City of Southgate — Charter Amendment to Remove Term Limits for Elected City Officials (Wayne County)

What it does

Shall Sections 37, and 56, of the Southgate City Charter be amended to eliminate term limits for the offices of Mayor, City Clerk, City Treasurer, and City Council?

A YES vote means

Term limits for Southgate's Mayor, City Clerk, City Treasurer and City Council would be eliminated.

A NO vote means

Term limits for these Southgate offices would stay in place.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

Southgate's charter currently bars council members, and separately the mayor, city clerk and city treasurer, from seeking re-election after serving three consecutive four-year terms in that office, according to the charter text the city published with the ballot language.

According to the city's FAQ on the amendment, the charter had no term limits when Southgate was founded in 1958; term limits were first adopted in 1995 and modified to the current language in 2016.

The city's FAQ says the amendment would not change the four-year length of each term or automatically extend any current officeholder's term.

Put on the ballot by Not stated in the city's ballot materials; no placing action found in council minutes from June 17 to August 5, 2026.

From official source 1, official source 2.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Southgate mean?

Term limits for Southgate's Mayor, City Clerk, City Treasurer and City Council would be eliminated.

What does a NO vote on City of Southgate mean?

Term limits for these Southgate offices would stay in place.

How many votes does City of Southgate need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City of Southgate?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.