Residents of Mackinac Island will vote in November on whether their local government gains authority over ferry services and pricing to the popular tourist destination, according to reporting by WCMU. The ballot measure asks islanders to decide if Mackinac Island can "regulate all aspects of ferry service" and "set all charges and prices for, or in connection with, transportation of people and property by ferry." The vote stems from an ongoing legal fight between island officials and Florida-based Hoffman Marine, which bought Shepler's Inc in 2022 and acquired the Mackinac Island Ferry Company—now Arnold Transit Company—in 2024.
The cost to reach the island has climbed sharply in recent years. Currently, a single ferry ticket combined with overnight parking can run over $60. State Sen. John Damoose introduced Senate Bill 304 in 2025 to expand the island's control over ferry operations in response to the pricing dispute. The legislation passed the Senate quickly in 2025, then sat in the state House's Committee on Government Operations for more than a year before clearing that chamber in May and being signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Because the law amends the island's charter—and Mackinac Island is the only municipality in the state requiring legislative approval for charter changes—it must be approved by a majority of island voters to take effect.
Island residents and their elected representatives say affordable access is critical to the regional economy. "The whole region is dependent on people being able to access Mackinac Island affordably," Damoose told WCMU in October. "It really hurts our economy if they don't, but the island is literally dependent on this." Resident Rob Klco, who has lived on the island for about seven years, said friends and family often can't afford to visit. "When they start crunching the numbers and doing the math, they realize coming to visit me is going to cost them a couple 100 bucks," he said. Mark Bearss, a full-time resident since 2016, pointed to parking as one of the biggest expenses for island workers, noting it's "very expensive for people to try to find a decent place to park within a reasonable distance from the ferry dock and leave your car there for weeks."
If the measure passes, the island would gain authority not just over ferry operations but also over parking services located in neighboring Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. That's sparked pushback from those communities, which worry about jurisdictional overreach. Mackinaw City Village Manager Dean Martin warned that island officials could use the "all aspects" language to extend "their governmental overreach into our jurisdiction" and create "confusing legal situations over who has power over what." In June, Mackinaw City imposed an annual $200,000 franchise fee on ferry lines to help pay for public safety and sanitation services driven by heavy tourism. Martin declined to say whether the city would take legal action if the ballot measure succeeds. Hoffman Marine, meanwhile, expressed disappointment with state intervention, writing in a May statement that regulatory limits on "operational flexibility" risk undermining investments needed for "safe, efficient, and high-quality service." Damoose said he expects the proposal to pass easily: "Overwhelmingly, the residents of the island asked us to take this on, which is why I did it to begin with."