Voters in Greater West Bloomfield weigh in on Election Day

GREATER WEST BLOOMFIELD — Residents in the Beacon’s coverage area cast their votes for local candidates running for elected positions in the general election on Nov. 5.

Aside from choosing candidates, residents also had the opportunity to decide on some local-specific proposals.

West Bloomfield Township supervisor
Democratic incumbent Steven Kaplan ran unopposed for a four-year term. It was previously reported that the annual salary for the position is estimated to be $145,000.

 

West Bloomfield Township clerk
Debbie Binder, who is the Democratic incumbent, ran opposed for a four-year term. The salary for the position was reported to be $137,000.

 

West Bloomfield Township treasurer
Democratic incumbent Teri Adelberg Weingarden also ran unopposed when seeking a four-year term. The salary for the position was reported to be $137,000.

 

West Bloomfield Township trustee
Democratic incumbents Jim Manna, Diane Rosenfeld Swimmer and Jonathan Warshay all ran unopposed, along with newcomer Vincent C. Kirkwood.

The compensation was previously reported to be $11,000 per year.

 

Sylvan Lake City Council
Three candidates ran for two four-year terms. The compensation is reportedly $5 per meeting.

The candidates running for office were current Sylvan Lake Mayor Jim Cowper, Mayor Pro Tem Sally Segal and Eucharist Peter Cassar. Cowper and Cassar ran as write-in candidates.

As of Nov. 6, results were not available, as according to the Clerk’s Office, the city was waiting on the Oakland County Board of Canvassers to certify the results.

 

Keego Harbor City Council
Incumbent John Fletcher and Ronnie Dahl were running unopposed for two three-year terms, with the compensation reported to be $100 per year.

 

Orchard Lake City Council
Incumbents Bruce McIntyre and Fred Leeb, along with Joseph S. Majcher, ran unopposed for three three-year terms. There is reportedly no compensation.

 

West Bloomfield School District Board of Education
Five candidates were running for one of three six-year terms.

Julie Beaty finished with 7,126 votes, followed by Nelson Hersh (7,067) and Kirsten Sonneville-Douglass (6,292).

Earnestina Moore (6,176) and Terri Hoyer Compton (5,461) were the other candidates.

In the Beacon’s voter guide, Beaty cited resource allocation as a top goal.

“Adequate funding is essential for effective instruction and student success, but budget constraints can hinder the educational experience,” she stated.

Support and professional development were also part of her goals.

“Continuous professional development and support for teachers and staff are vital,” Beaty stated. “As educational standards and student needs evolve, so too must the skills and knowledge of our educators.”

As part of his election profile, Hersh stated that the West Bloomfield School District is a “great” one due to the values and support of the community.

“I will continue to be fiscally responsible to our residents and taxpayers, transparent, accessible, kind and caring. I will work tirelessly ensuring our schools provide the best education and value in a safe nurturing environment so that we will be a destination district,” Hersh stated.

The goals that Sonneville-Douglass included for her election profile included bringing transparency, fiscal responsibility and accountability “back to our district.”

“Our schools require focused leadership to improve student achievement, enhance safety, and ensure we attract and retain students and staff,” she stated. “With declining enrollment, falling test scores, high staff turnover, and a troubling $2M operating deficit, it’s clear a change is needed. I am stepping up to drive that change.”

 

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools Board of Education
Four candidates were running for one of two six-year terms. There is reportedly no compensation.

Marc A. Siegler (21,966) and Susie Crafton (19,238) finished as the top vote-getters.

Tricia Auten (18,034) and Rebecca Behrends (17,868) were the other candidates.

Two candidates were running for a term that ends Dec. 31, 2028.

Lisa West finished ahead of Ron Lippitt, as she finished with 22,988 votes, compared to 20,234 for Lippitt.

Two candidates were running for a term that ends Dec. 31, 2026.

Michael Smith finished with 24,133 votes, compared to 17,815 for Steve Rix.

 

West Bloomfield Parks Commission
Eight candidates ran for one of seven four-year terms. The financial compensation was reported to be $125 per meeting.

Amy Mindell was the leading vote-getter among the Democratic candidates with 21,819 votes, followed by David Barash (21,143), Robert V. Brooks (20,981), Merv Aronoff (20,946), Sally Wenczel (20,817), Terrance T. Adams (20,792) and John Erich (20,572).

Olga Meyer was the lone Republican in the race. She finished with 18,104 votes.

Along with continuing to improve and reimagine shared community areas and preserving and protecting  natural areas, Mindell shared other aspirations as part of a previous election guide.

“Instill in our youth an appreciation for the natural world and stewardship for the wild,” she stated.

She also included supporting land management and biodiversity and providing open communication, accountability and transparency as a commissioner as goals.

 

West Bloomfield Township Library Board
Eight candidates were running for one of six four-year terms. There is reportedly no compensation for the position.

Carol A. Kravetz had the most votes with 12,582, followed by Rhonda Barnes Orr (11,510), Jennifer Taylor Boykins (10,922), Karen Eickemeyer (10,649), Michael R. Dorfman (10,350) and Raman Singh (8,827).

The other candidates were Cory Nummer (8,030) and Robert Tera (6,789).

Kravetz currently serves as the board’s president.

She shared her goals as part of the Beacon’s voter guide.

“My primary reason for joining and remaining on the Board is my desire to see that the Library meets and anticipates the needs of the community,” Kravetz stated. “I sincerely believe that our Library is the very heart of our community and I serve to ensure that we continue this mission.”

 

Keego Harbor amendment for police purposes
Keego Harbor residents approved a proposal that extends the city’s authority to levy 4 mills for police purposes until 2034, with 1,025 residents voting in favor of it and 377 voters opposing it.

Prior to the approval by residents, that authority was set to expire in 2026.

The last two times that Keego Harbor placed a police millage on the ballot prior to this most recent attempt, the proposals failed — in 2022 and last year.

Had the millage passed in 2022, it would have increased to 8 mills. After that failed, the city put forth a millage the following year that would have increased it to 7 mills.

Keego Police Chief Robert Barnes thinks that not including a tax increase with this year’s amendment proposal was a key factor in it being approved by residents.

“Everyone’s excited about it,” Barnes said. “We’re gonna be able to get some new equipment, hopefully, and it’ll add to keeping some of the officers in retention and making it more appealing to (want to) work here.”

 

Library millage and replace proposal
West Bloomfield residents voted in favor of a proposal that repeals the previous West Bloomfield Township Public Library millage authorization of 0.6586 mills, which was approved in 2010 and is set to expire in 2026, and replace it with a new millage to be levied at 0.7 mills, which is 70 cents for every $1,000 of a home’s taxable value.

There were 24,301 votes in favor of the proposal and 13,654 against it.

The new millage is set to begin with the Dec. 1 tax levy and  run through 2033.

Its approval means that plans can start being made to buy more materials, make tech improvements and renovate spaces, according to the library’s director, Cathleen Russ.

She expressed gratitude for the community’s support.

“To say I’m happy is probably an understatement,” Russ said. “I’m excited that we have 10 years of stable funding. We can now go forward and firm up our plans for the next 10 years and get moving on it.”

 

Orchard Lake proposal
The title for current Orchard Lake Director of City Services Gerry McCallum is set to change to city manager after residents passed a proposal that authorizes the city to make the change, with 1,006 residents voting in favor of it and 320 opposing it.

In a previous interview with the Beacon, McCallum explained the benefit of changing the title of the position of director of city services to city manager.

“What really brought this to a head is that there’s been some documents for the state of Michigan, treasury documents, that I can’t sign because I’m not designated as a city manager, even though I act like one (and) operate like one,” McCallum said. “I could not sign the documents because, legally, my title is not city manager; so, therefore, it required the highest elected official, the mayor, to sign, and we just felt it’d be more appropriate to have a manager’s position versus a director. But more importantly, a lot of organizations, like leadership organizations, don’t understand what a director of city services does, whereas a city manager’s pretty straightforward.”

 

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools proposal
A proposal put forth by Walled Lake Consolidated Schools seeking a replacement of its operating millage — an 18-mills non-homestead tax on business and other properties, and a 3.6297-mills “hold harmless” levy on homes, was approved by voters, with 32,118 voting yes, compared to 25,173 people who voted against it..

Non-homestead properties consist primarily of businesses, rental properties, vacant land and secondary homes within the district’s boundaries.

A millage rate of 18 mills that was previously approved by voters in 2014 was set to expire in 2025. However, due to the Headlee Amendment, it has been rolled back over the course of time.

With the approval, it is now in effect until 2037.

The Headlee Amendment to the Michigan Constitution requires local governments, including schools, to reduce their millage rates if taxable values go up higher than the rate of inflation.

Following the passage of the proposal, the district released a statement on its website.

“Thank you to the community for its strong support in favor of the 2024 Operating Millage Replacement! The continued dedication to our district will positively impact our students, staff and the local community for years to come,” the statement reads.