There are many headaches related to elections looming for Dorr Township officials. Not only are they preparing for the general election Nov. 6, they have learned about extra duties required by providing copies of 2016 election ballots and a recount next month for the recycling millage that barely passed Aug. 7.
‘Emily’ wants 2016 election ballot copies
The Priorities USA Foundation, believed to have strong ties to the Democratic Party, claims it has contracted a third party to send hundreds of public records requests to Michigan clerks seeking copies of ballots and relevant accompanying materials from the 2016 presidential election.
Dorr Township Clerk Debbie Sewers told board colleagues Thursday evening that the development, requested by “Emily,” will be an extra burden on her and her office.
“The time frame is horrible,” Sewers said, noting the Nov. 6 general election is approaching. “This is going to be an extra burden. It’s going to take a lot of time.”
The clerk said the cost for the project has been estimated at $6,500 and involve about 265 hours.
Barbara Chachulski in the audience said the project is being implemented because, “They (Democrats) can’t accept Trump as being our president.”
Bernie Schumaker, another in the audience, shouted, “It’s George Soros!” Soros is the wealthy businessman often associated with contributing to liberal causes.
However, Sewers said a large percentage of voters in Dorr Township did not cast votes for president two years ago.
Recount on recycling vote will be Sept. 13
And that’s not all for the clerk’s office to handle. A Sept. 13 date has been scheduled for a recount of the tally on the recycling millage proposal, the only one approved in Dorr in the Aug. 7 primary. It was passed by a very slim margin of 15 votes, 863 to 848.
The proposal was to levy a surcharge of up to $36 per year for each household to fund curbside recycling services throughout the township. It would not allow any residents to opt out of the program.
Library, parks officials reeling from losses
Two other millage proposals, one for the Dorr Township Library and the other for maintenance and improvements at Dorr Park, were defeated, causing proponents to scramble about what to do in response.
The library proposal, which lost 1,070 to 634, was for up to 0.798 mill for 10 years, which would have provided about $212,000 for operations and programs. The current authorized millage rate, a half mill less, will expire at the end of 2019. The Township Board provides $40,000 in added support.
Rachel Vote, president of the Dorr Township Library Board, told Township Board members, “If there isn’t a strong library in the community, property values will decrease. Local residents will have to pay for services, we’ll lose our director and we’ll have to cut staff.”
Treasurer Jim Martin said he hopes another millage request could go on the ballot in the August primary 2020 and if approved tax collection could occur late in that year.
Voters soundly rejected the Park Maintenance and Improvement five-year proposal, about a third of a mill, by almost a 2-to-1 margin, 1,105 to 600. This millage would have raised an estimated $85,328 in the first year.