60% Of Bonding Proposals Pass, 72% Of Millage Increases 

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 11/04/2025) Of the unusually high 53 bonding proposals before local voters Tuesday night, 32 passed and 21 failed, a 60% pass rate that's higher than the 50/50 ratio typically seen in these elections. 

Whether the bonding proposal passed or failed didn't appear to be connected to how large the ask was. The two largest requests ---$425 million in Novi Community Schools and $350 million in South Lyon Community Schools – both passed. 

The next two largest – $272 million in Lake Orion Community Schools and $230 million in Rockford Public Schools – both failed. 

Of the 10 largest asks, six passed and four failed, which fell in line with the overall 60% pass/40% fail ratio. 

Of the 53 bonding asks, 49 were for schools, one was for roads (failed), one for law enforcement services (pass), one for fire (failed) and one for capital improvements (failed).  

Voters in Antrim County passed $18 million for a new sheriff’s office and jail building. 

Troy voters dumped $137 million in bonding for new municipal buildings. The Kasson Township Fire Department in Leelanau County didn't get its $5.82 million bond. The Benzie County Road Commission also failed to get its $18 million in bonding. 

In all, $3.734 billion was before voters in combined bonding requests and 65% of the money was voted through while 35% was voted down. 

The 53 bonding proposals is the highest number of requests in the odd-year November election since MIRS started tracking this data in 2013. 

Of the 173 total local money asks put before voters tonight, 76% passed and 24% percent failed. 

An election in Mansfield Township was canceled because of ballot issues that couldn’t be corrected in time and Cedar Township in Osceola County had not returned their results by 3 a.m. Wednesday morning. 

The attempts to increase millages across the state were mixed, with 10 of the 26, or 38 percent of the increases failing. The failed increases were worth more than $6 million. 

Two of the 43 millage renewals (nearly 5 percent) failed. One was for a northern Michigan intermediate school district and the second for Monroe Community College. 

Sixteen of 18 school sinking funds passed. The two failures happened at Tri-County Schools based in Montcalm County and Oxford Schools in Oakland County. 

Seven Headlee Amendment overrides failed out of the 28 possibilities, or 25 percent.   

Broken down by subject, eight of 13 roads proposals passed. All five library proposals passed. Of 17 fire requests, 14 passed with one outstanding. All five EMS proposals passed. All five general operations requests passed. Eight of 11 public safety/police questions passed. Public transportation was two for three. 

Several unique proposals passed local elections on Tuesday. 

The Charter Township of Niles opted out of recreational marijuana, while Menominee in the Upper Peninsula opted in. Lima Township failed to opt in to adult recreational cannabis. 

The city of Dearborn failed to pass a ballot measure that would have turned the city into a ward district, which would elect their city council based on where people live. 

Lansing's charter commission report, which adds another council seat, among other reforms, passed overwhelmingly. 

A school district in Huron County was also absorbed by a nearby district after a vote. 

Preliminary returns suggest that the odd-year mayoral election was a mixed bag, with the more than 20 percent turnout in Detroit being lower than in 2013 and 2017, but higher than 2021. 

In Traverse City, the turnout appeared to be much higher with a 37.38 percent turnout, compared to 24.9 percent in 2021, 25.34 in 2017 and 22.5 percent in 2013. 

Kalamazoo saw a jump in voter turnout as well, with preliminary voting showing a total of 17 percent, while pervious odd-year elections showed 15 percent in 2021, 16.5 percent in 2017, and 8.3 percent in 2013. 

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