By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
With Election Day less than a week away, there are plenty of choices for people to make as to who they want to be the next president down to who they want to be on local boards and commissions.
In Berrien County, people will decide a number of races including five people running for three seats on the Buchanan City Commission, seven people running for three seats on the Buchanan Board of Education and other contested races in area cities, townships and villages. In some areas, candidates are running uncontested after winning August primaries.
People can find a full list of candidates and proposals on the Nov. 3 ballot on the Berrien County Clerk’s website at www.berriencounty.org/156/Elections. The website also provides information on how to contact local clerks.
Countywide, there are contested races for county clerk between incumbent Republican Sharon Tyler and Democrat Gwen Swanigan as well as in races for four of 12 seats on the county board of commissioners.
Proposals are also on the ballot Nov. 3. Two statewide proposals would allow revenue from oil and gas mining on state-owned lands to continue to fund parks and recreational projects as well as require a search warrant be obtained to access a person’s electronic data or communications.
Local proposals are on the ballot in the city of New Buffalo with a new road millage and a park millage renewal, in Coloma Township to increase a road millage and renew a public safety millage, in Hagar Township to renew a general operations millage and in Niles Township to renew fire and police millages.
Other local proposals include a Sodus Township fire protection millage, a St. Joseph Township road millage and Three Oaks Township millages for ambulance services, fire protection and police protection. Three Oaks Township and Village residents will also be asked to approve a proposal allowing a limited number of marijuana establishments.
Local proposals are also on the ballot in the village of Michiana for fire, police and ambulance services, in the village of Three Oaks for ambulance and fire protection millages, in the Sodus Township school district for the non-homestead millage renewal and in Watervliet City and Watervliet Township for the district library.
The Nov. 3 election of course features contested state and national races from president, U.S. senator and U.S. representative to state representatives and judges for the Michigan Supreme Court down to local circuit and district courts. Berrien County’s two state representatives are facing opponents as they run for second terms in the state house.
79th District State Representative and Republican Pauline Wendzel is facing a challenge from Democrat Chokwe Pitchford. Residents have likely seen or heard the advertisements on radio and television for and against each candidate. The 79th state house district covers the northern half of Berrien County plus the Bridgman area.
Wendzel, a Coloma resident, has touted her support for law enforcement and small businesses. Pitchford, a Benton Harbor resident, said his major focus if elected would be on promoting jobs-especially skilled trades and health care reform.
The 78th District state house race pits incumbent Republican Brad Paquette, Democratic challenger Dan VandenHeede and Natural Law Party candidate Andrew Warner. Paquette and VandenHeede live in Niles and are former teachers. Warner lives in Buchanan and works for the city of Buchanan.
The 78th state house district covers central and southern Berrien County and four Cass County townships.
Paquette and VandenHeede met last week in a candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and Leader Publications and that forum is available to watch on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=631241260900484&ref=watch_permalink
The forum featured questions on a number of topics ranging from funding for education, roads and other public services to the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The candidates disagreed on the role of the government, whether the state has cut funding to schools and municipalities and issues like the right to open carry and the tax structure.
The two disagreed on the actions taken by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to combat the virus with Paquette saying that the “one size fits all” approach ended up hurting people and noting that Whitmer would not work with the legislature on practical solutions. VandenHeede said Whitmer did the best she could and adapted her orders as information became available.
Warner did not attend the forum but did provide responses to the www.ballotpedia.org website. He said his interests lie in the environment, preserving the nuclear family and making sure the government serves the people. He said he believes the state’s response to COVID-19 has been draconian and more damaging than the disease itself.
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