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SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH/14A
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MARCH 22, 2023 Vol. 43, No. 6
MOMS ADVOCATE FOR CLEANER AIR
Court to decide if Fouts can seek another term as mayor From left, attorneys Ronald Papandrea and Jeff Schroder appeared before Judge Joseph Toia in Macomb County Circuit Court March 6.
TERM LIMITS QUESTION AGAIN SUBJECT OF LEGAL DEBATE AHEAD OF 2023 ELECTION
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com
MOUNT CLEMENS — Time is ticking away for the court to decide if Warren Mayor James Fouts will be allowed to run for another term or if his time in office has reached the voter-approved limit. On March 6 in Macomb County Circuit Court, Judge Joseph Toia heard from attorneys in two cases filed by parties seeking an answer to that question. The cases now before the court are Ronald Papandrea v. Warren Election Commission, and the Warren City Council v. Sonja Buffa. For the sake of judicial economy, the judge decided to consolidate the two cases. Attorneys on both sides want a decision made prior to April 25, which is the filing deadline for candidates seeking a place on the city of Warren’s 2023 ballot. “The two cases are seeking similar relief. They wanted to try to consolidate for the purposes of argument and establishing a briefing schedule,” Toia said. See TERM on page 10A
‘TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE’ IN BOIKE V. GREEN TERM LIMITS LAWSUIT WARREN — The case pitting Gary Boike against Patrick Green was presented in Macomb County Circuit Court on March 6 before Judge Julie Gatti. The crux of the matter is whether Green, the Warren City
PARTIAL TERM SOUGHT BY BOIKE SET TO EXPIRE IN NOVEMBER Council’s president, has exceeded his tenure and should be replaced by Boike, or if he can continue his term and complete his service on the council through November 2023. The roots of Boike’s challenge stretch
back to 2016, when Green was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives after serving two complete four-year terms and one partial term of a little more than one year on the City Council. Green returned
to the council in 2019, winning the election with the most at-large votes, which made him the city’s mayor pro tem. At issue is the partial term of more than a year, and whether it amounts to Green now exceeding the city’s term limits for municipal elected officials. See LAWSUIT on page 22A
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BY GENA JOHNSON gjohnson@candgnews.com