By Melissa Burnor
Aug. 2 voters will go to the polls and choose a slate of candidates for either the Republican or Democratic tickets in the November General Election. There will also be some local millage request as well as a non-partisan primary for Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge.
Potentially independent candidates could also be on the November ballot. The deadline to file as an independent candidate was 4 p.m. Thursday, July 21, for township and county offices.
All township board seats in every local township are up for re-election in 2016 including, supervisor, clerk, treasurer and trustee positions.
Blissfield, Deerfield, Palmyra, and Ogden Townships will not have any races for the Republican or Democratic nominations.
Blissfield Township:
The township will not have any challenges in the primary. Four incumbents, Supervisor Adolio “Al” Navarro, Clerk Nancy Cranor, Treasurer Karen Baldwin and Trustee Devon Gilson-Pitts all sought re-election on the Republican ticket. Mark Burgermeister is Democratic candidate for supervisor and he and Navarro will square off in November.
Additionally as of Friday Orrin Gregg, incumbent trustee, has filed as an independent candidate. Brittany Alcock has also filed as an independent challenger for township clerk.
Blissfield has no millages on the August ballot.
Deerfield Township:
All five incumbents on the Deerfield Township board are seeking a spot on the Republican ticket. Supervisor Ronald Cousino, Clerk Shirley Soldwish, Treasurer Pam Witt, and Trustees Daniel Witt and Joe Fowler are all on the ballot. They are thus far unopposed.
Deerfield Township will also have three millage renewal requests on the ballot. The township is asking for two-year renewals in a 3.0 mill road millage, a .5 mill fire equipment renewal and a .25 mill fire department operations renewal. The road millage would generate an estimated $200,692 in the first year. The fire equipment millage would generate approximately $33,448 and the operations renewal would generate $16,724.
Riga Township:
There are no contested races for the Riga Township board in the primary. Current Clerk Katy Gust has filed as a Republican for the township treasurer position. Current Treasurer Richard Beagle did not seek re-election. Trustees Brenda Buyaki-Delgado and Karlene M. Goetz have filed for reelection as township trustees also on the Republican ticket. Natalie Thompson is the lone candidate for township clerk. Township Supervisor Gary Kastel is on the ballot as a Democratic candidate. Riga has no millages on the August primary ballot.
Ogden Township:
All five township board members are the only names on the ballot. The entire slate of candidates are running as Republicans and include Supervisor Richard Marks, Clerk Alice Clark, Treasurer Rick Dennison, and Trustees Eric Martis and Mark Vandenbusche
Ogden Township has two millage request before the voters this year. A renewal of 2.0 mills for road and bridge repairs and maintenance. The four-year request would generate approximately $108,968 in the first year. The second request is a 1.0 mill renewal for fire and ambulance service. It would generate approximately $54, 484 in the first year.
Whiteford Township has no race in the primary but incumbent Republican Treasurer Timothy Hill will have a Democratic challenger in November. Hill, along with incumbent Supervisor Walter Ruhl, Clerk Angela Christensen and Trustee Donald Sahloff are running as Republicans. Trustee Bernice Heidelberg is on the Democratic ticket. Beth Pauli is also on the Democratic ticket as a candidate for township treasurer.
A Republican, Robert Vansinger and Democratic candidate Daniel Briskey are both seeking four-year renewals as township constables.
Whiteford township as well as other Monroe County residents have two millage requests on the primary ballot. Monroe County is seeking a .5 mill request for the senior citizen renewal for four years beginning in 2017 and ending in 2020. The millage would generate approximately $2,832,080 in the first year and funds senior citizen services to residents 60 years of age or older in Monroe County.
A supplemental millage of .25 mills for senior citizen funding is also on the ballot for four years. The additional millage would generate $1,416,040 beginning in the first year.
Palmyra Township is the only local township with a contested primary race for the office of treasurer. Three candidates are seeking the Republican nomination. That race along with other county and contested races will be highlighted in next week’s Advance.