ALLEGAN, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – Thanks to an “aggrieved” elector – who just so happens to be the Chairman of the Allegan County Board of Commissioners – two countywide ballot proposals that had narrowly gone down to defeat in the August 4th election have apparently passed by a larger margin.
The Allegan Conservation District request for .10 mills over six years, which failed by 158 votes during the election, has now passed by 209 votes (13,541 to 13,332), while the Allegan County Medical Care Facility proposal for .25 mills over 10 years, which lost by 157 votes on election night, has now cleared by 247 votes (13,529 to 13,282).
The change came after Holland Republican Jim Storey noticed that his ballot didn’t have these two issues printed. He filed a grievance with County Clerk Bob Genetski’s office, and it was determined that the four City of Holland precincts in Allegan County didn’t have those issues on their ballots. Apparently, a communications issue between Genetski’s office and that of Ottawa County Clerk Jason Roebuck, whose office printed up all of Holland’s ballots, led to the omission.
Special ballots for electors in those four precincts who had participated in this election were sent out, and Monday was the deadline for those ballots to be returned to the Holland City Clerk’s office for counting. These new results should be considered unofficial until certified by the county Board of Canvassers, who will meet this coming Monday.
That 9 AM meeting will also be for a requested recount of the Allegan County Republican Party Primary for the County Prosecutor race, which was won by incumbent Myrene Koch on a 17-vote margin over challenger Mike Villar, who asked for the recount. That race also had some intrigue, as Villar had led by 16 votes before the Fillmore Township ballots, the count of which had been delayed for more than 12 hours after the polls had closed on August 4th, were tabulated.
