Tagged: Troy

Michigan's local election results

• Democratic State Representative Jim Ananich won the open state senate seat in Genesee county. He defeated Republican Robert Daunt by picking up 75 percent of the vote.

• Dane Slater was re-elected Mayor of Troy. He was appointed after former Mayor Janice Daniels was recalled. Slater defeated primary opponent Marty Knollenberg.

• Citizens in Benton Harbor voted overwhelmingly to raise property taxes to support city services. The city is running in the red. The millage represents about 20 percent of the city’s income.

State of disaster declared in Michigan

"Governor Rick Snyder has declared a state of disaster across much of Michigan due to storm- and flood-related damage last month. The proclamation makes state resources available to help the weather-stricken areas. The disaster proclamation covers the cities of Grand Rapids and Ionia in west Michigan, and 19 counties in the western Upper Peninsula, northern lower Michigan and southwest Michigan," Rick Pluta reports.

Troy Mayor Dane Slater won re-election in a bitterly-waged race against challenger Marty Knollenberg, whose campaign apparently paid for negative robo-calls the weekend before the vote. 

All this for a volunteer position that pays $175 a month only, for expenses. 

"Of course, that's before taxes," he joked.  "That doesn't even pay my cleaning or gas bill, quite honestly." 

Slater decried the city's "dirty" politics, and says he hopes things get better from now on.  "We need to put an end to this dirty trick campaigning," the Mayor told Michigan Radio, "and I'm hoping they recognize, because of what happened tonight, we can stop this nonsense that is tearing us apart." 

Slater was appointed mayor in 2012, after voters recalled Janice Daniels, who gained statewide attention for making anti-gay slurs shortly after her 2011 election. 

Slater says he wants Troy to be known for its positives - safe streets, a strong business environment, a diverse population, and good schools.

Michigan voters go to the polls on Tuesday.

School bond issues dominate the ballot in most of Michigan.

For example, Kalamazoo voters are being asked to decide on a $62 million bond request. If voters give their OK, the district would spend most of the money on maintaining city school buildings.

There are a few elected offices on the ballot of note.

In Genesee County, voters are picking a new state senator. Former senator John Gleason stepped down after winning the Genesee County clerk’s election last fall.

Troy is starting plans for a special mayoral election in May. Judge Denise Langford Morris has ordered the city to hold a special election in May to replace recalled Mayor Janice Daniels.

Troy officials had wanted to hold off on the election until next November.

State-run health exchange rejected in House

Action on a state-run exchange for people to shop for health coverage was rejected in the state House Thursday. As the Lansing State Journal reports,

"Gov. Rick Snyder prefers a state-run program, but his administration this month applied for a federal grant as a first step toward the fallback position of teaming with the federal department. States have the option of creating their own exchange, teaming up with the federal government or having a federal system. . . Some Democrats opposed the legislation because it was linked to bills that would prohibit qualified health plans offered through a state exchange from providing coverage for elective abortion but would allow people to buy optional supplemental coverage for elective abortion outside the exchange."

Bills move forward to make gray wolf a game species

The Michigan Senate has approved a bill that would designate the gray wolf as a game species. The bill gives the Natural Resources Commission authority to decide whether to establish wolf hunting seasons. As the Detroit Free Press reports,

"The wolves were removed from the endangered species list in January, but only the DNR is allowed to manage the wolf population, which has begun to encroach upon U.P. towns, according to residents. The animals also are having a big impact on the U.P.'s deer population, killing between 17,000 and 29,000 deer every year, according to a report from the DNR."

State threatens to sue Troy over special election

"The state is threatening to sue the city of Troy over plans for a special election to replace recalled Mayor Janice Daniels. The Michigan Department of Elections says state law requires an election in February. Troy officials want to wait until next November. The state sent a letter to city leaders giving them until 1pm Friday to comply with the directive, and avoid litigation," Chris Zollars reports.