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Local Government Meetings

New Buffalo Times

Democracy Requires Transparency

CITY OF NEW BUFFALO JOHN HUMPHREY, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL MARK ROBERTSON, ROGER LIJESKI, JOHN HUMPHREY, BRIAN FLANAGAN, VANCE PRICE City Council meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30PM CITY OF NEW BUFFALO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS to be determined NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP BOARD PETE RAHM, MICHELLE HEIT, JUDY H. ZABICKI, PATTY IAZZETTO, JACK ROGERS Board meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7PM NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:30PM

NEW BUFFALO AREA SCHOOLS BOARD FRANK MAGRO, LISA WERNER, HEATHER BLACK, DENISE CHURCHILL, BRADLEY BURNER, VANESSA THUN CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP BOARD DAVID BUNTE, PAULA DUDIAK, LIZ RETTIG, RICHARD SULLIVAN, BILL MARSKE Chikaming Board meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30PM CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION Meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6:30PM THREE OAKS THREE OAKS TOWNSHIP BOARD Meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7PM VILLAGE OF THREE OAKS BOARD Meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7PM GRAND BEACH Meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7PM MARY ROBERTSON, CLERK DEBORAH LINDLEY, BLAKE O’HALLORAN, JAMES BRACEWELL, PETER DOERR, PAUL LEONARD, JR. MICHIANA VILLAGE OF MICHIANA COUNCIL Meets on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1PM

WALBERG DEFEATS GOLDBERG FOR FIFTH DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE

The following is an unofficial list of results for the state and local candidates and proposals from the Tuesday, Nov. 8, general election.

STATE Governor/Lieutenant Governor

• Gretchen Whitmer/Garlin D. Gilchrist II (D), 1,459,875; Tudor M. Dixon/Shane Hernandez (R), 1,446,886; Mary Buzuma/Brian Ellison (L), 28,003; Donna Brandenburg/Mellissa Carone (U.S. Taxpayers), 12,383; Kevin Hogan/Destiny Clayton (Green), 7,618 and Daryl M. Simpson/Doug Dern (Natural Law), 3,650.

Secretary of State

• Jocelyn Benson (D), 1,483,976; Kristina Elaine Karamo (R), 1,371,455; Gregory Scott Stempfle (L), 36,925; Christine C. Schwartz (U.S. Taxpayers), 20,0001 and Larry James Hutchinson Jr. (G), 11,017.

Attorney General

• Dana Nessel (D), 1,394,138; Matthew DePerno (R), 1,435,352; Joseph W. McHugh Jr. (L), 46,993 and Gerald T. Van Sickle (U.S. Taxpayers), 23,580.

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

CONGRESSIONAL Representative in Congress 5th District

• Bart Goldberg (D), 109,176; Tim Walberg (R), 195,602; Norman M. Peterson (L), 5,060 and Ezra Scott (U.S. Taxpayers), 3,095.

LEGISLATIVE State Senator 17th District

• Scott Rex Starr (D), 34,379 and Jonathan Lindsey (R), 64,815.

CITY New Buffalo City Council (Two Open Seats)

• Nicholas Holevas, 134; Mick Lantis, 119; Jennifer Parello, 265; Vance Price, 451 and Mark Robertson, 368.

VILLAGE Grand Beach Village Council (Three Open Seats with Four-Year Terms)

• Edward P. Brandes, 123; Peter Doerr, 131; Elizabeth Grim Vaughan, 92 and Harry Walder, 113.

Representative in State Legislator 37th District

• Naomi Ludman (D), 11,595 and Brad Paquette (R), 21,056.

38th District

• Joey Andrews (D), 19,166 and Kevin Whiteford (R), 18,768.

County

County Commissioner 9th District

• Michelle Hannon (D), 3,283 and Alex R. Ott (R), 3,390.

10th District

• Mac Elliott (R), 3,532

COMMUNITY COLLEGE Lake Michigan College Board of Trustees (Two Open Seats)

Brian Dissette, 30,721 and John W. Grover, 29.747.

Michiana Village Council (Three Open Seats)

• Four-year terms: Brian Cassidy, 83 and Michael Tolentino, 80. • Two-year team: Timothy McCarthy, 87.

Three Oaks Village Council

• President: Richard J. Smith, 145. • Three open seats: Lois Jones, 95; Colleen Newquist, 123; Jason A. Niemzyk, 99 and Becky Thomas, 123.

LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education (Four Open Seats)

• One open seat with a six-year term: Denise Churchill, 1366 and Todd Tanksley, 742. • Two open seats with fouryear terms: Bradley Brunner, 1,129; Ashley Grzywacz, 829; Patrick Kennedy, 756 and Lisa Werner, 1,339. • One open seat with a twoyear term: Justin A. Baney, 769 and Vanessa Thun, 1,335.

River Valley Schools Board of Education (Two Open Seats with Six-Year Terms)

• Thomas D. Rosenbluth, 1,667 and Nikki Springer, 1,981.

PROPOSALS Berrien County

BERRIEN COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY MILLAGE PROPOSAL • Shall the County of Berrien repeal the existing Public Safety Millage that will expire with the December 1, 2024 tax levy and replace it with a new annual Public Safety Millage, which will be increased by up to 0.45 Mills ($0.45 per $1,000 of taxable value) on all taxable property within the County for a period of five (5) years beginning with the December 1, 2022 tax levy (to expire after December 1, 2026 tax levy) to provide funds to pay the operating and capital improvement costs of providing Public Safety

services within the County? If approved and levied in full, this millage will raise an estimated $3,992,955 in the first calendar year of the levy based on taxable value. Yes: 27,458/No: 29.814.

TOWNSHIP

CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP LIBRARY PROPOSAL • Shall Chikaming Township impose an increase of up to thirty-five one hundredths mill ($0.35 per $1,000 of taxable value) in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution and levy it for the period of six years, 2023 through 2028 inclusive, for library services, which thirty-five one hundredths mill increase will raise an estimated $250,162 in the first year the millage is levied of which equal portions will be distributed to the Bridgman Public Library, the New Buffalo Township Library, and the Three Oaks Township Library? Yes: 1,094/No: 632.

PARK BOARD PROPOSAL • Shall the elected Park Commission, known as the Park Board, of Chikaming Township be dissolved, effective upon certification of the election results by the board of canvassers, and upon dissolution, for all powers, duties, assets and liabilities of the Park Commission, known as the Park Board, be transferred to the Chikaming Township Board of Trustees as provided in the Section 6g of 1905 PA 157, being MCL 41.426g? Yes: 1,123/ No: 574.

STATE PROPOSAL 22-1 A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO REQUIRE ANNUAL PUBLIC FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REPORTS BY LEGISLATORS AND OTHER STATE OFFICERS AND CHANGE STATE LEGISLATOR TERM LIMIT TO 12 TOTAL YEARS IN LEGISLATURE This proposed constitutional amendment would: • Require members of legislature, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general file annual public financial disclosure reports after 2023, including assets, liabilities, income sources, future employment agreements, gifts, travel reimbursements, and positions held in organizations except religious, social, and political organizations. • Require legislature implement but not limit or restrict reporting requirements. • Replace current term limits for state representatives and state senators with a 12-year total limit in any combination between house and senate, except a person elected to senate in 2022 may be elected the number of times allowed when that person became a candidate. Should this proposal be adopted? Yes: 1,818,401/No: 1,027,764.

PROPOSAL 22-2: A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO ADD PROVISIONS REGARDING ELECTIONS. This proposed constitutional amendment would: • Recognize fundamental right to vote without harassing conduct; • Require military or overseas ballots be counted if postmarked by election day; • Provide voter right to verify identity with photo ID or signed statement; • Provide voter right to single application to vote absentee in all elections; • Require state-funded absenteeballot drop boxes, and postage for absentee applications and ballots; • Provide that only election officials may conduct postelection audits; • Require nine days of early inperson voting; • Allow donations to fund elections, which must be disclosed; • Require canvass boards certify election results based only on the official records of votes cast. Should this proposal be adopted? Yes: 1,619,992/No: 1,248,580.

PROPOSAL 22-3: A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO ESTABLISH NEW INDIVIDUAL RIGHT TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM, INCLUDING RIGHT TO MAKE ALL DECISIONS ABOUT PREGNANCY AND ABORTION; ALLOW STATE TO REGULATE ABORTION IN SOME CASES; AND FORBID PROSECUTION OF INDIVIDUALS EXERCISING ESTABLISHED RIGHT This proposed constitutional amendment would: • Establish new individual right to reproductive freedom, including right to make and carry out all decisions about pregnancy, such as prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion, miscarriage management, and infertility; • Allow state to regulate abortion after fetal viability, but not prohibit if medically needed to protect a patient’s life or physical or mental health; • Forbid state discrimination in enforcement of this right; prohibit prosecution of an individual, or a person helping a pregnant individual, for exercising rights established by this amendment; • Invalidate state laws conflicting with this amendment. Should this proposal be adopted? Yes: 1,529,939/No: 1,377,814.

LaPorte County hit by red wave

BY STAN MADDUX

Aso-called red wave Tuesday, Nov. 8, swept over most of the major political races in LaPorte County including the ones for prosecutor and sheriff.

Republican Ron Heeg will become the next sheriff after beating democrat Andy Hynek by nearly 2,500 votes.

For nearly eight years, Heeg has been second in command as chief deputy under current sheriff John Boyd.

Boyd was not eligible to run again because of a two term limit.

Currently, Hynek is a supervisor in the patrol division.

Republican Sean Fagan defeated LaPorte County Prosecutor John Lake, a Democrat who was seeking a second term.

Fagan, a graduate of Valparaiso University and attorney for Indiana Department of Child Protective Services, won by nearly 1,000 votes.

He felt concerns about public safety was a factor in his victory.

“I think it was the messaging that crime is up in this county and that resonated at least with the people who voted for me,” Fagan said.

The most controversial seat going to a Republican, perhaps, was on the La Porte County Commission.

Connie Gramarossa defeated incumbent Democrat Sheila Matias by nearly 4,000 votes after losing to her by close to 800 votes in 2018.

Matias was a two-term mayor of Michigan City in the late ’90s and early 2000s.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed but the people have spoken,” she said.

Gramarossa has vowed to pair up with Joe Haney on the three member commission to replace Shaw Friedman as county attorney.

Support for Friedman by Matias and commissioner Rich Mrozinski has been a major source of nearly two years of almost constant political fighting.

The fighting has been extreme enough to produce several lawsuits, including one for defamation of character brought on by allegations of corruption.

A grand jury assembled to investigate the claims recently decided the allegations were unfounded.

Gramarossa said she felt her promise to be more of a full time commissioner than her opponent was among the reasons for her victory.

“They want a public servant that they can actually see, talk to and be with,” she said.