Proposals are well received at polls

by Peter Jakey– Managing Editor

It was a good day for proposals in Presque Isle County. School ballot questions, along with continued funding for emergency services, and a new way to fund the Rogers City Fire Department, all received impressive support at the polls. Posen Consolidated Schools superintendent John Palmer does not have to worry about closing the doors of the school in the district after a pair of proposals put before voters in the district were approved.

To steal an adage from ?American Idol? host Ryan Seacrest when contestants survive the vote of the viewing audience, Posen is ?safe.? So is Rogers City Area Schools, after voters approved a millage renewal presented to them. Proposals for the recently established Rogers City Fire Department Authority, as well as the Rogers City Ambulance Authority, were both received with resounding ?yes? votes. In only one precinct was a proposal close to being defeated. Bismarck Township had 28 ?yes? and 28 ?no? votes for the ambulance proposal.

THE NON-HOMESTEAD tax renewal in Posen for 16.3479 mills passed 223 to 54. A second proposal to restore the district to a full 18 mills and give school officials a one mill cushion if the Headlee Amendment reduces the fund again, passed 183 to 94. Both proposals will now be in place for five years. Two available school board seats were up for grabs in Posen with current school board president Ken Wozniak being re-elected with 249 votes. Newcomer Connie Miller garnered 207 votes. Both will begin four-year terms July 1.

The non-homestead renewal in the Rogers City Area Schools, to levy 18-mills for the next three years, was approved 481 to 262. Part of the proposal was a renewal, while .443 mill restores the sinking fund to a full 18 mills. The taxes will be levied against non-homestead parcels, businesses, along with qualified agriculture and forest property. Two school board seats were available, but Bryan Hall was the only candidate on the ticket. He received 626 votes. The school board will now be faced with the task of filling the other seat before July 1.

A NEW FIRE protection millage by the Rogers City Fire Department Authority received the support it needed 489 to 231. It changes the way the local department is funded, and, as Rogers City manager Mark Slown said i

n last week?s Advance, it spreads the funding burden to the four townships. The proposal was for one mill with $165,501 to be collected in the first year. There was no increase to Rogers City voters, who had already been paying for the service.

Taxpayers in Rogers, Moltke, Belknap, and Bismarck agreed to pick up an extra mill to support the newly formed group. The election results follow: Rogers City precinct 1, 156 to 36; Rogers City precinct 2, 108 to 37; Rogers City precinct 3, 35 to 18; Belknap 52 to 45; Bismarck 27 to 21; Moltke 28 to 15; and Rogers 83 to 59. The proposal will be in place through 2011.

The Rogers City Ambulance Authority received a thumbs up to continued funding, 803 to 324, for a one mill renewal in 13 precincts. The results follow: Bearinger 27 to 11; Belknap 60 to 38; Bismarck 28 to 28; Krakow 44 to 36; Metz 24 to 18; Moltke 34 to 9; Ocqueoc 34 to 17; Posen 98 to 31; Pulawski 35 to 18; Rogers 91 to 53; Rogers City 1, 164 to 32; Rogers City 2, 120 to 24; Rogers City precinct 3, 44 to 9. The proposal will now be in place until 2012.

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