November 9, 2005
A look at votes in the region
Record-Eagle/Greg Undeen
Deven Larrance casts his vote Tuesday with Maya Riddle, 7 months, at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center.
Here's a roundup of local election results throughout northwest Lower Michigan. There were no elections or ballot proposals in Kalkaska and Leelanau counties.
ANTRIM
- Chestonia Township: A one-year request for 2 mills for fire protection passed easily by a vote of 52-18. The millage levy is estimated to raise $37,162 in 2005.
BENZIE
- Frankfort: JoAnn Holwerda and Norma Elias won the two four-year terms for city council, while Richard Jenkins won the two-year term. Holwerda was top vote-getter with 264 votes. Elias posted 228 votes and Jenkins 211. Roger Gilroy earned 139 votes and J. Douglas Holmes earned 86.
CHARLEVOIX
- County commission:
Republican Josh Barnes, an appointed Charlevoix County commissioner, lost a squeaker to fellow Republican John Haggard in the runoff for the District 1 seat. The tally was 389-385.
- Charlevoix Township: A referendum on a "big-box" zoning amendment passed 340-215 in a busy day at township polls. The zoning ordinance amendment limits commercial building to 90,000 square feet.
- Charlevoix: Incumbent Carol A. Ochs ran unopposed for a two-year term as city clerk. In the city's 1st Ward, incumbent Robert Timms defeated Steven Bennett 171-140. In Ward 2, challenger Gene Beer bested Bill Bellows on a vote of 163-102. Shirley Gibson was uncontested for the 3rd Ward post. All city council seats were two-year terms.
On a 499-333 vote, city voters also passed a proposed ordinance to amend the development plan of the city's Downtown Development Authority to remove the current band shelter and fish pond and construct a new facility at East Park in downtown Charlevoix.
- East Jordan: Ronald G. Klooster, Mark Postma, Lee Symonds were the top three vote-getters in the four-way race for three four-year terms on the city commission. Vote tallies were: Postma, 169, Klooster, 162, and Symonds, 156. Angela K. Wilson posted 122 votes.
- Boyne City: The winners of the four-way race for three, four-year city commission terms were: Daniel Adkison, 293; Ron Grunch, 290; and Eleanor Stackus, 257. Steve Voice collected 166 votes.
CHEBOYGAN
Daniel O'Henley ran unopposed for the District 5 seat on the Cheboygan County Board of Commissioners. He was appointed in March to fill a vacancy left by the death of commissioner James Charboneau.
CRAWFORD
- Grayling: Incumbent Roger Moshier and second-time candidate Thomas Wellman won seats on the Grayling City Council. Moshier received 103 votes and Wellman received 124. Both seats are four-year terms.
Daniel M. Bonamie II, a 26-year-old who was a first-time candidate for the city council, received 73 votes.
EMMET COUNTY
- Petoskey: In the Petoskey City Council race for Ward 1, incumbent Joseph M. Baird won a two-year term with 137 votes. Challenger James Dittmar received 110 votes.
Dale E. Meyer, who ran unopposed for mayor of Petoskey, will replace Ted Paul, who did not seek reelection.
In Ward 3, Robert F. Johnson ran unopposed and will replace council member John LaTocha, who did not seek reelection.
- Harbor Springs: Two two-year positions on the Harbor Springs City Council were up for election. Incumbents Laura Kors and Dennis Wiggins ran unopposed.
GRAND TRAVERSE
- Long Lake Township:
Township residents overwhelmingly defeated library millage proposal 906-407. The three-year, 1 mill levy would have paid for construction of a library and community center. It would have raised about $322,000 in the first year.
- Mayfield Township: Mayfield's request for 1 mill for fire protection and emergency services went down on 48-32 vote. The five-year levy would have raised $40,878 in its first year.
- Traverse City: The top three vote-getters in the five-way race for three city commission seats were Deni Scrudato with 1,437 votes, Rick Csapo with 1,395 and Jody Bergman with 1,196. Jasper Weese, a longtime former commissioner, posted 1,040 votes, while Cecil McNally earned 687.
Linda Smyka, who was uncontested, will be mayor for two more years. Newcomer Matthew Schmidt, also uncontested, will fill out a two-year partial city commission term.
City residents also passed three proposals - including Proposal 3, which makes possession, delivery or use of marijuana for medical purposes the "lowest law enforcement priority of the city." Voters approved the measure 1,594 to 925. Proposal 1, which increases the city manager's spending limit from $2,500 to $9,000, won 1,445 to 1,060. Proposal 2, which changes meeting dates, times and notices of the tax board of review, also met voter approval 1,832 to 584.
MANISTEE
- Cleon Township: Residents voted 101-100 to approve 0.61 mills to construct and improve their fire station and township hall facilities.
- Manistee: Richard Mack won the race for the 6th District seat for the Manistee City Council against challenger Gregory V. Ferguson. Mack received 364 votes and Ferguson received 172. Two candidates won unopposed elections - Cyndy Fuller in the 2nd District and Robert Goodspeed in the 4th District.
- Onekama Township: Residents voted 106-101 to approve a 1-mill increase in funds for road construction, repair and maintenance.
MISSAUKEE
- Lake City: Micheal Russell won his unopposed bid for a two-year term as mayor. Daraleen Wilms received 127 votes over Beth Robinson Pickford's 43 votes to win a four-year city clerk term. In the race for three, four-year city council seats, Judy Iverson received 153 votes, Robert J. Luter garnered 145 votes, and write-in candidates William Woodward and Kenneth Johnston received 118 votes and 11 votes, respectively. Alan Dale Gray and Stacey Venhuizen won two partial city council terms ending in November 2007.
- McBain: Donald Schepers won the uncontested two-year mayor term. Evelyn Lucas ran unopposed for a two-year term as city clerk and Lisa Bronkema was the lone candidate seeking a two-year term as city treasurer. Daniel Brosink, Harvey Lucas and Patrick Smith won three, four-year alderman posts.
OTSEGO COUNTY
- Gaylord: Incumbent Mayor Gladys Solokis ran unopposed for a two-year term and retained her seat, as did incumbent City Clerk Rebecca A. Curtis and incumbent City Treasurer David M. Duffield.
Three candidates ran for three positions on the Gaylord City Council, each a four-year term. The city council members are Russ Jan, Stephen M. Johnson and Patrick R. Mankowski.
- Charlton Township: Voters in Charlton Township approved a seven-year millage proposal to support equipment and operational costs of the township fire and EMS departments. The departments have previously been funded entirely by the township general fund.
The tax of up to 1.2 mills, which will collect an estimated $118,179 in 2005, was approved by voters 98-71.
- Bagley Township: Voters in Bagley Township turned down a chance to recall three township officials who supported a sewer project around a portion of Otsego Lake. The sewer plan was abandoned after recall petitions were filed.
The township officials escaped recall by votes of 383-481 for Clerk James E. Szymanski, 334-522 for Treasurer Mary Yager and 399-464 for Trustee Richard Sumerix.
WEXFORD
- Cadillac Area Public Schools: Judy Coffey and Roger Hopkins won two school board seats with 1,375 votes and 1,148 votes, respectively. Laurie Corsiglia-Melstrom received 975 votes.
- City of Cadillac: Incumbent mayor Ron Blanchard retained his seat with 632 votes. Arthur Dale Stevens received 538 votes, Antoinette Schippers garnered 291 votes and Tony Garcia-Rubio received 46 votes.
In the 2nd Ward, Thomas Dyer received 765 votes to defeat Michael Stump, who gathered 628 votes. In the 4th Ward, James Dean ran unopposed for city council.
- Manton: Several city posts were up for election, but none of were contested and in some cases not enough candidates signed up to run.
Christine Frank and Bertha B. Vincent won two of three four-year positions on the city commission.
Agnes Mary Burke won one of two open positions on the city board of review.
Raymond Kimbel was elected mayor, Debra Beaver ran unopposed for treasurer, and Richard Rayment will fill a two-year city commission seat.
|
|
