November will be Milan’s last odd-year city election

Following a spirited public hearing, Milan City Council determined in a 6-1 vote to change elections from odd to even years.

As a result, all those who win Milan’s Nov. 3 elections will get an additional year added to their terms, as will currently elected officials in the city.

According to City Attorney Steve Mann the decision is not reversible.

The state’s intent for the law was to streamline voting across the state, explained City manager Jim Lancaster.

While not all residents attending were there regarding the same topic, there was standing room only at the meeting and a long line of residents who spoke up about the proposed change from odd to even election years. Some sat outside the council chamber who couldn’t get into the room.

Public Comment

Residents spoke on both sides of the issue.

Mayoral candidate Laura Russeau said she supported the change, but would be willing to support either way.

Library board candidate Rod Hill said it’s offensive to think of voting in terms of saving money or extra ballots and that people’s opportunity to speak once a year should be preserved.

“It’s the business of a free people to govern themselves and we govern ourselves through our vote,” he said.

Hill said effort should be made, however, to improve voter turnout on odd years, but that the campaigns for local office are substantially different and should be separated from national elections.

“I think our local elections are plenty big enough, plenty important enough to not be denigrated or be put on the back side of somebody else’s ballot,” Hill said.

Another resident asked how much would be saved by the change. After some calculations, City Clerk Lavonna Wenzel said not accounting for staff time, savings would be $23,864 when there was both a Primary and General; and $10,500 for just a general election.

“Do you think $15,000 is enough to muddy our local elections with national elections?” he said, earlier in the meeting before Wenzel gave her final numbers clarifying the savings. 

Tom Hornyak expressed concern that the partisanship from the federal race would trickle down to local issues.

Others spoke strongly in favor, citing the importance of increasing participation in local elections by moving city elections to even years when more voters come out, and how it’s nice on the rare occasion when saving the city money supports democracy.

“Voting is a paramount right of great importance,” said one voter. “I’m definitely in favor of making this change …. elections will only be as partisan as the candidates make it.”

Resident Evelyn Corbin said she saw potential for decision fatigue, but overall thought the pros outweighed the cons of changing. 

“It shouldn’t matter what party you are, it should matter that you’re for the people,” she said, suggesting the saved money be used to make voting more accessible in the city for those with disabilities and to provide transportation to the polls for those who need it.

“This isn’t 20 years ago when we didn’t know what your neighbor wanted,” another resident said. “We all have flags.”

“There are already nonpartisan elections on even years,” said Mike Angstadt. “They’re on a separate part of the ballot. People know that. They go in and vote for those.”

City council candidate Marie Gress said that the more barriers to voting you can remove the better, so she said she supported the change.

A clerk, who has worked in Ann Arbor where elections have already changed from odd to even years, spoke in strong support, saying he’s already seen the benefits first hand, including saved money, but also decreased pressure on city workers who are sometimes on the verge of burnout from all the new laws to increase voting that involve extended election days, changes he said he supports.

Just after 8:30 p.m. the public hearing ended.

The final decision

Later in the regular meeting, all council members voted in favor of the change, except for Council member David Snyder.

Those who voted in favor mostly emphasized the importance of greater voter accessibility along with saving the city money. They also emphasized that city races should not and will not become partisan. Council member Mary Kerkes said she would be willing to put a yard sign for council in her yard of someone she knew had different political beliefs than her if she knew them and trusted them.

Council member Christian Thompson also emphasized his belief that city races should not be partisan, while voicing his support for the change in voting years. 

Snyder said he understands there are opinions on both sides of the issue. He said he does like that the proposal adds extra days for voting by aligning with the state races, but he likes the thoughtful language in the original city charter separating the city races from the state and national elections. He said he also feels uncomfortable voting to give himself another year.

“I’m uncomfortable with that and I’m officially voting no,” he said.

At the end of the night, Wenzel celebrated that this November’s election would be historic.

“I just want to remind everyone the election day is Nov. 4. It’s our general, local, last odd-year local election,” Wenzel said, “Whew! Don’t miss it!”