Chalk up another vote against consolidation of school elections with other public votes.
The Clarkston school board on Monday directed Secretary Stephen Hyer to write a letter to state Senator Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) to oppose adoption of a proposed state law that would limit the number of elections in a given year.
Proponents of the bill, which has passed the Michigan House of Representatives but has yet to come up for a vote in the Senate, say it will save tax dollars and reduce voter confusion about election dates. Opponents say it may cause more confusion, especially because of school districts which overlap several municipal boundaries.
Hyer, who also serves as the board’s legislative liaison, said a number of school boards across the state are opposing the bill.
“We’re theoretically opposed to the whole thing because it takes away local control,” he said. “We know what’s right for Clarkston.”
The proposed state law calls for city and township clerks to administer all elections, even if they are exclusively for school issues. Clarkston schools have contracted with Independence Township for election services in the past, but this past June decided to administer the election themselves.
Hyer said the current bill offers more flexibility than previous proposals (including the possibility of four established election dates and the opportunity to petition for a fifth date).
“If it did pass, it will be palatable,” he said.
Although the Senate is not expected to take up the bill, Hyer said school officials must be watchful.
“It’s still dead right now,” he said, “but every year it gathers more steam.”
Board President Karen Foyteck said she is opposed to having school board elections on a partisan ballot.
General election ballots already separate non-partisan races such as judges into separate categories, but Hyer said that is part of the problem.
“Philosophically, it doesn’t make sense to add more stuff to the end of a ballot people don’t fill out anyway,” Hyer said.