/governor to lead it hopefullly the right way.

It's political suicide. I said this in an earlier thread and I'll say it again: it would be easier to dismantle Social Security than to convert any suburban Detroit area municipality into the city itself. Folding school districts into one another makes fiscal sense, but they can't even get suburban districts to do it. They tried merging all three Saint Clair Shores school districts a few years ago to strong resistance, and the three districts weren't that far off from each other academically and socioeconomically speaking. Forcing neighboring districts such as pitiful Detroit and quite good Grosse Pointe would be politically impossible.

Per state law, Detroit's hands are tied (to the relief of at least a half million people no doubt) when it comes to annexation. Redford Township seems to be an obvious annexation, but no, they can't do it, as Redford is a "Charter Township," which means it's unincorporated but cannot be annexed, like putting a coat on your unoccupied chair as you walk away so nobody else can sit there. Other nearby cities, such as Harper Woods and Lincoln Park, incorporated early to avoid annexation.

The same thing happened in Macomb County some time ago. Clinton Township is a Charter Township as well, as probably two-thirds of the township would be highly desirable for annexation and the township borders five cities.

[Jelani Nehemiah]

That is exactly why talks of annexation would be long and nothing will come out of it unless these incorporated cities are willing to relinquish their incorporation to either the county or to the city of Detroit, or to even form a city-county government model such as Nashville-Davison, Louisville-Jefferson, and Indianapolis. Presumably, it would be good for the Detroit Metro area fiscally and economically, as it would encourage in fill developments that reverses sprawl, unbiased economic opportunities (which can make efforts toward economic development equitable to everyone in the region and not a select few, or even expand the region's economic capacity), and expansion of public services with optimized management of shared public resources. But since incorporation protects municipalities from annexation or governmental mergers and all of Wayne county's townships have already been absorbed into incorporated municipalities, with the exception of Redford Township (which is chartered), and have done so defensively (for the most part) for whatever "social" reason, it would be difficult to discuss that possibility without much resistance. I’m certain that there was resistance in the Louisville-Jefferson and Nashville-Davison's cases but the fragmentation of Metro Detroit has a certain impetus that is like the "pink elephant" in the room that everyone knows about but do not want to talk about; and I will go out on the limb and say it: Its racism (not solely, but it is a major factor for the metropolitan fragmentation in this area). And sadly it has informed the region's policies and current relationship. So any resistance that would come from these types of talks would be far more controversial-although, I'm willing to advocate for its realization. As for the Highland Park becoming Detroit question...I think that it would only happen in the bigger scheme of things, such as Lavonia becoming Detroit too. But for now, Highland Park is operating in the political paradigm of its region.

[detroitlove]

what purpose would it be to merge a city with plenty of problems with another city with just as many problems?

both Detroit and HP need to worry about fixing their own city before we talk about merging with anybody

[gwillyfromphilly]

It seems that cities like Houston, TX have much more cohesion with their suburbs than the Detroit area. Houston and its surrounding suburbs seem to be more willing to work together then areas like Detroit and its suburbs which seem to want nothing to do with each other. The line between city and suburb is much less apparent in places like Houston then in places like Detroit were the city and suburb line is much more magnified. (The 8 mile road is a perfect example)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_Mile_Road

[Retroit]

Originally Posted by Jelani Nehemiah

...the fragmentation of Metro Detroit has a certain impetus that is like the "pink elephant" in the room that everyone knows about but do not want to talk about; and I will go out on the limb and say it: Its racism (not solely, but it is a major factor for the metropolitan fragmentation in this area)...

The dividing line between the city and suburbs was established when Detroit was overwhelmingly white. The suburbs were not created out of racism. They were established because is was becoming obvious that the size of Detroit was approaching an unmanageable level and people living outside the city felt they would be better able to manage their own affairs on a smaller scale.

If it were about racism, then Highland Park and Detroit should be a beneficial merger, but as detroitlove has wisely pointed out, combining problems does not solve them.