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Big Rapids commission readies digital and local outreach after sending charter to state review
Summary
The Big Rapids Charter Revision Commission said Feb. 11 it has sent revised charter language to state reviewers and agreed on an outreach plan — a March newsletter blurb, April focus groups and short animated explainers — to educate city voters ahead of a likely fall ballot placement.
The Big Rapids Charter Revision Commission on Feb. 11 confirmed it mailed its revised charter packet to state officials and agreed on a voter-education strategy aimed at explaining the substantive changes before the measure appears on a ballot later this year.
Commission members said they mailed the packet to the governor and emailed the attorney general’s office on Jan. 20 and subsequently received confirmation of receipt. "The Charter Revision Commission is proud to announce that we've completed our revisions and have sent it to the state for review," Speaker 5 said during the meeting.
Why it matters: if the state approves the submission, the charter revisions will become a ballot measure for city-registered voters. Commissioners said the priority is to make sure voters understand what is changing rather than soliciting further edits to the text.
Outreach plan: Members approved a three-part public-education approach. They will run a brief announcement in the March city newsletter, recruit a series of small focus groups in April drawn from prior survey respondents and other engaged residents, and develop short digital "explainer" videos (30–45 seconds) and website summaries that link to longer materials. Speaker 7 recommended breaking the video and web content into short "bites" that can be reused on social media to drive residents to the fuller explanation on the commission’s website.
Timing and deadlines: Commissioners discussed an administrative deadline in early May for the August primary; without state approval the commission expects the charter to be placed on the November ballot. "We need to have something done before May" if the earlier ballot is possible, Speaker 2 said; the group agreed focus groups in April would help finalize messaging to use in May and beyond.
Legal and ethical limits: The commission debated modest incentives (coupons, small giveaway items, t-shirts, magnets) to increase engagement but repeatedly cautioned against anything that could be interpreted as influencing votes. One member warned that offering coupons tied to viewing content could be seen as inappropriate and potentially construed as "bribing." The commission resolved its educational materials must present neutral information about the revisions and explain what changed and why.
Logistics and next steps: Members agreed to reserve space in the March newsletter for an announcement that revisions were completed and sent to Lansing for review and to include a link or QR code to the commission’s online summary if the web materials are ready. The commission set a tentative next meeting for March 11 and plans to form a small working group to assemble focus-group invite lists and finalize logistics.
Formal actions at the meeting: the commission moved to approve a resolution excusing an absent member (motion and second recorded) and later approved the minutes from the Jan. 14, 2026 meeting by voice vote.
The commission adjourned after brief event announcements.
