The filing deadline for the August election has passed, but thousands of voters in Ottawa County and Allegan County will first head to the polls for a special election Tuesday, May 7.
Not everyone will have something to vote on, but there’s a recall for Ottawa County Commissioner Lucy Ebel, a handful of school district millages, and a few township proposals on the ballot.
Unlike the presidential primary and fall elections, there won’t be early voting offered in May. Early voting is only required when there are state or federal races.
Here’s a roundup of what’s on the ballot:
Ottawa County Board District 2 Recall
Voters in District 2 of Ottawa County will choose a commissioner for the remainder of 2024. District 2 contains Holland Township precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11 and Park Township precinct 4.
Ottawa Impact-affiliated Republican Lucy Ebel faces a recall challenge from Democrat Chris Kleinjans.
Both candidates have filed to run for a four-year term in the general election, as well. Ebel will face a primary challenge from Republican Jordan Jorritsma, but Kleinjans is the only Democrat running.
Recall language against Ebel was submitted July 3, the first day commissioners elected in 2022 were eligible for the procedure. The Ottawa County Election Commission approved the language July 17.
Ebel appealed, but her argument was rejected Aug. 26, opening a 60-day signature gathering window.
The recall effort had to submit a minimum of 2,480 signatures, 25% of the number of voters who cast a ballot in the most recent gubernatorial race in Ebel’s district. On Oct. 24, more than 3,000 signatures were submitted — 2,653 were verified as valid by the clerk’s office.
Ebel filed challenges to each signature on Thanksgiving Day, with 2,575 still approved by the clerk’s office.
School Proposals
A handful of local schools will have renewals of their operating millages on the ballot in May.
School districts in Michigan are required to pass an operating millage for each school year in order to receive their full per pupil funding from the state. The millage is an 18 mill levy on businesses and non-primary residences.
West Ottawa Public Schools and Grand Haven Area Public Schools are both asking for one-year renewals, for the 2024-25 school year.
Zeeland Public Schools is also asking for a renewal, but for the 2025-26 school year. Although the ballot language asks for an 18.4474 mill authorization, the district can’t levy more than 18 mills. The additional authorization is to protect against a potential Headlee Amendment rollback.
Rollbacks occur when property taxes rise faster than the rate of inflation.
Hamilton Community Schools is seeking a multi-year renewal for its operating millage, with Headlee rollback protections included. The district will ask for an 18.4927 renewal for 2025-2028 and a 0.5 mill increase over the same four-year period. The district would levy only 18 mills.
Hudsonville’s operating millage renewal is broken into two separate proposals. One reauthorizes the operating tax for four years, 2024-2027. The second would add an additional 2 mills to protect against Headlee Amendment rollbacks.
Jenison Public Schools is looking for support on a $117 million bond proposal in May. There is no expected increase to the district’s millage rate, if the project is approved.
Projects included in the proposal include a new upper elementary school, additions to Jenison High School, new buses, athletics upgrades and remodeling, furnishing and re-equipping various buildings throughout the district, including security upgrades.
Township Proposals
A pair of townships — one each in Ottawa and Allegan — will have tax votes on the ballot.
Holland Township is asking voters to re-approve and increase a millage to fund bike path and sidewalk work.
The millage, first approved in 1981, was last approved in 2016 with a rate of 0.44 mill.
Voters will decide on increasing the rate to 0.55 mill — equal to $0.55 per $1,000 of taxable value — for four years, 2025-2028. If approved, it would be expected to generate $1,000,772 in the first year.
Funds would be used for planning, construction, right-of-way acquisition, maintenance, reconstruction, operation and completion of bicycle paths, according to the ballot language.
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Casco Township in southwestern Allegan County has a trio of proposals to vote on in May. Voters will decide on renewing and restoring millages for ambulance service and police protection, along with a new millage for senior services.
The ambulance service millage was previously approved for 1 mill, but has been reduced by Headlee Amendment rollbacks to 0.9208 mill. The ballot proposal would reauthorize the 1 mill rate from 2024-2028.
Similarly, a 0.65 mill police protection millage has been rolled back to 0.6329 mill. In May, voters will be asked to restore the 0.65 mill rate from 2024-2028.
The senior services millage, which will pay for contracted services from Senior Services of Van Buren County, would levy 0.25 mills for 2024 and 2025.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: What’s on the ballot May 7 in Ottawa, Allegan?