To the editor:
The reporting on the Village of Empire Work Session in the July 16th issue of the Leelanau Enterprise was misleading. The Council did not officially “nix” the public hearing on the Short-Term Rental Registration. Rather, there was a glitch with the motion because it was not completed under “Required Action Items”.
The article didn’t mention that the Village Council unanimously agreed in May 2025 that a registration ordinance was a good “first step” for a Village that has traditionally welcomed transient visitors (now called short-term renters). Fact: Empire has experienced NONE of the troubles that other municipalities have experienced with STR operators or visitors. The speech delivered by one of the council members flew in the face of the vote she had taken in May of 2025 to support creating a registration ordinance. That is the same person who pleaded for the Empire Council to seek compromise and find common ground in January of 2025. While claiming innocence on the subject of banning STR’s, take note that the council member lives in an HOA in Empire that does exactly that! As a working-class individual who found a home in Empire, I am perplexed as to why offering someone like me the opportunity to enjoy our piece of heaven for a few days or a week is considered such a bad thing. The steps my Village Council is taking to gather information is the right thing to do, and I hope they do not allow themselves to be bullied.
