Here's what you'll find on the August 4 ballot
The August primary election ballot is simple and short, compared to some other ballots, but it contains proposals and candidate elections impacting residents’ property tax bills and representation in different levels of government.
The information provided here is for ballots for voters who live in the 15th District for the Michigan House of Representatives. The district covers almost all of Dearborn Heights and a large portion of the west side of Dearborn.
There is one section for partisan candidates and another for proposals.
PARTISAN SECTION
A voter is allowed to select candidates of only one political party, either Republican or Democratic. You cannot cross over and vote for a Republican in one race and a Democrat in another.
The partisan races will determine which candidates will advance in each race, one Democrat and one Republican, to the general election in November.
The positions on the primary election ballot this year are as follows.
Statewide office: Governor.
Federal offices: United States Senator (for the entire state) and Representative in Congress, 12th District.
Legislative offices (state): State Senator, 2nd District and Representative in State Legislature (aka State Representative), 15th District.
County offices: County Executive and Delegate to County Convention (aka precinct delegate)
PROPOSAL SECTION
Everyone in Wayne County will find a ballot proposal asking for approval of a property tax levy for 10 years for public transit, including the SMART bus system. The millage that voters previously approved for SMART is expiring, and this broader-purpose proposal would replace that tax. This would cost the owner of a home worth $100,000 around $50 per year, and that amount would go up every year by the rate of inflation, which increases a home’s taxable value.
Along with the public transit tax, voters in Dearborn will be asked to renew a 1-mill property tax for library services. Again, that would cost the owner of a home worth $100,000 around $50 per year for the first year, with inflationary increases every year after with a home’s taxable value.
This is what the Partisan Section of your ballot will contain. It will also include a section for County Executive and local precinct delegates. The ballot will also include a Proposal Section with a proposal (two in Dearborn) asking to renew property taxes.
