Locals seeking office here, for county and state seats

By Don Rush

It’s only two months away. Aside from national and state issues, the Nov. 8 General Election has a number of locals running for state and county offices, local races and propositions. Here’s what we gleaned from the Oakland County Clerk’s “election” web page, and what you can expect to see on your ballots.

In Leonard voters will be asked to vote for “not more” than two village trustees. Each seat is for four years. Two residents are running, Jennifer Swack and John Hawkings. Leonard voters will also be asked whether or not to allow marijuana establishments to operate in the village. The proposal reads: This Petition Would Require the Village of Leonard Initiation of an Ordinance to Allow an Adult Use Recreational Marihuana Establishment.

The Village of Leonard, as required by the authority of Section 6, Subsection 1 of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation Marihuana Act, 2018 Initiated Law 1 MCL 333.27951 Forward the proposition to allow and regulate within the Village limits the business operations of persons/businesses licensed by the State to operate Marihuana Establishment(s). This proposition would: 1) Allow State licensed Marihuana Establishments to operate within the Village in any zoning district including residential zoning; 2) Provide for an Ordinance for regulation of Recreational Marihuana for the operation of an establishment within the Village limits for growers, processors, retailers, transporters and micro-businesses. Should this proposition be adopted?

Addison Township voters will vote for “not more” than one trustee whose term will end on Nov. 20, 2024. Only one person is on the ballot, Rep. Mary Frost.

Voters for Oxford Village will be asked to vote for “not more” than three people as council members. Each is a four-year term. There are three village residents running, all incumbents: Kelsey Cooke, Maureen Helmuth and Allison Kemp.

One person in Oxford Township is running for a trustee seat, with a term to end Nov. 20, 2024, Rep. Catherine Colvin, the incumbent.

There are seven people running for four, four-year seats on the Oxford School Board. Of the seven only one, Mary Hanser is an incumbent. Rounding out the candidate list for the school board are Bryan Eftink, Charlie Hanks, Amanda McDonough, James Sommers, George Stoffan and Michael Whitney. Current board members not seeking re-election are Korey Bailey, Chad Griffith and Erick Foster.

All area voters will also be asked to support or not an Oakland County-wide public transportation millage. The proposal, put on the ballot by the county board of commissioners on Aug. 10, reads as follows:

“A proposal to authorize Oakland County to levy a millage for the purpose of funding public transportation services in Oakland County, including operating, maintaining, improving, and expanding transit services, creating and expanding new fixed routes for bus service connecting local communities, expanding transportation services for seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities, and providing transportation to get employees to jobs, patients to healthcare, students to colleges and universities, for the general public to have more transportation options, and for related purposes authorized by law.

“This millage would be levied at a maximum rate of .95 mills (95 cents per $1,000 in taxable value) for a period of 10 years beginning in 2022 and ending in 2031.

“This millage would replace an expiring millage levied by the Oakland County Public Transportation Authority supporting the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), and fund replacement of other local public transportation millages.

“If this new millage is approved and levied, revenue will be distributed to Oakland County, SMART, North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA), Older Persons’ Commission (OPC), and the Western Oakland Transportation Authority (WOTA). It is estimated that $66,163,000 will be collected in the first year. Expenditure of revenue from the millage will be subject to oversight by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and to independent audits. Should this proposal be adopted?”

Our area also has a number of residents running for state and regional.

Oxford residents Emily Busch (Dem) and Josh Schriver (Rep) are running against each other for the two-year term as State Representative for the 66^th District.

Oxford residents Justine Willcock (Dem) and Michael Spisz (incumbent, Rep) will run against each other to represent residents as the Oakland County Commissioner for the 5^th District. It is a two-year term.

Oxford resident Rick Donovan is one of nine people running to be a member of the Oakland Community College Board of Trustees. Voters will be asked to vote for “not more” than three. Each seat is for six years. Also running are Kathleen Bertolini of Clarkston, Edward Callaghan of Royal Oak, Alexander Duensign of West Bloomfield, Pamela Jackson of Commerce, Darko Martinovski of Rochester Hills, Jeffrey Simek of Lake Orion, Douglas Smith of Bloomfield Hills and Michael Tobin, also of West Bloomfield.