The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners agreed to lawyer up Jan. 24 in anticipation of the Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) suing Grand Traverse County. The dispute centers around the recent addition of a second Grand Traverse County commissioner to the BATA board, while an August 2023 agreement says the board shall have one commissioner from each of the two member counties.
The Leelanau County board requested Administrator Deb Allen pursue legal counsel to represent the county in potential litigation in this dispute. Allen said that as of last week, the county has not found a representative because local firms all have conflicts of interest surrounding BATA and Grand Traverse County.
The BATA board of directors narrowly approved by 5-4 vote on Jan. 17 the appointment of a second Grand Traverse County commissioner to the BATA board. BATA board chairman Richard Cochrun alleges that this appointment violates the board composition covenants.
