(Source: MIRS.news, Published 05/03/2022) Schools around Michigan were the big winners during the May 3 election with more than $1.2 billion in millages and bonds passing, according to MIRS' recording of Tuesday night's ballot proposals involving requests for money.
Out of the 89 school proposals 14 failed, with the majority of the failures, nine, being high-dollar bonding proposals. A special education district serving Branch, Hillsdale, Jackson, Calhoun and Lenawee counties also failed.
The two largest bonding issues, $197 million in Kalamazoo County and $150 million in Macomb and Oakland counties, passed.
Paw Paw Public Schools, in Van Buren County, turned down the largest millage increase, which would have given the school district $47.5 million.
Unofficial results show a bonding issue for Greenville Public Schools, serving Kent, Montcalm, and Ionia counties, failing by merely one vote.
Every millage renewal that was up for a vote passed.
All the local funding for roads made it through the night, along with all the property tax increases to fund fire departments.
Most of the local funding for police departments passed, except the creation of a constable in Clearwater Township, which is in Kalkaska County.
Shelby Township, in Oceana County, failed to convince people they needed marijuana businesses.
The ordinance to create a city income tax in Wyoming, which is in Kent County, failed, and even though people voted overwhelmingly to set the property tax at 5 mills, it failed by proxy. It was contingent on the city income tax passing.
Several one-off proposals also passed, including an assessment where everyone in Montrose would pay $45 to get rid of the mosquitoes.
Also a millage that would forever fund the Goodland Township Library, in Lapeer County, passed.
