Election Information for Primaries and School Bond Vote Feb. 28

(C. Proxmire, Ferndale 115 News, released 2/25/2012, not included in print versions)

Michigan’s lawmakers have amended the State’s Election Law to require a statewide presidential primary election on February 28, 2012. The law calls for separate ballots to be printed for Republican candidates and for Democratic candidates.

Below are examples of ballot options for Ferndale Residents who also live in the Ferndale School District. Those in the Hazel Park District will face only the primaries.

The School Bond proposal is for $22,825,000, extending the floating of an existing bond. Last summer a Bond Committee looked at the projects Ferndale Schools hopes to accomplish with the bond money, including asbestos removal, heating vent issues, pool repairs, carpeting, and technology upgrades and the infrastructure to support them. Over 20 residents have formed Citizens for Quality Schools to help promote the bond.

Citizens for a Fair Ferndale (CFF) held a voter forum that focused on the ballot question on Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 2pm at the Ferndale Public Library (222 E. Nine Mile).

Choosing Your Ballot

Voters must choose, in writing, which type of ballot they wish to vote. This will be done on the Application to Vote : (note, if the sample ballots do not show up, go to http://www.ferndale-mi.com/Services/Elections/SampleBallot.htm)

Please note:

You do not need to be a member of a political party to vote in this election.
By making this selection you are not joining a party. You are only declaring which primary you would like to vote in for this election.
If you do not make a selection you will not be given a ballot.
You cannot request both ballots
The amendment to the Election Law requires the information on which ballot a voter chooses be made available to the public for 22 months following the election, after which time it will be destroyed.

Ferndale Schools Bond Proposal

Voters in Precincts 1 – 7 will also be voting on the proposed bond issue for Ferndale Schools. The proposal will be on both the Republican and the Democratic ballots. Voters will also have a 3^rd choice – to vote a ballot that only contains the school bond proposal.

Here is the wording of the proposal as taken from The City of Ferndale Website:

Ferndale Public Schools
School Building and Site Bond Proposal

Shall the Ferndale Public Schools, County of Oakland, State of Michigan borrow the sum of not to exceed Twenty-Two Million Eight Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand and 00/100 ($22,825,000) Dollars and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefor, for a period of not to exceed thirty (30) years, for the purpose of defraying the costs of:

remodeling, equipping and reequipping, furnishing and refurnishing school buildings or parts of those facilities, including mechanical upgrades; asbestos removal; additional lighting; improvements to the high school auditorium and stage, and to the pools; and safety and security upgrades;

preparing, developing and improving school sites, or parts of or additions to sites, including parking lots and drives, playgrounds, structures, or other facilities;

acquiring and installing technology and equipping or reequipping school buildings for technology. including installation of technology infrastructure and upgrading existing hardware?

The estimated millage that will be levied for the proposed bonds in the first year that the levy is authorized Is zero (0.00) mills, and the estimated simple average annual millage that will be required to retire the debt over the term of the bonds is approximately Four and 52/100 (4.52) mills. It is not expected that the School District will be required to levy more than the seven (7) mills for debt retirement purposes that it currently levies but the amount of the tax levy may decrease more slowly and/or be levied for a longer period of time as a result of the issuance of these bonds. If the School District borrows from the State to pay debt service on the bonds of this issue, the School District may be required to continue to levy mills beyond term of the bonds to repay the State.

Sample Ballots

Republican Party