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An Attorney's Argument Against the Wayne County Transit Millage | Matthew Wilk
Matthew Wilk spent eight and a half years on the Northville School Board. He's a commercial real estate attorney who went on to work in lending.
When House Bill 6088 passed during Michigan's lame duck session and removed Wayne County communities' right to opt out of the regional transit system, Matthew paid attention.
In this episode we covered:
→ How Wayne County communities lost their opt-out rights during lame duck session and what that means for the upcoming millage vote
→ Matt's argument that the average SMART bus carries fewer than 4 passengers and what he says that means for the case being made for the millage
→ Why the ballot language uses the word "replace" and why Matt says that word is legally problematic
→ What happened in Oakland County in 2022 when SMART made similar bus line commitments to communities there
Matt, thanks for coming on and walking through all of this in detail.
*Update:* Wayne County Circuit Judge Kathleen McCarthy dismissed the lawsuit on June 1, 2026
https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/wayne-county-public-transportation-millage-on-ballot-lawsuit-dismissed/
*Chapters*
0:00 - Introduction: Matt Wilk and the Wayne County Transit Millage
1:22 - Matt's Background: School Board, Law, and Local Politics
2:41 - The History of Opt-Out Communities in Wayne County
4:29 - Livonia's Decision to Leave SMART in 2005
5:18 - Detroit Is an Opt-Out Community Too
6:42 - Lame Duck: How the Opt-Out Right Got Taken Away
10:14 - The Wayne County Transit Authority: A Body With Little Public Footprint
13:35 - The FOIA Request and the Alleged Missing Meeting
20:26 - The March 19th Social Media Post
22:08 - Open Meetings Act: What the Law Requires
24:43 - The Policy Case Against the Millage
25:04 - 3.88 People Per Bus: Breaking Down Wilk's Math
29:18 - Density, Detroit, and Wilk's Case Against Fixed Bus Lines
32:54 - Where the $57 Million Would Go
34:52 - Oakland County 2022: Unfulfilled Bus Line Commitments, Per Wilk
43:22 - The Cross-Party Nature of the Opposition
54:57 - Inside the Lawsuit: Alleged OMA Violations and Ballot Language Concerns
1:03:40 - The Word "Replace" and Why Wilk Says It's Legally Problematic
1:15:09 - What Happens Monday at 2:00 PM
1:22:10 - Closing and Where to Learn More
~~~
This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC
https://www.thefgfirm.law/
View all episodes
By Brandon GryskoMatthew Wilk spent eight and a half years on the Northville School Board. He's a commercial real estate attorney who went on to work in lending.
When House Bill 6088 passed during Michigan's lame duck session and removed Wayne County communities' right to opt out of the regional transit system, Matthew paid attention.
In this episode we covered:
→ How Wayne County communities lost their opt-out rights during lame duck session and what that means for the upcoming millage vote
→ Matt's argument that the average SMART bus carries fewer than 4 passengers and what he says that means for the case being made for the millage
→ Why the ballot language uses the word "replace" and why Matt says that word is legally problematic
→ What happened in Oakland County in 2022 when SMART made similar bus line commitments to communities there
Matt, thanks for coming on and walking through all of this in detail.
*Update:* Wayne County Circuit Judge Kathleen McCarthy dismissed the lawsuit on June 1, 2026
https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/wayne-county-public-transportation-millage-on-ballot-lawsuit-dismissed/
*Chapters*
0:00 - Introduction: Matt Wilk and the Wayne County Transit Millage
1:22 - Matt's Background: School Board, Law, and Local Politics
2:41 - The History of Opt-Out Communities in Wayne County
4:29 - Livonia's Decision to Leave SMART in 2005
5:18 - Detroit Is an Opt-Out Community Too
6:42 - Lame Duck: How the Opt-Out Right Got Taken Away
10:14 - The Wayne County Transit Authority: A Body With Little Public Footprint
13:35 - The FOIA Request and the Alleged Missing Meeting
20:26 - The March 19th Social Media Post
22:08 - Open Meetings Act: What the Law Requires
24:43 - The Policy Case Against the Millage
25:04 - 3.88 People Per Bus: Breaking Down Wilk's Math
29:18 - Density, Detroit, and Wilk's Case Against Fixed Bus Lines
32:54 - Where the $57 Million Would Go
34:52 - Oakland County 2022: Unfulfilled Bus Line Commitments, Per Wilk
43:22 - The Cross-Party Nature of the Opposition
54:57 - Inside the Lawsuit: Alleged OMA Violations and Ballot Language Concerns
1:03:40 - The Word "Replace" and Why Wilk Says It's Legally Problematic
1:15:09 - What Happens Monday at 2:00 PM
1:22:10 - Closing and Where to Learn More
~~~
This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC
https://www.thefgfirm.law/