Politics & Government

Wyandotte: School District, City Plan for Separate Elections

School Supt. Carla Harting said that because of the time and money invested in preparing for a February election, it is not feasible that the district would change its date.

The Wyandotte Board of Education will hold a special election on Feb. 25 separate from the much-debated city’s election in May.

The city council voted 5-1 for a 3-mill, five-year proposal to go before voters May 6. If approved, the millage would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $62 per year for the next five years.

But before the council began discussion on the charter amendment question, the district told the city in October that it was contemplating holding its elections in February.

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In a Dec. 16 email, Superintendent Carla Harting said that the city “informed us that August and November were the only elections scheduled to take place within…Wyandotte in 2014.”

At the time, the council was debating the city’s millage election and “could not indicate if or when a charter amendment to ask for additional mills would be brought forth,” she said.

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Harting said the district learned on Dec. 9 that the city council had approved the millage election in May. “Because of the time and money invested in preparing for our February election, it is not feasible that we would change our date.”

Mayor Joe Peterson agreed.

“The school had already been working on this for a couple of months,” the mayor said Wednesday. “They had all the writing done and we had not even approved the millage yet.”

At the Nov. 19 school board meeting, members approved calling for a special election Feb. 25 to renew the tax. The deadline for February elections was Dec. 17.

City Clerk William Griggs said Monday that the average cost for an election runs the city about $15,000.

 “We’ve combined elections before, but this is just one of those instances where it didn’t work out,” Peterson said. “We would love to save money, but in this case the school board was first.”

Peterson said the city also needs more time to educate citizens on the tax.  

“Having the millage in February wouldn’t be fair for us. People need to see what the millage is about,” he said. 

However, on Dec. 16, the council voted to reconsider the May election and put the millage issue on the August ballot.

“We’re planning on May, but that means there will be four elections in one year,” Councilwoman Sheri Sutherby-Fricke said Wednesday. “Rather than spend $15,000 for the election in May, I wanted the approval to change from May to August, which is during (primary elections).”

That proposal failed by a 4-2 vote Monday.

“There are a number of things to consider. Right now, we’re just waiting on feedback from the Attorney General to get all the cost factors back on this,” the councilwoman said.

In November 2011, voters approved the operating millage increase, which is set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The current budget projects a $1.35 million deficit for 2016-17.

The council will meet again in January.               


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