Choose Marshall looks to next steps on Ford project after petition effort falls short

MARSHALL, Mich. — The Marshall City Clerk was required to reject a petition aimed at derailing Ford Motor Co.’s future facility in Marshall because the petition failed to follow provisions laid out in the Marshall city charter.

According to a Certification of Insufficiency Letter from the Office of the Marshall City Clerk, dated June 16, 2023, the petition failed to meet legal muster due to a lack of valid signatures and because the targeted ordinance was not subject to a referendum because it included an appropriation of money.

While the group collecting petition signatures claimed it submitted more than 800 signatures as part of its referendum effort, a legal review determined only a small fraction of those – just 136 – are valid. The group needed to collect a minimum of 578 valid signatures.

Choose Marshall CEO Jim Durian said the decision allows the community to focus on the future of Marshall and BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, which will create 2,500 jobs when it opens in 2026 to produce batteries for electric vehicles.

“The BlueOval Battery Park Michigan project enjoys widespread public support,” Durian said. “With this petition drive now rejected, we can focus on the exciting work ahead of creating local jobs for people today and long into the future so young people in our community won’t have to move away from the Marshall area to find a career.”

BlueOval Battery Park Michigan will create thousands of jobs when Ford opens the $3.5 billion facility as well as tens of thousands of additional jobs in the skilled trades to the area much earlier as construction continues on the site. This project will restore Marshall’s tax base and bring millions of dollars of new personal income and investments into the community.