DesJardins

MARQUETTE — Following Tuesday’s general election Munising Mayor Rod DesJardins has won re-election as member of the Munising City Commission by 136 votes against his opponent Johanna Bogater.

DesJardins, a U.S. Navy veteran and past commander of the American Legion where he currently serves as adjutant, has served on the commission for 21 years and has been mayor of the city for 17 years. He’s currently employed as housing services director at Community Action Alger Marquette.

“I take the results as confirmation that the citizens of Munising are happy with the direction the city has taken and is going,” DesJardins said. “Munising is without a doubt the best place I’ve ever lived and I’m honored to continue to serve the community.”

With 1,838 registered voters in Munising, 608 cast their ballot Tuesday. DesJardins received 372 votes and Bogater received 236.

“I’m impressed the strong showing my opponent received — she did relatively well,” DesJardins said. “I’m going to encourage her to stay involved and continue to participate in local politics.”

Voters also approved two millage proposals on Tuesday, with one of the millages applying to multiple municipalities in Alger County.

The millage specific to Munising voters is a proposal that will restore a portion of the city’s original 20-mill operating millage, which has been reduced to about 17.99 mills by Headlee Amendment rollbacks.

The proposal passed by a vote of 360 to 235 votes.

The Headlee proposal will restore 1.981 mills to the city’s original authorized charter rate each year for five years, 2018 to 2022, all inclusive. One mill is equal to $1 per $1,000 of taxable property value.

The estimate of the revenue the city will collect if the millage is authorized and levied in 2018 is about $97,350, according to the proposal.

The other proposal was approved by a vote of 873-588.

The proposal focuses on Munising Public Schools borrowing money and was on the ballot in the city of Munising, and Au Train, Grand Island and Munising townships in Alger County, and Hiawatha Township in Schoolcraft County.

Munising Public Schools is now authorized to borrow the sum of $7.25 million and issue bonds for remodeling, equipping and furnishing school buildings, as well as acquiring and installing instructional technology in school buildings.

The estimated millage is 2.29 mills, $2.29 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation. The maximum number of years the bonds may be outstanding, exclusive of any refunding, is 26 years. The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to be required to retire the bond debt is 2.27 mills.

The school district does not expect to borrow from the state to pay debt service on the bonds, and the total amount of qualified bonds and loans currently outstanding is zero.

All results are considered unofficial until certified by the county’s board of canvassers.

Jaymie Depew can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206. Her email address is jdepew@miningjournal.net.