SPARTA, Mich. — The village of Sparta has formally kicked off a petition drive to collect signatures from registered voters as part of its effort to become a city, a change officials say would reduce overlapping layers of local government and lower property taxes for residents.

The village completed a boundary survey required under state law, confirming its borders remain unchanged. Village President Jim Lower said the survey is a necessary step in the legal process.

"It's required by state law to do that, and then, like, even though everyone knows the village boundaries as they currently exist, putting them into this specific format is what the process requires," Lower said.

Organizers need 175 signatures from registered voters living within the village. Residents can sign the petition at Village Hall or through door-to-door visits by petition circulators.

Once signatures are collected, they will be submitted to the state of Michigan, which will evaluate them, schedule a hearing, and review the full application. Residents will have an opportunity to provide comment both in favor of and against cityhood.

Cityhood Committee Chair Robert Carlstrom said the move is long overdue and would simplify governance for the community.

"As a part of the village, we are in the village and the township, and going down to one piece of local government is going to be huge for our community," Carlstrom said.

Carlstrom and Lower argued that consolidating government would improve efficiency and reduce costs.

"There's been a lot of misinformation about that. I guarantee they will go down the property taxes," Lower said.

Carlstrom added that cityhood would also increase accountability among elected officials. "For me, it's a simple choice of, you know, it saves money. We have one form of government, and ultimately, it will make elected officials more accountable to the people in the city," he said.

Several steps remain before Sparta can become a city, including drafting and approving a new city charter and holding an election on the question of cityhood.

"When you list the current situation and the changes that cityhood makes, it really is a no-brainer," Carlstrom said.

"I think it's worth doing not because it's easy, but because it's hard," Lower said.