By Gari Voss
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! The Allegan County Clerk posted: TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS: OF THESE ALLEGAN COUNTY CITIES: DOUGLAS, FENNVILLE, HOLLAND, SAUGATUCK, SOUTH HAVEN AND WAYLAND; OF THESE ALLEGAN COUNTY TOWNSHIPS: GUN PLAIN, HOPKINS, MARTIN, OTSEGO, TROWBRIDGE AND WATSON; OF THE ALLEGAN COUNTY VILLAGE OF HOPKINS.
Election Day November 7, 2023, can separate the grain from the shaft. Though not every precinct in Allegan County will hold an election, some precincts do have important decisions to make. The Ballot Proposals have some legalese language but are pretty straight forward. The Candidate elections may take some thought only because of the importance of knowing the candidates. In cases where seats need to be filled but there are no candidates, candidates may submit the proper write-in paperwork.
Voting by absentee is already open, or vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, from 7am – 8pm at local polling places. For locations, go to https://www.allegancounty.org/departments/elections/polling-locations.
Voter registration can be done now through November 7, 2023. Check with the precinct clerk for instructions. Precinct clerks are available at https://www.allegancounty.org/departments/elections and click “Notice of Registration, November 7, 2023, Election.”
BALLOT PROPOSALS
Otsego Township wishes to improve their solid waste disposal. This means an increase of not more than .50 mills that will raise an estimated $113,000 the first year for waste disposal (2023-2027).
The Village of Hopkins needs to reestablish about half of their original 10 mills because of the Headlee rollback reductions. The increase will not exceed 4.5713 mills, or $4.5713 per $1,000 taxable value. Of the Approximate $69,557.10 that will be collected, about $11,021 will be given to the Village of Hopkins Downtown Development Authority.
Gobles Public Schools and Martin Public Schools are requesting millage to improve their facilities. For those voters, there may be more on the line than just approving the bond proposals. With the approval of bond proposals in surrounding schools, without the improvements, the districts not making improvements could possibly lose students, thus additional income would be lost because of School of Choice options.
Gobles Public Schools wants voters to approve a bond millage for a 0 mill net increase over the prior year’s levy. The maximum number of years is 27. The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated is 4.65 mills ($4.65 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation). The school district expects to borrow an estimated total principal amount of $2,303,626 and the estimated total interest to be paid thereon is $735,446. The estimated duration of the millage levy is 10 years. The bond proposal millage can be used solely for the improvements listed in the proposal language below.
While Martin Public Schools is borrowing $17,150,000 in total, the school district expects to borrow from the State School Bond Qualification and Loan Program to pay debt service on these bonds. The estimated total principal amount of that borrowing from the State School Bond Qualification and Loan Program is $4,962,435 and the estimated total interest to be paid thereon is $10,248,261. The estimated duration of the millage levy associated with that borrowing is 29 years and the estimated computed millage rate for such levy is 7.00 mills. The estimated computed millage rate may change based on changes in certain circumstances. The total amount of qualified bonds currently outstanding is $17,260,000. The total amount of qualified loans currently outstanding is $1,208,073. (Pursuant to State law, expenditure of bond proceeds must be audited and the proceeds cannot be used for repair or maintenance costs, teacher, administrator or employee salaries, or other operating expenses.
BALLOT PROPOSAL LANGUAGE:
OTSEGO TOWNSHIP – Solid Waste Disposal Millage Increase
Shall Otsego Township impose an increase of up to .50 mills ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution and levy it for 5 years, 2023, through 2027 inclusive, for solid waste disposal purposes, raising an estimated $113,000.00 in the first year the millage is levied? This millage proposal is in addition to the millage renewal for solid waste disposal purposes approved by the voters in 2022.
VILLAGE OF HOPKINS – Charter Millage Headlee Override Ballot Proposal
Shall the authorized charter millage for the Village of Hopkins, established at 10 mills ($10.00 per $1,000 of taxable value) and reduced to 5.4287 mills ($5.4287 per $1,000 of taxable value), by the required millage rollbacks, be increased in an amount not to exceed 4.5713 mills ($4.5713 per $1,000 of taxable value) to restore the full amount of the original authorized charter millage? The estimate of the revenue the Village will collect is approximately $69,557.10, a portion of which (approximately $11,021) will be disbursed to the Village of Hopkins Downtown Development Authority.
GOBLES PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Bond Proposal
Shall Gobles Public Schools, Van Buren and Allegan Counties, Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed Twenty-Seven Million Seven Hundred Seventy Thousand Dollars ($27,770,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefore, in one or more series, for the purpose of: erecting, furnishing, and equipping additions to the Middle/High School building; remodeling school buildings, including remodeling a portion of the elementary school building for early childhood classroom purposes; furnishing and refurnishing, and equipping and re-equipping school buildings; acquiring and installing instructional technology and instructional technology equipment for school buildings; purchasing school buses; and preparing, developing, and improving the site?
MARTIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS – Bond Proposal
Shall Martin Public Schools, Allegan and Barry Counties, Michigan, borrow the sum of not to exceed Seventeen Million One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($17,150,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefor, in one or more series, for the purpose of: erecting, furnishing, and equipping an addition to a school building; remodeling, including security improvements to, furnishing and refurnishing, and equipping and re-equipping school buildings; acquiring and installing instructional technology and instructional technology equipment for school buildings; purchasing school buses; and equipping, developing, and improving playgrounds, parking areas, and sites?
PRECINCT BALLOT ELEMENTS
City of Fennville:
City Commissioners – vote for 4 – “no candidates are on the ballot”.
Gun Plain Township, Precinct 2
Martin School District Bond Proposal.
Holland, Ward 4, Precinct 9:
Mayor – vote for 1 – Nathan Bocks or Larry Shattuck
City Council at Large – vote for 1 – Michael Schulteis or Ryan Spencer
City Council – vote for 1 – Kim Rowan or Mike Short
Holland, Ward 5, Precinct 11, 12 & 13
Mayor – vote for 1 – Nathan Bocks or Larry Shattuck
City Council at Large – vote for 1 – Michael Schulteis or Ryan Spencer
Hopkins Township, Precinct 1
Headlee Override Ballot Proposal
Martin Public Schools Bond Proposal
Martin Township
Martin Public Schools Bond Proposal
Otsego Township, Precinct 1
Solid Waste Disposal Millage Increase
Otsego Township, Precinct 2
Solid Waste Disposal Millage Increase
Martin Public Schools Bond Proposal
Saugatuck City, Precinct 1
Council Member at Large – vote for 3 – Holly Anderson, Russ Gardner, Garnet Lewis, or Logan White
South Haven City, Ward 3 Precinct 2
Mayor – vote for 1 – Annie Brown or Joe Reeser
Trowbridge Township, Precinct 1
Gobles Public Schools Bond Proposal
Village of Douglas, Precinct 1
City Council – vote for 3 – Jerry Donovan and Cathy North
Watson Township, Precinct 1
Martin Public Schools Bond Proposal
Wayland City, Precincts 1 & 2
City Council – vote for 3 – Tracy M. Bivins, Jerry Lee Jansen III, Grace Sefranek, or Steven Stepek
The original article, as printed in the 11/3/23 issue of the Allegan County News, erroneously used the following language to describe the Martin Public Schools Ballot Proposal.
“Martin Public Schools is asking for a bond proposal that will levy 0.98 mill ($0.98 on each $1000 of taxable value) and will have a 0 increase in the current school millage levied. The maximum number of years is 30 to retire the debt. The estimated total principal amount borrowed is $4,962,435 and the estimated total interest is $735,446. The estimated duration of the millage is 29. These funds can be utilized only for the improvements listed in the bond proposal.”
This version of the article features corrected language from the superintendent.