Municipal Law and Finance

Bodman has provided cutting edge services to Michigan communities for more than 70 years as general counsel, bond counsel or special counsel in workplace, environmental, litigation and other issues. We specialize in getting municipalities to work with each other and with the private sector for the benefit of all: creating jobs, developing new industries, revitalizing once-forgotten neighborhoods, encouraging investment – helping governmental clients deliver on their responsibilities to their citizens.

Bodman’s experienced municipal law and public finance specialists understand not only the necessities of economic development, but also the intricacies of combining public and private interests that encourage development, investment and opportunity. Our success stories drive this point home. 

One recent example: as Special Master to the United States District Court, one of our partners successfully forged an agreement over a three year period between the City of Detroit and three southeast Michigan counties that ended a 30-year battle over operation of the water and sewer department. As part of that transaction, we helped establish a new governing council and provided for three levels of alternative dispute resolution before any customer dispute would end up in court.

A Bodman attorney led negotiations on a $700 million deal among the City of Detroit, Wayne County, the Detroit Lions and the Detroit Tigers which resulted in two new state of the art sports stadiums and the revitalization of an entire section of downtown Detroit.

We have also been at the forefront of creative financing, assisting 14 Wayne County communities in developing a unique bond structure to finance a $300 million sewer project.

We assisted a governmental client in establishing the first land bank in the State of Michigan. That model has since been used by counties throughout the state, allowing county treasurers to take title to property and save it for reinvestment in economic development projects rather than have it sold to bargain hunters and slumlords.

We have successfully argued before the Michigan Supreme Court, creating landmark law on municipal zoning and we are working with two suburban counties to create an inter-governmental agreement allowing the purchase and improvement of a sewer interceptor project valued at more than $300 million.

Our Services:

Representative services provided to Municipal Law and Finance Clients include:

• Drafting charter, statutory and ordinance language
• Negotiating and structuring intergovernmental agreements
• Negotiating agreements with cable television providers
• Counsel regarding joint law enforcement activities
• Drafting zoning and land use regulations
• Prosecuting condemnation actions
• Litigating at the trial and appellate levels
• Appearing before legislative and administrative bodies to obtain zoning changes, site plan approvals, special use permits and variances on behalf of private citizens and entities

Representative Matters:

Bodman has served as bond, note or underwriter’s counsel on the following recent issues:

• $54,000,000 County of Genesee, Michigan, General Obligation Limited Tax Notes, Series 2009
• $8,000,000 County of Genesee, Michigan, Tax Anticipation Notes, Series 2009 (Limited Tax General Obligation)
• $192,275,000 State of Michigan State Building Authority 2008 Revenue and Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series I (Facilities Program)
• $11,175,000 Charter County of Wayne, State of Michigan Downriver Sewage Disposal System Revenue Bonds, Series 2008A
• $22,340,000 North Gratiot Interceptor Drain Drainage District, County of Macomb, State of Michigan, Drainage District Drain Bonds, Phase I, Series 2008 (Limited Tax General Obligation)
• $13,035,000 Brownfield Redevelopment Authority of the County Of Genesee
• County of Genesee, State of Michigan, 2007 Tax Increment and Tax Increment Refunding Bonds (Limited Tax General Obligation)
• $7,000,000 City of Grosse Pointe Park, County of Wayne, State of Michigan, General Obligation Unlimited Tax Bonds, Series 2007
• $44,000,000 County of Genesee, State of Michigan, General Obligation Limited Tax Notes, Series 2007
• $1,286,770,000 State of Michigan Full Faith and Credit General Obligation Notes, Fiscal Year 2006, Series A

Municipal Law

• As Special Master overseeing the Detroit Water and Sewer System, one of our partners helped negotiate an historic agreement among southeast Michigan municipalities that ended a 30-year battle in federal court over the control and operation of the System.
• A case we litigated to the Michigan Supreme Court established the proposition that counties are not subject to local zoning regulations in the siting of county facilities.
• Several counties have used us to negotiate and help resolve disputes over technology contracts.
• We have worked with several townships to create wastewater treatment authorities and to negotiate agreements for wastewater treatment.
• We drafted the legislation required for creating, altering and renewing downtown development authorities.
• We have worked with local municipalities to preserve hundreds of acres of farmland and open space using funds from local purchase of development rights millages in combination with funds available under the Federal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program.

• Email this page