Our Practices

Dedicated to serving the legal needs of municipalities, franchised businesses, employers, and public utilities.  

Municipal

  • Legal Services

    For more information about our municipal law legal services, please contact us today and ask for a member of our Municipal Practice Group.

  • Talk to an Attorney

    Request a Consultation

Municipal

Michigan's Municipal Lawyers

Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes PLC is an experienced, trusted, and affordable municipal law firm in Michigan. Our municipal lawyers have well over 150 years of experience representing more than 150 townships, cities, villages, drain commissioners, and related municipal authorities. Our municipal lawyers are dedicated to the following qualities to keep our clients informed and well represented.

  • We are Experienced.  Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes PLC’s high level of experience allows us to handle an enormous variety of municipal law issues. We serve as Township and City Attorney, Counsel for County Drain Commissioners, and as attorneys for many special authorities, including those providing sewer and water service, fire services, downtown development authorities, and many others, either as general counsel, outside counsel (for clients who have in-house attorneys and staff), or on a special project basis. Our firm’s dedication to practice area focuses assures clients that our Municipal Law Team will have the skill and knowledge to meet any challenge faced. We have the experience and the solutions to proactively address the issues and challenges that municipal officials, drain commissioners, and authority board members encounter.
  • We are Responsive.  Municipal officials face many challenges and pressures.  They act in the public eye and time is of the essence.  We understand your need for a timely, knowledgeable response.  We are committed to you, and getting back to you, at any time, day or night, weekday or weekend.
  • We are a Team.  Our firm has a commitment to teamwork, technology, and communication that allows us to work closely with one another and our clients.  Our teamwork mantra enables our firm to streamline our approach to our clients’ legal issues.
  • We are Affordable.  We are committed to providing excellent service at an affordable cost. We understand the fiscal challenges faced by municipalities today. We have partnered with our clients through tough times. With the use of cutting edge technology and the efficient use of staff, we have developed an approach that provides you with superior service at a reasonable cost.
Our Municipal Law Practice Areas Include:
  • Zoning and Land Use Planning
  • Labor and Personnel, including collective bargaining and grievance arbitration
  • Tax Tribunal Appeals
  • Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act issues
  • Municipal Agreements, including inter-governmental agreements
  • Ordinance Drafting and Enforcement
  • Property Acquisition, including eminent domain and condemnation
  • County and Municipal Drains and Drainage issues, including Lake Improvements
  • Liquor Licensing
  • Cemeteries
  • Municipal Authorities, including those related to Sanitary and Storm Sewer systems, Water systems, and Emergency Services
  • Elections, including ballot language
  • Economic Development, including Downtown Development Authorities, Brownfield Development, and local Development Finance Authorities
  • Annexation, Detachment, and Act 425 Agreements
  • Municipal Library creation and operational issues
  • Finance and Bonds, including Special Assessment and Utility Rates and Fee issues
  • Cable Television
Legal Publications and Alerts

We constantly monitor rapidly changing municipal laws and issues, and we have instant access to state of the art, online legal research tools.  We receive daily notifications of new appellate decisions and changes in statutes and regulations and are members and contributors to various municipal law listservs, including the Michigan Townships Association Community Connection and the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys listserv.

We are members and affiliated service providers of the following:

  • MTA (Michigan Townships Association)
  • MML (Michigan Municipal League)
  • MACDC (Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners)
  • MATS (Michigan Association of Township Supervisors)
  • MAMA (Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys)
Municipal Law News

We produce a monthly electronic newsletter for township officials, the Township Law E-Letter, and a quarterly newsletter for Drain Commissioners. Our municipal attorneys are also frequent lecturers and speakers at municipal and drain law seminars and conferences. Stay up to date with our latest speaking engagements and firm news, and read our Township and Drain Law e-letters to keep you informed.

Dedicated to serving your legal needs.

For more information about our municipal law legal services, please contact us today and ask for a member of our Municipal Practice Group.

Request Consultation
 

Latest Municipal Articles & Resources

Stay up to date with FSBR with our monthly newsletters, featured news articles, resources and more!

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At Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes PLC, we’ve been helping municipalities, franchised businesses, employers, and more with their legal needs since 2008. We’d love to learn how we can help you, too.