MAY 4TH LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS

Last week’s election produced mixed results in Berrien County. Voters approved a millage increase in New Buffalo Township and defeated another millage increase proposal in Galien Township. Voters in the Benton Harbor school district approved a change to the sinking fund while Buchanan school district voters declined to approve a similar change.
Galien Township Clerk Jennifer Richter said the township’s request to increase the general operations millage by eight-tenths of a mill for six years was defeated with 44 people voting yes and 64 people voting no. It would have raised $37,848 in the first year to pay for general operations.
This was the third time in five years that voters had turned down a millage increase for general operations. Millage requests defeated in 2012 and 2015 would have increased the millage to one mill.
Richter said she expects the township to be in for lean times with the millage defeat. She noted the township board recently approved the 2017-18 budget that cut more than $10,000 in spending from previous levels including pay cuts for the township board’s treasurer and two trustees and cuts to spending for cemetery lawn care and professional services.
The Galien Township general fund is currently supported by a levy of just over seven-tenths of a mill which raises just under $33,000 annually. The current 2017-18 budget calls for revenue of $115,201 and expenditures of $114,945 for a $256 surplus. Richter said the township has some money in savings but described the amount as “not much.”
The New Buffalo Township millage was approved with 118 yes votes and 82 no votes. The new millage is for up to 1.4 mills for 10 years, from 2017 to 2026. The township already levies .388 mill for public safety. The new funds will pay for the township’s contract with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department as well as ambulance coverage from Medic 1.
New Buffalo Township Supervisor Michelle Heit said the new millage request came about after the township stopped getting funding from the Pokagon Band’s Local Revenue Sharing Board last fall. Part of the funds collected will be distributed to the New Buffalo Township Corridor Improvement Authority. It will raise $799,000 in the first year.
In Buchanan, voters defeated a sinking fund millage proposal that would have changed what the funds raised could be used for. The vote ended up with 334 people voting yes and 363 people voting no.
The millage levy wouldn’t have changed the length or amount of the millage voters approved in 2014, it would have been for eight-tenths of a mill and run through 2024. What would have changed was that monies could be spent on school security and technology as well as building and site repairs.
Superintendent Andrea van der Laan said the sinking fund millage will now stay as it was approved in 2014, paying only for building and site repair projects.
The Benton Harbor sinking fund millage was approved with 1,014 yes votes and 719 no votes. That millage calls for an annual levy of two mills for the next 10 years, from 2017 to 2026. The $1.38 million raised annually will now be able to pay for school security improvements and technology upgrades as well as building repairs.
Benton Harbor Superintendent Shelly Mills-Walker thanked residents for approving the sinking fund millage change. “I would like to thank our community for coming out to vote and for continually showing support of our schools which enforces the message that our students matter,” she said.
A public celebration of the millage vote win as well as the signing of the new partnership agreement with the state at the Benton Harbor High School Library was scheduled for Thursday, May 11 from 4:30-6 p.m.
A Cass County millage proposal fared well with voters approving the non-homestead millage renewal for the Edwardsburg school district.
In Edwardsburg, the non-homestead millage levy was approved with 469 yes votes and 154 no votes. It is an 18-mill levy for the 2017 year on all properties except people’s principal residences, such as second homes and commercial properties. School districts need to have the non-homestead millage in place in order to get the full amount of state aid.