Approval likely for seniors' tax issue
Morenci, Blissfield schools are favored
8/8/2012ADRIAN -- Lenawee County residents on Tuesday appeared to be close to approving two countywide levies and saying yes to two issues for schools, while also making decisions for candidates in five of the county's nine commissioner districts.
There were no primaries in either party for prosecutor, sheriff, clerk, treasurer, register of deeds, road commissioner, drain commissioner, and surveyor.
A new five-year, 0.25-mill tax to maintain senior citizen services provided by the Lenawee County Department was ahead with 80 percent of precincts reporting. It would generate $791,823 in the first year and would be in addition to a 0.5-mill levy renewed four years ago.
Voters also appeared to favor a six-year renewal of a 0.1896-mill levy to operate and pay for improvements at the Lenawee Medical Care Facility, with 80 percent of precincts reporting.
Voters living in the Morenci Area Schools and Blissfield Community Schools also appeared to renew a 18-mill, nonhomestead property tax levies for those districts, with 75 percent reporting in Blissfield and 83 percent reporting in Morenci.
In the Republican primaries for county commissioner, District 2 Commissioner H. Edwin Branch defeated John Lapham and Anthony Simpkins for the nomination. James Driskill defeated District 3 incumbent Robert Hall; Terry Collins bested District 6 Commissioner Don Welch, and District 8 Commissioner Ralph Tillotson beat Tim Simpson.
No Democrats ran in Districts 2, 3, 6, and 8.
District 5 Commissioner Karol Bolton defeated James Daly in the only contested primary for Democrats. Ms. Bolton will face Republican William Hoffman in November.