Monroe County renews tech levy

Districts choose members of school boards

5/4/2011

MONROE -- Monroe County's nine public school districts will stay on the cutting edge of computer technology with the renewal of a countywide property tax.

The five-year levy, which funds computers, software, and other technological learning tools for the county's estimated 24,000 students, won by a wide margin.

Starting in 1997 at 1 mill, the levy has fallen to 0.9866 mill because of readjusted property values. That equates to $98.66 a year for homes with taxable values of $100,000.

Michigan voters also chose new school board members Tuesday, including four districts in Monroe County with contested races.

In Bedford Public Schools, Mike Smith won re-election. His was the sole name on the ballot for two open seats on the board. Six others qualified as write-in candidates.

See the results of all Southeast Michigan issues and races.

Unofficial results show Mr. Smith, a board trustee since 2006, with 2,658 votes while the six other candidates gathered 1,517. The winner of the other seat will be decided Wednesday after the county clerk tabulates the write-in ballots.

Voters in the Mason Consolidated School District, covering Erie Township and Luna Pier and part of LaSalle Township, returned Denise Gale and Sandra Dobbs to the board. They withstood challenges from Gary Wilmouth and Tom McGarry, Jr., a former Mason Middle School principal who was terminated in February, 2009, triggering the unsuccessful recall effort of Mrs. Dobbs and other board members. He lost his bid last year.

Voters in the Ida Public School District re-elected Brian Deland and elected Tim Janssen to four-year board terms. They turned back challenges from trustee Mitch Steils, Christine Horney, and Billie Reaume. Donna Banker, who was running for the rest of the term she was named to in 2010, defeated write-in candidate Al Peters.

Steven Bartman lost his seat on the Jefferson Schools board; Brian Russell and Russ Terrasi won four-year terms.

In Lenawee County, voters in the Blissfield Community School District chose Robert Beckey and Dave Brewer over incumbents Linda Hamann and Chad Horky and Kori Nieman for two four-year offices on the board.

In the board election for Clinton Community Schools, Shirley Harris withstood a challenge from Kevin Baughey to retain a four-year seat and Larry Rothman, who was tapped in August to take the seat Anne Miller had resigned, defeated Michael Walters for the partial term that will expire in 2012.

In Tecumseh Public Schools, Kimberly Amstutz-Wild, Gregg Hardy, and incumbent Matthew Oren ran for two, four-year offices. Results were unavailable at deadline Tuesday night.

Voters in the Hudson Area Schools District narrowly rejected a 2.5-mill bond issue for campus improvements. The $8 million project would have paid for roof, heating and cooling, and general upgrades to the middle/high school building, including the purchase of eight buses.

A 20-year, 1.26-mill bond issue to construct a performing arts center and a renovation of Madison High School passed by a wide margin. The $3.6 million project will be paid for by extending a 1.45-mill bond levy that was set to expire in 2013. Madison School District voters also overwhelmingly renewed an 18-mill operating levy.

Voters in the Onsted Community Schools District voted to renew an 18-mill tax on non homestead property.

Contact Mark Reiter at markreiter@theblade.com or 419-246-9460.