Shamroe reelected in Traverse City, approve 1 change to Brown Bridge fund

Interlochen Public Radio | By Ed Ronco

Published November 5, 2025 at 6:39 AM EST

Amy Shamroe earned a second term as Traverse City's mayor, and voters agreed to spend money from the city's Brown Bridge Quiet Area trust fund. (Photos from the City of Traverse City) — Amy Shamroe earned a second term as Traverse City's mayor, and voters agreed to spend money from the city's Brown Bridge Quiet Area trust fund. *(Photos from the City of Traverse City)*

Voters gave Traverse City Mayor Amy Shamroe a second term on Tuesday, while others outside the city made decisions on services and infrastructure.

Traverse City Mayor Amy Shamroe won a second term Tuesday night, beating challenger and City Commissioner Tim Werner by about 4 percentage points.

Shamroe, who earned support from 2,574 voters, served on the city commission for eight years before becoming mayor in 2023. Werner brought in 2,369 votes. He joined the city commission in 2013, but will now leave the board since his term was expiring this year.

Traverse City straddles the county line, so the vote tally includes some ballots cast in Leelanau County as well as Grand Traverse County.

For city commission, voters had three seats to fill. They chose Laura Ness, Lance Boehmer and Kenneth M. Funk.

Brown Bridge Quiet Area

Traverse City voters gave mixed results on two proposals involving the Brown Bridge Trust Fund. Under the city charter, spending from that fund must be approved by voters.

A proposal to spend $3 million from that fund for city park improvements passed easily, 71 percent to 29 percent. But voters rejected a second proposal to allow the city to borrow up to $5 million from the fund in order to bolster other city budget lines. Some 57 percent of voters said "no" to 43 percent supporting the measure.

Public ethics

Earlier this year, Traverse City adopted an ethics ordinance that tightens up requirements on city staff and public officials to disclose conflicts of interest, among other steps.

While that ordinance is in effect already, a vote of the people has now enshrined the idea in the city charter. It says the city must now always have an ethics ordinance in place.

Elsewhere

In Leelanau County's Kasson Township, voters rejected a bond proposal for a new fire station, 59 percent to 41 percent.
In Grand Traverse County's Fife Lake Township, voters approved millages for fire equipment, an ambulance replacement, general operating funds, fire and police services. They rejected a measure to restore the township's millage rate to a previously approved level. It had decreased because of state rules requiring governments to lower millage rates under certain circumstances.