Island Residents To Vote City, School Positions May 3

Mackinac Island’s city and school elections will be May 3 this year. Island voters will, for the first time, be voting for candidates for city and school offices under a new state elections consolidation plan, designed to save money and reduce voter confusion, instead of in April and June.

The state’s nine-bill consolidated elections package restricts federal, state, county, city, township, village, and school elections to four dates a year: the fourth Tuesday in February and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May, August, and November. Local governments could take their pick, or have the state select a date for them.

The city council, which held elections in April, and the school board, which held them in June, selected, independently, the month of May for elections from now on.

Mayor Margaret Doud and City Clerk Karen Lennard will be running unopposed for another one-year term this year. Also running unopposed are City Assessor Robert Benser Sr. and Supervisor Ronald Dufina. Their sole function is to sit on the Board of Review, which reviews the Island’s tax rolls and hears appeals on property assessments.

Two three-year term seats on the city council are up. Ellen Putnam, who has served three terms (nine years) on the board, announced she will not run again. Incumbent Jason St. Onge, who is finishing his first term, said he will run again. Mikie Gallagher and Armin Porter are also candidates for one of the two council seats, which will go to the top two vote-getters.

City Treasurer Dorothy Dehring, who has held the position since 1992, has decided not to run again. Rick Linn, Ryan Fox, and Carrie Kaminen are candidates for the treasurer position, which has a one-year term.

The four-year terms of Leanne Brodeur and Jason St. Onge are up, and both will run again, unopposed.

Ms. Brodeur is finishing her first term on the board. Mr. St. Onge was appointed to the board five years ago to complete Marc Bobinsky’s term, then was elected to a full term the following year.