For the Record

Another waste of taxpayers dollars - May 2007

May school elections were held across Oakland County this week, another waste of taxpayer dollars.

It's hard to understand why so many county school districts - already facing deep cuts due to Michigan's economic woes - remain adamant about holding separate elections.

For example, the Troy School District held an election Tuesday for a single, uncontested school board candidate. The cost? In excess of $40,000, said City Clerk Tonni Bartholomew.

If school leaders had combined their election with a regular city election in November, the cost would have been virtually nothing. Free. The story was repeated across Oakland County on Election Day.

Put it this way, taxpayers are footing the bill at up to $200 per vote for something that should literally cost pennies a vote.

Voter turnout around the county, not surprisingly, was less than 10 percent, though higher turnout was seen in districts with controversial proposals and bond issues.

Remember that uncontested Troy school board candidate?  Of 42,694 registered voters, less than one percent voted in person on Tuesday. All those polling locations, with up to five election workers at $7.50/hour, were empty for most of the day.

Poll workers at the Troy Community Center had to be lonelier than the Maytag repairman. Of 3,538 registered voters, just seven showed up to cast their ballots.

Countywide, some voters were so upset, they actually included handwritten letters in with absentee ballot envelopes - "This is an inexcusable waste of money!" and "Why did this election have to take place with only one person running? Such a waste of time … and money."

Don't blame your local clerks - they are mandated to run the elections, despite the fact most of them have gone to their school districts and asked them to combine elections.

In the city of Novi, City Clerk Maryanne Cornelius says she had one precinct where nobody had showed up to vote by 3:30 p.m.. By the close of the polls, only seven people had cast their ballots.

This for an election that will cost the Novi schools - ultimately taxpayers - an estimated $20,000-$30,000.

"If the schools would hold their elections in November it would cost them nothing," Cornelius said.

Separate school elections just don't make sense, especially given that almost no other public body has annual elections.  Michigan's Consolidated Election laws of 2004 gave districts the opportunity to combine their elections with municipal elections to save money and increase voter participation.

The law was designed to streamline the voter process too, promoting a single trip to the polls, a single polling location and consistent handling of absentee ballot voter applications.

Lawmakers gave the schools a November date, but nearly all opted out of it, insisting they needed their own, stand-alone elections.

South Lyon Schools and Waterford Schools have made the change. Five other districts have partially piggybacked their elections. Other school districts need to make the move to exercise good fiscal management. If every Oakland County district would truly combine elections, it would save $1 million. Think about what that could buy: 2,000 computers, 33,000 textbooks or 25 teachers.

Meanwhile, legislators need to stand up to lobbyists and require genuine consolidation for all districts. Urge your school board members and administrators to save dollars and streamline the voting process by combining elections.

Ruth Johnson (a former state legislator)
Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds

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