By Bruce Rolfe
Local voters will face a Kalamazoo County Senior Millage Renewal proposal in the August 6 Primary along with a ballot with five contested races for Kalamazoo County positions.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
The senor millage renewal is asking voters to continue a local fund that was previously approved by voters in 2018 to provide education, safety, dignity, independence, home services, and healthy living programs to Kalamazoo County residents age 60 and older using the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department to improve the quality of living for senior citizens. The proposal will be at the level previously authorized as reduced by the Headlee Amendment at the rate of up to $0.3462 per thousand dollars of taxable valuation (0.3462 mills), for a period of six years, beginning with the December 1, 2024 levy and extending through the 2029 levy. If approved, it is estimated $3,696,436 will be raised the first year.
If approved, the 0.3462 mills on a property with a residential market value of $200,000 (with an estimated taxable value of $100,000) would equal approximately $34.62 of levied tax annually to support older adults throughout Kalamazoo County.
5 Kalamazoo County Seats Contested
There will be five Kalamazoo County positions contested in the August 6 Primary Election.
All positions are four-year terms.
Current Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard C. Fuller III is running unopposed on the Democrat ticket, however there are two candidates running on the Republican ticket, Sabrina Pritchett-Evans and James J. Charon.
Current County Clerk and Register of Deeds Meredith Place, is running unopposed on the Democrat ticket, however Kathleen Olmsted and Emily Crawford will be running against each other on the Republican ticket.
In the County Treasurer race, Thomas Whitener is running unopposed under the Democrat ticket and Pamela Herbert and Dale Shugars will be running under the Republican ticket against each other.
Two of the nine Kalamazoo County Commission District seats are contested.
Running uncontested under the Democrat ticket for the County Commission 2nd District seat is Jen Strebs, however the Republican ticket will be contested with Gary Mitchell and Andrew Smith running against each other.
In the County Commission 4th District race. Jason Mikkelborg will be running unopposed under the Republican ticket and Abby Wheeler and Sarah O. Joshi will both be running against each other under the Democrat ticket.
Running uncontested for the County Commission 1st District seat will be Tami Rey, running under the Democrat ticket and Douglas Olivares, running under the Republican ticket.
The County Commission 3rd District race will see Monteze O. Morales running unopposed under the Democrat ticket and Ron Austin running unopposed under the Republican ticket.
John Patrick Taylor, running under the Democrat ticket, will be the only candidate on the ballot running for the County Commission 5th District seat and John Gisler, will also be running unopposed on the Republican ticket for the County Commission 6th District seat.
The County Commission 7th District race will also be uncontested with Republican Jeff Heppler and Democrat Andy Davis running unopposed.
Wendy Mazer, running under the Republican ticket, and Matthew Miller, running on the Democrat ticket, will be running unopposed for the County Commission 8th District seat.
In the County Commission 9th District race, Democratic candidate Dale DeLeeuw and Republican candidate Nicole Wagner, will be running unopposed.
Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Getting will be running unchallenged on the ballot under the Democrat ticket.
Jason Wiersma is running unchallenged for a four-year term for the Drain Commissioner seat on the Democrat ticket and Gary Hahn is running unchallenged under the Democrat ticket for a four-year seat as County Surveyor.
Local voters will face a Kalamazoo County Senior Millage Renewal proposal in the August 6 Primary along with a ballot with five contested races for Kalamazoo County positions.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
The senor millage renewal is asking voters to continue a local fund that was previously approved by voters in 2018 to provide education, safety, dignity, independence, home services, and healthy living programs to Kalamazoo County residents age 60 and older using the Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department to improve the quality of living for senior citizens. The proposal will be at the level previously authorized as reduced by the Headlee Amendment at the rate of up to $0.3462 per thousand dollars of taxable valuation (0.3462 mills), for a period of six years, beginning with the December 1, 2024 levy and extending through the 2029 levy. If approved, it is estimated $3,696,436 will be raised the first year.
If approved, the 0.3462 mills on a property with a residential market value of $200,000 (with an estimated taxable value of $100,000) would equal approximately $34.62 of levied tax annually to support older adults throughout Kalamazoo County.
5 Kalamazoo County Seats Contested
There will be five Kalamazoo County positions contested in the August 6 Primary Election.
All positions are four-year terms.
Current Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard C. Fuller III is running unopposed on the Democrat ticket, however there are two candidates running on the Republican ticket, Sabrina Pritchett-Evans and James J. Charon.
Current County Clerk and Register of Deeds Meredith Place, is running unopposed on the Democrat ticket, however Kathleen Olmsted and Emily Crawford will be running against each other on the Republican ticket.
In the County Treasurer race, Thomas Whitener is running unopposed under the Democrat ticket and Pamela Herbert and Dale Shugars will be running under the Republican ticket against each other.
Two of the nine Kalamazoo County Commission District seats are contested.
Running uncontested under the Democrat ticket for the County Commission 2nd District seat is Jen Strebs, however the Republican ticket will be contested with Gary Mitchell and Andrew Smith running against each other.
In the County Commission 4th District race. Jason Mikkelborg will be running unopposed under the Republican ticket and Abby Wheeler and Sarah O. Joshi will both be running against each other under the Democrat ticket.
Running uncontested for the County Commission 1st District seat will be Tami Rey, running under the Democrat ticket and Douglas Olivares, running under the Republican ticket.
The County Commission 3rd District race will see Monteze O. Morales running unopposed under the Democrat ticket and Ron Austin running unopposed under the Republican ticket.
John Patrick Taylor, running under the Democrat ticket, will be the only candidate on the ballot running for the County Commission 5th District seat and John Gisler, will also be running unopposed on the Republican ticket for the County Commission 6th District seat.
The County Commission 7th District race will also be uncontested with Republican Jeff Heppler and Democrat Andy Davis running unopposed.
Wendy Mazer, running under the Republican ticket, and Matthew Miller, running on the Democrat ticket, will be running unopposed for the County Commission 8th District seat.
In the County Commission 9th District race, Democratic candidate Dale DeLeeuw and Republican candidate Nicole Wagner, will be running unopposed.
Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Getting will be running unchallenged on the ballot under the Democrat ticket.
Jason Wiersma is running unchallenged for a four-year term for the Drain Commissioner seat on the Democrat ticket and Gary Hahn is running unchallenged under the Democrat ticket for a four-year seat as County Surveyor.
