UNDATED (WHTC-AM/FM, Aug. 9, 2023) – Not many voters along the Lakeshore were asked to take a break from summer activities to cast ballots on Tuesday.
Only three communities held elections for public office. Incumbent Grand Haven mayor Catherine McNally was defeated in a reelection bid, as her total of 642 votes trailed challengers Andrea Hendrick (1,012) and Bob Monetza (817), who will face each other in the November 7th General Election. Benjamin Genzer was fourth at 614.
Incumbents Tim DeGeus (323) and Renee Gavin (276) will be joined by challengers Michael Karasinski Jr. (325), Jason Tuttle (144), Daniel Bowman (139) and Jillian Poelma (100) in the race for three seats on the Coopersville City Council in November. Falling short were Jamie Adams (61) and Steve McCarthy (38).
With South Haven Mayor Scott Smith not seeking reelection, it will be Annie Brown (417) and Joe Reeser (415) facing each other for the seat in November, with Robert Burr (386) falling short.
Voters looked favorably on two school districts looking for passage of millage requests. Fennville Schools wanted nearly a mill over a 10-year span for public recreation and playgrounds, and the Blackhawks got that approval by 54% (548-470), while Otsego Schools’ 10-year renewal of its 18-mill non-homestead tax cleared with 52% of the vote (1,120-1,032). Lake Michigan College, the Benton Harbor-based community college who claims Allegan County in its coverage area through its South Haven campus, saw voters overwhelmingly approve it’s 20-year, .88-mill renewal request by around 75 percent of the vote across Allegan, Van Buren and Berrien counties.
