BRANCH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – There are just a handful of contested races along with an important funding question for Maple Lawn Medical Care Facility and Rehabilitation on Tuesday’s Branch County Election Day ballot.
Financial issues caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic led to Maple Lawn officials asking for a five year millage request.
The millage would request .99 mills “for the purpose of providing funds to be used for the operation, maintenance, and capital costs” at Maple Lawn and bring in over $1.6 million in the first year.
Maple Lawn is also seeking a $1 million advance but the Branch County Board of Commissioners were told last month the first $250,000 increment was not needed at this time. It was agreed in August the advance would in increments of $250,000.
Besides the millage request for the Maple Lawn Medical Care Facility, there are other funding proposals on Tuesday that some Branch County voters will have to make decisions on.
A “Headlee Override” question is on the ballot in Gilead Township.
Branch County residents in the Reading Community School District will be asked to approve a renewal for operating millage as well as a second proposal to raise the millage rate by two mills for each of the next nine years through 2030.
Jon Houtz is the only Branch County Commissioner facing a challenge on Tuesday. The Republican incumbent is running against Democratic challenger Chris Boger.
Republican Commissioners Randall Hazelbaker, Tim Stoll and Tom Mathew all running unopposed. Alan McClellan is also running unopposed after winning the G.O.P. Primary.
Also running unopposed on the Republican side are County Treasurer Steve Rutz and Register of Deeds Nyci DeLoach.
There are no contested township races.
Union City Village President William Avery will be trying to win a fourth four-year term in Tuesday’s general election but he will once again have to defeat challenger James Hurley in a rematch of a nail biting 2018 race.
Avery defeated Hurley in the 2018 election by just six votes, 204-198. Devin Bloom was third with 113 votes.
Avery and Hurley are the only two candidates for Village President in this year’s election.
Write-in candidates Jose Albarran and Chad Everett will vie for a partial term seat on the Bronson School Board. The results will not be known until the Branch County Board of Canvassers meet since write-in candidates don’t appear on the ballot.
Meanwhile, there are a pair of board seats up for election with candidates Frank Barker, Janet Byler, Brian Eley, Jordon Houtz, Jennifer Krontz and William Rinehart on the ballot.
Byler is the current board president while Eley is the vice president. The top two in the final balloting will be elected to six year terms on the Bronson School Board.
The results posted on the Branch County Clerk’s Office web site will not be official until they are certified by the Board of Canvassers. They will begin meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. They are scheduled to meet all day on Thursday and possibly on Monday. Friday is a holiday due to Veterans Day.
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