Almont says no, again, to school proposal

Fire renewal successful; new candidates selected

TRI-CITY AREA — For the most part, the November general election went as expected, with few races contested.

In the Almont area, the third time was not the charm for the school district.

District voters turned down school bond ballot issues by wide margins back in August and February.

Last week, many were watching for results of a Sinking Fund proposal by the school district that had it been successful, would have generated $1 million per year for five years.

The funding was to go for badly needed maintenance and security issues throughout the district.

After nearly 80% of the voters had their say, a school proposal has failed for the third time this year.

The final tally showed the sinking fund failing on a count of 1,942 YES and 2,210 NO. There were a total 4,152 (80%) cast.

Following the election, Supt. Kimberly VonHiltmayer said, “The failure of our Sinking Fund was beyond disappointing…frankly, our students and staff deserve better!”

Regarding the district’s next steps…“the district will continue to prioritize safety and security projects (with the remaining sinking fund dollars), VonHiltmayer continued. “I think it is important to communicate that the district continues to move the needle to acquire community support.

“There was even a ‘Yes Campaign’ initiated by a community member this time for the Sinking Fund. Nevertheless, the district will rise above these challenging times,” she added. “We will continue to work hard to provide the safest and most meaningful education possible for all students.”

In a letter sent to district parents, VonHiltmayer wrote; “Thank you to everyone who participated in the election on the Sinking Fund Proposal. We deeply appreciate each community member who took the time to vote and engage in this important decision.”

She went on to say, “Unfortunately, we share in the disappointment of the sinking fund proposal outcome, as we hoped it would provide critical support for our facilities and resources. Though the result was not what we anticipated, we are committed to building on our foundation of trust and rapport with each of you. Together, we will keep moving forward to ensure our students receive a safe, meaningful, and high-quality education. Our dedication to enhancing their learning environment remains steadfast, and we thank you for your continued support and involvement in this journey.”

She concluded by saying, “As promised, we will continue to prioritize and manage immediate safety projects across the district. Doing our due diligence to protect and support our school community is—and will always be—our highest priority!”

Other election results in Lapeer County included:

County
Commissioner
•District 5, Ian Kempf
(R), 4,758;
Total Votes: 4,758
•District 7, Bryan
Zender (R), 5,959;
Total Votes: 5,959

Almont Twp. Supervisor
•Gary C. Groesbeck
(R), 3,324

Attica Twp.
Supervisor
•Austin McLellan (R),
2,476
Arcadia Twp. Supervisor
•Patti Lashbrook (R),
944
Dryden Twp. Supervisor
•Tina Papineau (R),
2,666

Goodland Twp. Supervisor
•Michael Eckardt (R),
941; Total Votes 941

Imlay Twp. Supervisor
•Rick Farkas (R), 1,535

Almont Twp.
Trustee (4)
•Mike Chriss (R), 3,038
•Rick Dodge (R), 3,024
•Randy Eschenburg (R),
3,041,
•Dennis Sweers (R),
2,953.
Total Votes 12,056

Attica Twp.
Trustee (2)
•Nancy Herpolsheimer
(R), 2,292,
•William J. Winslow
(R), 2,330

Dryden Twp.
Trustee
•Carol English (R),
2,617
•Brian A. Hazen (R),
2,413

Goodland Twp. Trustee (2)
•Julie Dockham (R),
888,
•Michael A. Puzzuoli
(R), 875

Imlay Twp.
Trustee (2)
•Michael Guerin (R),
1,477
•Chad Stoldt (R), 1,448

Imlay City Commission (4)
•Tom Blount, 788
•Stu Davis, 675
•Robert Tanis, 727

Almont Village Council (5)
•Timothy J. Dyke, 693
•Robert C. Miller, 656 •Stephen Powell, 642 •Steve Schneider, 647 •Melinda Steffler 677
Total Votes 3,315

Almont School Board 6-year term (2)
•Russell Buero, 2,068
•Justin Burns, 1,988
Total Votes 4,056

Almont School Board – partial term (1)
•David Amstutz, 532
•Andy Roosa, 791
•Katie Rotarius, 1,624
Total Votes 2,947

Imlay City
School Board (2)
•Greg Dennis, 3,609
•Sharon J. Muir, 3,563
Total Votes 7,172

Almont Fire Renewal
•Yes 2,665
•No 1,358
Total Votes 4,023