NORTH PLAINS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — One vote in the August primary election in West Michigan ended in a tie.
Residents in North Plains Township voted on a new millage to help pay for maintaining gravel roads.
110 people voted for it. 110 people voted against it.
The millage would have raised 1 mill over 3 years, helping the township cover the expense of keeping its nearly 40 miles of gravel roads.
Township Supervisor William Kruger says the millage was a risky proposition, but one that was needed to keep the Township's finances out of the red.
"It was a chancy thing. I thought it would pass. Most residents here know how much the roads cost to maintain," he said.
Each year the gravel roads cost North Plains Township around $75,000 to maintain.
Supervisor Kruger says that reduced fund sharing from the state will mean that the Township won't be able to afford to maintain the roads at their current levels.
"We'll have to do something. Those roads cost a lot more than they bring in. They are burning through our reserves," said Kruger.
The results will be reviewed by the Ionia County Election Canvassing Board. Kruger hopes that one of the 9 voters who did not cast a vote for or against the millage was missed in the first count.
If the tie stands, the millage will not pass. Supervisor Kruger says that the next step is up to the Township Board. The millage could be put on the November ballot, says Kruger.
