Not too small for transparency

In 28 years as Elmer Township supervisor, Leonard Brown doesn’t recall ever receiving a Freedom of Information Act request.

Clerk Lisa Schmidt has held her seat for 16 years, and she doesn’t either. It’s something they said likely doesn’t come up in a place their size. Only a few hundred people reside in the Sanilac County township — Brown added likely fewer than 600 — and they said they don’t have the same resources as bigger communities.

Elmer Township doesn’t have a website or town hall to host meetings. Its board convenes in a local church every other month. They also don’t hold office hours. They manage their small budget. They keep the roads graveled. But there isn’t much else going on for the “low-key community.” Brown said the precedent for FOIA just isn’t there. Continue…

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