By Jim Bloch
The Aug. 4 primary is Tuesday and Blue Water Area residents will be weighing in on state, county and local races and proposals.
On the state level, voters must choose a party, Democratic or Republican, and vote only for intra-party candidates. Presented below are the races that are competitive, those in which two or more candidates are running. In the local races, only those in cities are included.
Michigan
On the Democratic section, Jocelyn Benson is running against Christopher Robert Swanson, to head the ticket for Michigan governor; incumbent Gretchen Whitmer is term limited. Three candidates are vying for the Democratic nod to run for U.S. Senate, replacing the retiring Gary Peters: Abdul El-Sayed, Mallory McMorrow and Haley Stevens.
On the Republican ledger, Mike Cox, John James, Perry Johnson and Ari Nesbitt are squaring off for the right to run for governor. Four candidates are vying for the nod to run for State Senator in the 25th District: Andrew Beeler, Gary R. Eisen, John W. Mahaney and Randy Schulz.
St. Clair County
Residents in St. Clair County are being asked to renew three millages.
The St. Clair County Senior Citizens millage would raise money for senior services in the county. The levy would be .8 mills or 80 cents per $1,000 of taxable value, about half the retail value of a home. The renewal request is for four years, through 2029. The tax would raise $6,913,513 in its first year.
The St. Clair County Ambulance Services millage is requesting a renewal of .5 mills for four years or 50 cents per $1,000 of taxable value on one’s property. The measure would raise $4,330,595 in its first year.
St. Clair County Community College is asking voters to renew the college’s .5 mill levy or 50 cents for $1,000 of taxable property value. The renewal would run four years, raising about $3.7 million in its first year.
Local
In Marysville, voters will be asked to renew the operating millage for Marysville Public Schools. The renewal of the 18 mill 10-year levy would result in property owners paying $18 per $1,000 of taxable value, about half of the property’s market value. It would raise about $4.3 million in its first year.
In St. Clair, Robert Kelly McFarland and Jamie Sonneberger, both Democrats, are vying to become the candidate for state rep in the 63rd District, a two-year term. Republicans Kelly Tucker and Paul Zeller are competing for the right to run for County Commissioner in the 5th District. Residents are being asked to renew the 2.4902 mill, 10-year tax that supports paving streets in the city. The tax would capture about $6.8 million in its first year.
In Algonac, voters are being asked to renew the 1.8152 sinking fund millage for Algonac Public Schools. The 10-year renewal would pay for building construction and repair, security improvements and technology purchases and upgrades. It would raise nearly $2 million in its first year.
In Yale and in District 2 in Memphis, James Andonoff and James M. O-Brien are competing for the Democratic candidacy for state rep in the 65th District.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.co
