School boards, issues on ballot in Michigan

6/9/2003

Voters across Michigan will head to the polls today to cast ballots for their local public school boards and a few school-related issues. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

In Monroe County, voters in all nine public school districts face requests to renew the 18-mill nonhomestead tax levies - proposals to help the district regain money lost through the Headlee Amendment.

Under Headlee, limits were put on government spending, in part by forbidding property-tax revenues to rise faster than the rate of inflation. Though residents vote on the tax, only business properties would be taxed and only a maximum of 18 mills could be collected. A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Districts in Hillsdale and Lenawee counties face similar requests, including Litchfield, Hillsdale, and Reading in Hillsdale County and Tecumseh, Adrian, Clinton, Hudson, Britton-Macon, and Morenci in Lenawee County.

Several contested school board races are on the ballot, including the Dundee, Ida, Jefferson, and Summerfield districts in Monroe County.

Other districts will have new candidates on the ballot to replace long-serving members who are stepping down.

Hillsdale County's Jonesville, North Adams-Jerome, Pittsford, Waldron, and Hillsdale have contested races, as do Addison, Clinton, Blissfield, Deerfield, Hudson, Madison, Morenci, Onsted, Tecumseh, and Adrian in Lenawee County.

Still other districts are asking voters to renew levies, including Lenawee County's Clinton as well as Hillsdale, North Adams-Jerome, and Waldron in Hillsdale County.