With Election Day tomorrow, IPR's Austin Rowlader went through every ballot in Antrim, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Grand Traverse and Benzie counties.
Below are some highlights he found among the 90 ballots we analyzed.
Leelanau County
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Voters in Leelanau County will choose a new drain commissioner — the person in charge of the county’s six drainage districts, the first of which was created just seven years ago.
Three candidates are running for the spot — Kristy Anne Burns (D), Melinda C. Lautner (R), and Tim Lodge (independent).
Learn more about each candidate in this article from the Leelanau Ticker.
Beulah
Residents in Beulah will be voting to reduce the total number of officials on the village council from 7 to 5.
This highlights a problem across rural northern Michigan — finding people to run for small government positions.
In the 90 ballots we analyzed, there are eight school board positions and eight village or township board positions that are empty.
Many of the people who have historically held these positions are aging out and it’s been tough for some communities to find replacements.
Something not on the ballot
Last spring’s floods really opened some eyes to how important it is to have roadways and dam infrastructure that can handle the drastic changes in weather patterns we’ve been experiencing in recent years.
There are thousands of people whose commutes are still disrupted from the floods. Some students in Manistee County go to a different school because of washed out roads.
These are problems that are top of mind for a widespread population in northern Michigan, but there are just a few local efforts to quell these issues through tax levies and millages.
The Village of Northport has a millage on the ballot to replace the Mill Pond Dam.
Also, Star Township in Antrim County and Leelanau Township in Leelanau County have road millages on the ballot. Those millages don’t mention infrastructure upgrades like culverts and bridges, but they are the only two road millages in the area.
What is a mill?
It’s a property tax term, which means it’s confusing. But put simply, a mill is one dollar of tax for every $1,000 of taxable value on your property.
As an example, if you’re a homeowner and the taxable value of your home is $100,000, then one mill is equal to $100 in property taxes.
But the taxable value of your home is not what your home is worth on the open market. Instead, the taxable value of your home is about half the market value.
So if your home is worth $200,000 on the open market, the taxable value would be about $100,000, and one mill would represent $100 in property taxes.
But if you’re a homeowner and you’re curious about the exact taxable value of your property before heading to the polls, you can contact your township or city treasurer’s office.
