Detroit Urges Michigan Justices to Skip Fire Safety ‘Tax’ Case

Detroit’s fire inspection charges aren’t taxes that require voter approval under Michigan law, the city said in a brief arguing the state’s top court doesn’t need to consider the case.

Midwest Valve & Fitting Co. appears to argue that any “flat fee” charged by a municipality is unlawful because it isn’t based on an individualized calculation of the precise costs incurred for each business, the city told the Michigan Supreme Court in a brief filed Monday. “This would be a completely unworkable, irrational and unprecedented standard for evaluating the lawfulness of permit fees and other regulatory charges,” it said.

The ...