Sparta Township Condemns Village's Frivolous Lawsuit Attacking Voter-Approved Library Funding

SPARTA, MICHIGAN — September 10, 2026 — Sparta Township denounced a lawsuit filed by the Village of Sparta against Sparta Township that seeks to overturn the library millage approved by Sparta Township voters on August 4, 2026. The Township intends to defend the voters' decision to the fullest extent the law allows.
Make no mistake about what this lawsuit is: an attempt to nullify a free and fair election and to strip the Sparta Township Library of the operating funds its own voters approved. The millage is a ten-year renewal limited to 0.2375 mill — no more — and it is the Library's principal source of revenue for the services this community depends on every day. To attack that funding in court is to attack the Library itself, no matter how the Village wants to dress it up.
Sparta Township voters went to the polls and made their decision. This lawsuit asks a court to throw that decision in the trash. It is frivolous, it is wasteful, and it shows a stunning disregard for the very voters the Village claims to represent. The Township will not stand by while the Village tries to litigate away the will of the people.
The supposed basis for the suit — the omission of the word "not" from the phrase "to exceed 0.2375 mill" — is nothing more than a scrivener's error that was openly and repeatedly publicized before the election. It was discussed at a public Village meeting and covered by local media, and Village officials themselves urged residents to take note of it in the weeks before August 4. Voters cast their ballots with full knowledge of the very wording the Village now complains about — and they approved the millage anyway.
That is what makes this lawsuit so indefensible. The Village is not protecting voters from confusion; it is asking a court to overrule voters who were never confused in the first place. There is no coherent theory under which residents approved this millage believing the Library had unlimited taxing power but would have rejected it had they known the levy was capped at 0.2375 mill. The claim collapses under its own weight.
Equally galling is the Village's professed concern for "protecting taxpayers." Village residents are Township residents and taxpayers too. This lawsuit would force those very taxpayers to bankroll a legal assault on their own votes — funding the Village's attack, the Township's response, and the Library's involvement all at once. That is not taxpayer protection. It is a reckless waste of public dollars on a manufactured dispute, diverting money from libraries, services, and residents into needless litigation.
If this is how the Village intends to govern, the public should take note. The Township would rather be putting its time and resources into serving this community than defending an election the voters already decided. But if the Village insists on this fight, the Township is ready for it.
The Township will respond through the proper legal channels and reserve every right, defense, counterclaim, and remedy available to them, including the pursuit of sanctions where warranted. The Township’s message to the Village is simple: withdraw this baseless suit and respect the voters or be prepared to defend it.
Respectfully, The Sparta Township Board
Dale Bergman, Supervisor
Marcy Savage, Clerk
Ashley Johnson, Treasurer
Robert Steffens, Trustee
Jason Bradford, Trustee
Barbara Johnson, Trustee
William Goodfellow, Trustee, descended

Download a File:
Lawsuit regarding Library Milage (PDF)
Sparta Townships response to Village Managers Letter (PDF)
Initial Letter from Village Manager Jim Lower (PDF)

What Do Sparta Township Property Owners Receive in return for Their Township Taxes?

There has been a great deal of information circulating recently about Sparta Township, and the Township Board would like to provide clear, factual insight into what services are funded by the 0.94 mills paid by all township property owners which includes the Village residents.

Sparta Township levies a 0.9376 millage, which will generate approximately $400,000 in 2025 across the entire township, including the Village of Sparta property owners. For the average property owner, this equates to $78.64 per year, listed on your winter tax bill under SPARTA TWP OPER in the Tax Detail section.

For that annual investment of $78.64 Township, including the Village property owners receive access to a wide range of essential community services and resources, including but not limited to:

Sparta Fire Department, Sparta Township Library, SRA Sports Park, Assessing Services, Election Administration, Sparta Historical Society, Maintenance of Four Township Cemeteries and a dedicated Cemetery Sexton, and Farmland Preservation Programs.

In addition, your millage supports the operations of the Township Office and its elected officials, including the Township Supervisor, Clerk, Treasurer, and four Township Trustees.

The township has successfully maintained a stable tax rate for more than 24 years, with no plans for an increase. We’ve tried to be good stewards of all our revenue including the township millage and still maintain all our community services with less than $80.00 per average parcel.

Learn About Sparta

The west half of Sparta Township is on the "Ridge", a prime fruit-growing area, with many acres of beautiful orchards. At the center of the Township is the Village of Sparta, a thriving small town.
The Rogue River runs through the east side of the Township.

Sparta has a library, museum, airport, diverse industry, fire department, and an excellent school system. Established in 1846, Sparta Township's current population, including the Village, is 9,395 (per the 2020 census).

Our website offers important Sparta Township resources, downloads and links. Thank you for visiting these pages. Please phone our offices at (616) 887-8863 if you have questions.

Kent County

For questions regarding deed searches, mapping, etc., the County website will be of assistance.

https://www.accesskent.com/