Taylor council approves sending three charter amendments to November ballot to raise purchasing thresholds to $5,000

The Taylor City Council on May 5 voted to submit three charter amendments to the governor and Michigan attorney general for approval and to place them before voters in November 2026. The items (6.9, 6.10 and 6.11 in council materials) would raise dollar thresholds that trigger competitive bidding and council approval from $2,000 to $5,000.

Councilmember who introduced the motion said the threshold has not been adjusted in 29 years and would ease administrative burden without changing departmental budget requirements. "This threshold has not been increased in 29 years," the council member said while reading the ballot language. Another councilmember observed that, adjusted for inflation, $2,000 from prior decades is roughly equivalent to about $4,800 today, so $5,000 is consistent with keeping pace with the consumer price index.

The charter changes would keep other procurement controls in place: purchases would still be required to remain within an approved departmental budget and still be governed by the city's purchasing policy, and contracts would continue to require bid and performance bonds where applicable. The council unanimously approved the motions to direct the clerk to file the proposed amendments for review and to place them on the ballot.

What voters will see: simple ballot questions that ask whether to increase several dollar thresholds for purchases and public improvements from $2,000 to $5,000; exact ballot wording will be provided after review by the governor and attorney general and as prepared by the clerk.