City of Southfield Deer Herd Reduction Advisory Question on November 8 Ballot
October 20, 2022
The Southfield City Council approved a Deer Herd Reduction Advisory Ballot Question to be officially placed on the November 8, 2022 ballot to allow Southfield voters the opportunity to offer their input on a potential herd management option.
City of Southfield Advisory Ballot Question
Do you support the reduction of the deer herd in the City of Southfield by humane, lethal means with the intent to engage local partners and ensure that donation of meat, deemed safe and where feasible, is made to local foodbanks and similar organizations?
The outcome of the vote doesn’t necessarily mean that any action will be taken either way and no official plans have been approved or decisions made. The ballot proposal will simply allow residents the opportunity to voice their opinion about what should be done, if anything, while providing Southfield elected officials and administration valuable community feedback and input.
The City of Southfield Wildlife Advisory Commission held a Deer Herd Reduction Advisory Ballot Question Town Hall on September 22 in the Southfield Public Library Auditorium to provide Southfield residents with detailed information pertaining to the current number of deer estimated in Southfield as well as potential herd reduction possibilities.
The event included welcoming remarks from Mayor Ken Siver followed by a Wildlife Advisory Commission overview and activities update by Wildlife Chair David Sheaffer. Chad Stewart, Michigan DNR Deer & Elk Program Specialist, provided a presentation on the Ecological & Biological Aspects of Deer & Deer Management in addition to Plant Ecologist Dr. Jacqueline Courteau’s presentation on the Impacts & Interactions of Deer on the Ecosystem. The town hall concluded with a Deer Herd Reduction Advisory Ballot Question overview provided by the Wildlife Commission as well an opportunity for questions from the audience.
Southfield Cable 15 covered the event and will cablecast the Deer Herd Reduction Town Hall in its entirety Monday-Wednesday at 10 a.m., Thursdays & Fridays at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Saturdays & Sundays at noon until November 8. The video will also be available on Cable 15’s YouTube channel and the Town Hall presentations can also be viewed below.
For more information, call Southfield Community Relations at (248) 796-5130.
