By Gari Voss
Summer months are packed with outdoor activities, special events, family memories, and more. With the busy family schedules, many residents forget that there is often a “primary” election in August. On August 5, 2025, from 7am to 8pm, polls will be open for this summer’s election. Those municipalities need their residents to take a few minutes from busy activities and vote.
City of South Haven
The only candidate election will be on the west side of Allegan County where the primary nonpartisan mayoral race in South Haven will be decided. Candidates are Incumbent Annie Brown, Councilmember Mary Hosley, and Joshua Lemmer, who will vie for the 2-year position of mayor. All three wards in South Haven will be responsible for the decision in this nonpartisan primary election.
Townships
Around Allegan County, townships have proposals on the ballot. These proposals will improve living standards for residents.
Laketown Township
The Laketown Township voters will make decisions on two proposals.
Roads, Paths, Drains. First, there is the reduction for Road, Non-motorized paths, and Drain Millage Renewal. In order to continue improving roads, paths and drains, the township board is looking to renew the 2.0 mills assessed for those projects.
“Shall a previous increase in property taxes of 2.0 mills on the total amount of taxes which may be assessed against property in Laketown Township, Allegan County… be decreased to 1.5 mills ($1.50 per thousand dollars of taxable valuation) for three years, 2026 through 2028, inclusive, to provide funds for the repair, construction, reconstruction and/or blacktopping of roads and non-motorized paths in the Township; and to provide funds for the repair and maintenance of drains in the Township; and shall the Township be authorized to levy the tax?”
The estimated revenue the Township will collect if the millage is approved and levied in the 2026 calendar year is approximately $984,700.00 which is approximately $388,900.00 less than if it was renewed at 2.0 mills.
Fire Department. The second is for the operating funds, equipment, and apparatus for the Laketown Township Fire Department. This would increase the millage from 1.0 to 1.5 mills for 2025 through 2029.
“Shall a previous increase in property taxes of 1.0 mill (reduced by required rollback to 0.985 mill) on the total amount of taxes which may be assessed against property in Laketown Township, Allegan County, Michigan, … be increased to 1.5 mill ($1.50 per thousand dollars of taxable value) for five years, 2025 through 2029, inclusive, to provide operating funds, equipment, and apparatus for the Fire Department; and shall the Township be authorized to levy this tax?”
The estimated revenue the Township will collect if the millage is approved and levied in the 2026 calendar year is approximately $937,750.00 which is approximately $312,000.00 more than if it was renewed at 1.0 mills.
Lee Township
Lee Township has one proposal on the ballot that will renew funds for road construction, upgrades, maintenance and improvements. This renewal would reestablish the 2.0 that has dropped to 1.9103 because of Headley rollbacks. The 2.0 mills would be for 2025-2027, and fund road construction, upgrades, maintenance, and improvements in Lee Township. Approval would reinstate an estimated $216,459 in the first year the millage is levied.
Manlius Township
Manlius Township also has multiple proposals that can improve township living.
Road Millage Renewal. The township board would like to renew the 2.0 mills to continue funding road improvements. Again, Headley took its toll and reduced the millage to 1.9564 mills. Approval would reinstate the 2.0 mills for the next 4 years, 2025 through 2029, and raise an estimated $309,862 for road improvements in its first year.
Fire Protection Renewal. The Board would like to regain the 1.75 millage rate for 2025 through 2029 for Township fire protection, which shall include maintenance, equipment, operations, first responders, emergency services and ambulance services, if applicable. The funds would be paid to the Fennville Area Fire Department, Hamilton Fire Department, and a contracted ambulance service provider, and would raise an estimated $270,254 in the first year.
Road Resurfacing Renewal. Headley reduced mills allotted to road resurfacing from 1.5 mills to 1.4673. The Board would like to reinstate the 1.5 mills for 2025 through 2029 and raise an estimated $231,647 for the first year of the renewal.
Schools Proposals
So very often, school proposals are decided on the August ballot. These requests are extremely important to the children and families of the school district but may be over-looked by voters. The Fennville Bond Proposal is in the heart of Allegan County while the other two are on the fringes.
Fennville Public Schools
The Fennville Schools have a unique request in that the millage will be a decrease from previous years because the Elementary School loans have recently been paid. The new improvements will not be as expensive as the Elementary Complex, and thus, will require fewer funds. But these improvements are extremely important.
The Fennville Public School District would like to borrow a sum not to exceed $22,350,000 for remodeling, equipping and re-equipping, and furnishing and refurnishing school buildings and facilities; erecting and equipping structures for outdoor education programs; and preparing, developing, improving, and equipping playgrounds and sites.
The estimated millage that will be levied for the proposed bonds in 2025 is 1.29 mills for a 0.5 mill net decrease from the prior year’s levy. Over time, the school district does not expect to borrow from the State to pay debt services on the bonds.
Delton Kellogg Public Schools
On the east side of Allegan County, a small portion of residents live in the Delton Kellogg Public School District. This population will have the opportunity to support the district by approving the Operating Millage Renewal.
“This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance and renews millage that will expire with the 2025 tax levy.”
Thus, if the mills are reestablished, the district will maintain the 18 mills which is approximately $4,250,000 for 2026.
City of Holland School District
To the west side of Allegan County, another contingent of voters lives in the Holland Public School District. Holland is asking for the approval of a Bond Proposal that is not to exceed $49,225,000 for the purpose of erecting additions to, remodeling, including security improvements to, furnishing and refurnishing, and equipping and re-equipping school buildings; acquiring and installing instructional technology and instructional technology equipment for school buildings; erecting school support buildings; purchasing school buses; and erecting, developing and improving athletic fields and facilities, parking areas, and sites.
The estimated millage for the bonds in 2026 would be .63 mills which would be a 0.0 increase from 2025. The maximum number of years would be 30, with the anticipated millage to retire the bond debt of 1.03 mills annually.
Time and Locations
The bottom line… Each vote is important in the decision making process. Polls are open on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, from 7am to 8pm at Fennville City, 125 S. Maple St.; Holland City, Wd. 4/9 Calvary Baptist Church, 517 W. 32nd; Gun Plain Township, voting at Prairieville Township Hall; Barry County Laketown Township, Pct. 1&3, 4338 Beeline Rd.; Holland City, Wd. 5/11 & 12 Maplewood Reformed Church, 133 E. 34th St.; South Haven City, 539 Phoenix St.; Laketown Township Pct. 2, GFD Station, 4534 60th St.; Lee Township, 877 56th St.; Casco Township, 7104 107th Ave.; Clyde Township, 1679 56th St.; Manlius Township, 3134 57th St.; Saugatuck Township, 3461 Blue Star Hwy.; Ganges Township, 1904 64th St.; and Valley Township, 2054 N. M-40.
