Municipal Law

Local governments throughout West Michigan rely on Scholten Fant’s attorneys for experienced legal counsel on the wide-ranging matters municipalities face every day. We work closely with city and township leaders to provide proactive legal solutions – so you can focus on running your community, not managing its legal risks.

Our municipal law team advises on election law, public utilities, municipal finance, zoning, ordinances, and more. With decades of experience serving public entities, we understand the complexities of government law and how to help municipalities operate confidently and compliantly.

Whether you’re a local official or a resident dealing with a municipal matter, our attorneys understand the legal landscape West Michigan communities navigate every day.

Experience and Expertise

We advise local governments on the regulatory, administrative, and legal issues they face; from zoning and ordinances to public finance and intergovernmental agreements.

• Open Meetings Act
• Freedom of Information Act
• Michigan election law
• Headlee Amendment and truth-in-taxation matters
• Drafting and enforcement of ordinances and codes
• Planning and zoning matters
• Tax assessments and appeals
• Public-utility matters
• Eminent domain and condemnations
• Municipal annexations, incorporations and consolidation matters
• Agreements for conditional transfers of territory and Urban Cooperation Act
• Downtown Development Authorities
• Brownfield Redevelopment Authorities
• Municipal finance, including working closely with bond attorneys in Detroit and New York
• Intergovernmental cooperative ventures including the creation of various public authorities to carry out consolidated municipal functions

Types of Municipality Services

Municipalities also encounter legal matters that require coordination across practice areas. We draw on our full team to support public entities in these areas.

• Litigation
• Collective bargaining
• Employment law
• Property matters
• Contract matters
• Environmental matters