Copyright M Live Michigan
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI — Presidents and senators aren’t on the ballot this Nov. 4 in Kalamazoo County, but voters will still weigh in on important local races this Election Day. Voters in the city of Kalamazoo, Portage and Parchment will select their city council/commission representatives, while communities across the county will vote on tax increases and bonds to fund local schools and community resources. Polls open Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters can find their sample ballot and polling location online. Early voting is open for nine days before the election, up through Nov. 2. Voters can find their local early voting sites and hours online. The deadline to register to vote online has passed, but citizens can still register in-person at their local city or township clerk’s office. In-person registration is available until polls close at 8 p.m. Below are all the races, candidates and proposals on the ballot across Kalamazoo County. Kalamazoo City Commission Two current Kalamazoo commissioners aren’t running this November, guaranteeing voters two new faces come Nov. 17. Ten people are vying for three seats on the board. The term is four years. Only one incumbent is in the running: Bernard Dervan III Drew Duncan Jacqueline Slaby Jessica Thompson Keshia Dickason Kizzy Bradford Sara Schlack Soloman Carpenter Stephanie Hoffman (incumbent) Thomas Durlach MORE: Kalamazoo City Commission election: Candidates share opinions on housing, downtown Kalamazoo mayor David Anderson is running for a fourth term as Kalamazoo mayor. He served on the Kalamazoo City Commission for 14 years before he was elected mayor in 2019. Three candidates are running for that two-year seat: David Anderson (incumbent) Robert E. Gray Chris Glasser MORE: Kalamazoo mayor election: 3 candidates weigh how city is on right track, wrong track Portage City Council Portage voters will also elect their mayor and council on Nov. 4. Three seats, currently held by Councilmembers Vic Ledbetter, Terry Urban and Jihan Young, are up for grabs. There are eight candidates running for the four-year positions, including all three incumbents: Charley Coss Jay Woodhams Jason Mikkelborg Jihan Young (incumbent) Kathleen Olmstead Mark McKeon Terry Urban (incumbent) Vic Ledbetter (incumbent) MORE: Portage City Council election: Candidates outline visions for city’s future Portage mayor Incumbent Mayor Patricia Randall is facing former councilmember Nasim Ansari for her fifth term as mayor. These candidates are running for the next two-year term: Patricia Randall (incumbent) Nasim Ansari MORE: Portage mayor election: Candidates outline their priorities for city’s future RELATED: Follow the money: How trash and politics are influencing the Portage city election Parchment City Commission In Parchment, four four-year seats on the City Commission are up for election Nov. 4. Instead of electing a candidate for mayor, Parchment commissioners appoint one member of the board to serve as mayor during their first meeting. Seven people have filed to run: Elizabeth Seeger Genevieve Gibson Kristen Capelli Michael Conner (Incumbent) Nina Mihalek Robert Britigan III (Incumbent) Tammy Cooper (Incumbent) MORE: 18-year-old challenges incumbent candidates, including mayor for Parchment City Commission 6 proposals Some voters will also see proposals on their ballots Nov. 4. Kalamazoo, Portage, Parchment, Comstock Township, Kalamazoo Township and precincts three through nine in Oshtemo Township are being asked to replace an expiring METRO transit millage. The new urban millage proposal would tax residents in those areas at 1.1 mills from 2026 through 2030. If approved, the new millage would cost a homeowner with a $200,000 home $110 per year in taxes — an increase of $20 annually over what the expiring urban millage requires. In Portage, in addition to voting for city council and mayor candidates, voters will decide on a $132.4 million Portage Public Schools bond. The bond would add to a $175 million bond passed in 2021 to rebuild five elementary schools and renovate a sixth. Thus far, two new elementary schools funded by the bond have opened and a third is under construction. Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools is asking voters to pass a $11.2 million bond to fund a new transportation facility and other district improvements too costly for the district’s operating budget. The Parchment School District is putting a $32.35 million bond on the ballot after voters rejected a costlier bond proposal in May. The funds are needed to address safety and security upgrades at the district’s elementary schools and upgrade heating and air conditioning, said Parchment School District Superintendent Sarah Neumann. Comstock Public Schools is asking voters to approve a $31.8 million bond. The 1.18 mills will raise money for new roofing, classroom renovations and expansion at Comstock Elementary School. Finally, Richland Township library officials are asking for a tax increase to help modernize and maintain facilities and improve programming and hours. Voters will weigh in on the 0.75-mill proposal.
