TOLEDO -- Residents in Ottawa Hills are fighting to stop a move that would allow for the culling of deer population within the village.

The Ottawa Hills Village Council will meet Monday night to decide whether or not to kill excess deer in the village.  Council must first exempt an ordinance that bans the discharging of firearms within the village.  If the ordinance is exempted, the village hopes to kill up to 50 deer in an thin the area's deer population and curb damages to property.

Officials say many Ottawa Hills residents have complained that deer are damaging property and causing traffic hazards within the village.

Opponents of the proposed cull claim the village's deer 'problem' is over-exaggerated.  A website in opposition to the measure claims five different myths about the proposal.  Hundreds of residents have signed an electronic petition to stop the proposed culling program stating, "We, the undersigned residents of the Village of Ottawa Hills, petition the Village Council to reconsider its plan to expend Village funds for the purpose of culling deer.  We are opposed to any such culling program unless it can be factually demonstrated that the deer population in the village has become a serious threat to the safety of village residents or to the health of the deer herd."

The village council will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Ottawa Hills Elementary School gym, 3602 Indian Rd.