Library Board Chair Don Carlyon and daughter Suzie, who recently moved to Bay City from out West, ponder early returns on the library millage question.
First for Library After Positive Vote: Fix Up South End Branch
Mayor Charles Brunner Optimistic After Scoring Solid Win Over Mike Wooley
November 7, 2007
By: Dave Rogers
After a narrow victory on a one mill partial renewal on Tuesday's ballot, first order of business if Library Board Chair Don Carlyon has his way is renovation of the South End Branch Library.
The Bay County Board of Canvassers convened at 9 a.m. today to check totals in the library question, that apparently passed 13,375 "yes" to 12,636 "no," a paper-thin margin of 739.
There was joy both at the library campaign counting place in the community room at the Wirt Library and at Charles Brunner headquarters in the Pinsetters Lounge at Washington Place bowling alley.
New Mayor Charles Brunner and supporters including Commissioner Marie Kurzer, right, count votes at campaign headquarters Tuesday night.
(MyBayCity Photo by Dave Rogers)
Mr. Brunner, 9th Ward commissioner, won the mayor's race against 1st Ward Commissioner Mike Wooley on a count of 4,336 to 3,509, a margin of 827 votes. Percentages were 55 for Brunner and 45 for Wooley.
New city commissioners included Lori Bollman, who notched a 425-312 upset over Jim Flannery in the 4th Ward, and Kevin Novellino, with a 16 vote margin over John Aguilar, 471-455, in the 2nd Ward.
Meanwhile, a recount was expected in the 6th Ward race where incumbent Commissioner John Davidson eked out a 9-vote margin over challenger Thomas A. Baird 391-382.
Of 53 precincts, 28 gave the library a positive nod while the issue was defeated in 25 precincts. the percentages were 51.5 "yes" and 48.5 "no."
"We need to fix up the South End library with the funds approved by voters in 2002 and plan for reopening as soon as possible in the future," said Carlyon.
He said an estimated $350,000 in bond issue funds are available for renovation of the South End Branch, 311 Lafayette Ave.
Initially, the building will be used as headquarters for the bookmobile that currently is being housed in a rented garage.
Reopening the closed Sage Branch and restoring hours at Wirt, Auburn and Pinconning are, of course, primary actions to keep faith with voters. The library set out specifics that would be fulfilled should the millage pass.
Cliff Van Dyke, finance chair of the library millage campaign, left, and campaigners Dennis Banaszak and Tom Niemann, share anticipation as votes roll in Tuesday night.
(MyBayCity Photo by Dave Rogers)
"We'll get it ready to go and then try to find the money to operate it as the people in that area have indicated they want," said Mr. Carlyon. "I hope the board will go along with me on that."
Meanwhile, Mr. Brunner said: "There's a lot we can do to make improvements for the voters of the city and we're going to look at everything that is positive," said the new mayor. Cheers rang out at campaign headquarters as the final vote totals, the absentee ballots, were announced late Tuesday night.
City Clerk/Deputy City Manager Dana Muscott said the counting was delayed because ballots ran short because of high voter demand. "There were no problems, we just were overwhelmed by voter interest."
County Clerk Cynthia Luczak said the ballot shortage was met by photocopying the ballot and hand counting the additional votes.
There were 26,151 total votes cast, that the clerk's office said was about a 32 percent turnout of 80,111 registered voters.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: MyBayCity.com has questioned the reporting by the Michigan Secretary of State of 80,111 registered voters in a Bay County population of about 100,000 persons but state officials have not provided satisfactory answers about whether there are names on the list that should have been purged long ago. Obviously, in any population about a third would be children too young to vote so the total number of registered must be flawed.)
Other results county-wide were:
Robert K. Hall, Pinconning mayor, 174 to 132 over Linda Byrne;
Judith Allen, 200, Larry Shute, 201m and Eugene R. Stalsberg, 89, all named to the Pinconning council without opposition;
John Connelly, 785, and Richard Link, 702, named to the Essexville council without opposition;
Brian J. Raab, 432, Bill Reder, 421, and Ken Charbonneau, 407, over Tracy Thomas Windiate, 327, for Auburn council;
Auburn mayor John D. McNally was re-elected without opposition, garnering 520 votes.
Frankenlust and Mt. Forest township voters approved fire department millages, 713-230 in the former and 195 to 80 in the latter.
The Bay County Board of Canvassers, headed by Don Chevalier, double-checks vote totals at the county building Wednesday morning. Chevalier is at center, right.
(MyBayCity Photo by Dave Rogers)
