Clare County Voters Headed Back to Polls

By DIANNE ALWARD-BIERY

Cleaver Senior Staff Writer

HARRISON – Clerks and election officials across Clare County have been busy preparing for the May 6 Special Election. It’s not a complicated ballot this time, with the Career Technical Education millage renewal before voters in all townships and municipalities. That ballot item is stated as:

“Shall the currently authorized millage rate limitation of .943 mill ($0.9843 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) on the amount tof taxes which may be assessed against all property in Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District, Michigan, to provide funds for career and technical education programs, be renewed for a period of 10 years, 2026 to 2035, inclusive; the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2026 is approximately $2,644,879 from local property taxes authorized herein (this is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2025 tax levy)?

The one precinct exception to the CTE renewal is Freeman 1B, where the ballot calls for renewal of the current intermediate school district special education millage:

“Shall the currently authorized millage rate limitation of .9850 mill ($o.9850 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property in Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District, Michigan, to provide funds for the education of students with a disability, be renewed for a period of 10 years, 2027 through 2036, inclusive: the estimate of the revenue the intermediate school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2027 is approximately $3,176,055 from local property taxes authorized herein (this is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2026 tax levy)?

In Hayes Township, in addition to the CTE renewal, voters will be asked if they want to renew the previously approved ordinance enforcement funding millage.

That ballot item is stated as:

“Shall the previous voted increase in tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec/ 5 of the Michigan Constitution in Hayes Township, of 0.5 mills ($.50 per $1,000 of taxable value), reduced to 0.484 mills ($0.484 per $1,000 of taxable value) by the required millage rollbacks, be renewed and increased up to the original vote of 0.5 mills ($.50 per $1,000 of taxable value) and levied for four (4) years, 2025 through 2028, inclusive, for the purpose of funding ordinance enforcement within Hayes Township, raising an estimated $75,668.83 in 2025?

Clare County voters are reminded that in this special election, the May 6 in-person votes can be cast only at the registered voter’s home precinct.