Voters who live in the Martin school district will have two reasons cast ballots in the special election Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Besides deciding on the Republican Party’s nominee for 80th District State Representative, they will be asked to approve a renewal for two years of a tax levy of 18.6524 mills on non-homestead property for Martin schools.
Martin, Watson and Martin townships are included in the 80th State House District, so they will be eligible to vote in a Republican Party primary to fill out the remainder of the term of Cindy Gamrat, who was elected in November 2014, but was expelled earlier this month for her role in the coverup of an extra-martial affair she had with fellow State Rep. Todd Courser, who resigned.
Gamrat has decided to seek election to the office again. She joins Republicans Mary Whiteford, Eric De Witt, Bill Sage, James Siver, Jim Storey, Shannon Szukala and Kevin Travis on the ballot. The winner will face Democrat David Gernant in the March 8 general election.
The winner of the general election will serve at least until the end of 2016 and will be eligible to seek re-election to a full two-year term beginning in January 2017. The primary elections will take place in August 2016 and the general election will be in November.
The school millage renewal will apply only to commercial and industrial properties and second residences. Primary residences will not be affected.
The ballot language is as such:
“This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance and renews millage that will expire with the 2015 tax levy.
“Shall the currently authorized millage rate limitation of 18.6524 mills ($18.6524 on each $1,000 of taxable
valuation) on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law in Martin Public Schools, Allegan and Barry Counties, Michigan, be renewed for a period of two years, 2016 and 2017, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2016 is approximately $501,000 (this is a renewal of millage which will expire with the 2015 tax levy and will only be levied to the extent necessary for the school district to receive its full pe r pupil foundation allowance)?”
