With all townships unofficially reporting, a renewal millage that would have funded the Kaliseum Recreation Complex in Kalkaska was denied by voters, with about 48% in favor and 51% opposed.
All four other millages passed.
911 Central Dispatch: 67.5% in favor, 32.4% opposed
Conservation District Renewal: 63.2% in favor, 36.7% opposed
Roads Maintenance Renewal: 66.7% in favor, 33.2% opposed
County Library Renewal: 65.6% in favor, 34.3% opposed
The 911 millage was the only new millage on the ballot. It will fund technology improvements to the dispatch center with a 0.6 mill levied on properties in Kalkaska for the next five years.
It would bring in more than $600,000 every year.
Sheriff Patrick Whiteford said the millage is part of a 10-year budget plan to supplement the existing plan for the dispatch center, replacing technology such as computers.
“All these systems run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” Whiteford said. “So all of those different components are expensive and they need to be replaced every seven- to 10 years at most.”
As a taxpayer in Kalkaska, he said, nobody likes to see their taxes go up, but this is a necessity.
