By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — Voters took to the polls Tuesday to vote for one of the Democratic or Republican nominees for president in the presidential primary election.
In addition, some areas had key issues to vote on – an operating millage increase for Sturgis Public Schools and a road millage increase in Park Township.
Here are how the votes turned out Tuesday. All results are unofficial as of Tuesday night, with 100 percent of St. Joseph County precincts reporting.
Park Township road millage increase proposal
In Park Township, voters narrowly voted down a road millage increase by a 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent margin. A total of 198 “no” votes were recorded in unofficial results, while 179 “yes” votes were recorded.
If approved, the increase will bring the millage up from its current 0.5 mill rate, which was approved by voters in August of 2021, to 1 mill. The money would be used solely to fund road improvements in the township, and would be levied from 2024 through 2027. According to the ballot language, the increase is expected to raise an estimated $190,525 in the first year the millage is levied.
Park Township Supervisor Ed English said Tuesday night that with the increase being shot down, the township will look to get “more creative” moving forward with road funding.
“We did the road millage to see if people wanted to do it, and they don’t, so we’ll try to get more creative and come up with something else,” English said. “We set so much aside for roads each year, that’s it, so we’ll continue to pick at them a bit. Instead of a whole road, we may have to do half. We won’t be able to do a whole road.”
English said if the millage had passed, the township, in addition to scheduled work on Hutchinson Road, would have been able to use the funds on North Fisher Lake Road, Moorepark Road and Parkville Road.
“The voters have spoken, and that’s why we put it out there,” English said. “See if they wanted to do anything, and they didn’t, so that’s alright.”
Sturgis Public Schools operating millage increase proposal
Sturgis Public Schools’ attempt at a three-mill increase on the district’s operating millage failed by a 53.6 percent to 46.4 percent margin, with 1,002 “no” votes and 868 “yes” votes.
With the result, the millage rate that goes toward the district’s operating funds will stay at 17.6862 mills for 2024 and not be increased.
The district went for the increase, which would’ve increased the millage rate to 20.6862, in an effort to restore millage funds lost via the Headlee Rollback, which requires local units of government to reduce the millage rate when annual growth on existing property is greater than the rate of inflation.
While the millage rate would’ve been listed at 20.6862, statutorily the district would have actually only levied 18 mills, since that is the maximum by law a school district can levy on non-homestead properties.
Sturgis Public Schools Superintendent Art Ebert said Tuesday night the school district will use the results to learn for the future.
“Sturgis values education and has for years. What I’ve learned over time is that moments like these provide us with a great opportunity to show resiliency and grow as a team,” Ebert said. “Our plan is to use these results to learn and become an even stronger school system.”
Presidential primary results
In St. Joseph County, Republican voters favored former president Donald Trump, with 4,994 votes to challenger Nikki Haley’s 1,637 in the Republican primary. A total of 185 voters voted “uncommitted.”
On the Democratic ballot, 1,678 voters in St. Joseph County voted for the incumbent, Joe Biden, in the primary, compared to 239 “uncommitted” votes, both easily beating out challengers Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson.
Hundreds cast ballot with early voting
Tuesday’s election was the first time St. Joseph County, per new state requirements, offered early voting to residents in the county. Early voting was open for nine days beginning Feb. 17, and ended on Feb. 25.
St. Joseph County Early Voting Coordinator Melissa Bliss said in an interview Tuesday that 277 people in the county took advantage of the early voting site, located at the Sheriff’s Department Training Center in Centreville.
“We weren’t sure what to expect but we were prepared and ready to serve,” Bliss said.
Bliss added that voters commented on how easy it was to use the early voting site, and many thanked the election inspectors for their time, while also praising the county’s ability to print ballots on demand and “eliminate the need to have ballot stock available.”
There were some challenges, Bliss said, including recruiting, hiring and training over 30 election inspectors as county employees, but she said she expects the process to be a lot smoother for future state and federal elections where early voting will be used.
“After nine days of early voting, we have already identified areas where we increase efficiencies and limit areas where human error could occur,” Bliss said.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@acnccrtest.c1.biz.