BRANCH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – Branch County voters gave a big thumbs down to a five year millage request for Maple Lawn Medical Care Facility and Rehabilitation on November 8. The request was trounced by almost 2,900 votes with 9,193 voting no while 6,280 said yes.
The millage was requested because Maple Lawn officials claimed they had to deal with drastic increases in costs as well as a decrease in revenues because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also said a difficult job market led to the Maple Lawn census being much lower which made for a significant revenue loss.
The money would have been used for the operation of the facility over the next five years. A divided Branch County Board of Commissioners decided in August to advance Maple Lawn $1 million and put the five year millage question on Tuesday’s ballot.
The $1 million advance would be in increments of $250,000 but as of the end of the year, Maple Lawn has not accepted any money from the county.
For the second time in six months, voters in the Coldwater Community School district turned down a bond proposal in May that would have been used to fund improvements and upgrades at Coldwater High School and other buildings in the district. The final tally was 1,989 to 1,781 in favor of the no votes. That compares to the 1,929 to 1,686 edge for the no votes in November of 2021 which indicated not a whole of minds.
The measure was voted down despite a large push by a local citizens group known as Citizens for Coldwater Schools. But Branch County taxpayers were apparently fed up after they approved millage requests for a new jail and a new fourth and fifth grade school as well as a phone surcharge for the Enhanced 911 project in recent years.
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