Jill Bastian recently asked Lake Orion School Board members to reconsider its election date.
This past year Michigan passed an election consolidation law. The law set only four dates that an election could take place in a year.
School board members opted to conduct its election in May every year. It previously had taken place in June.
Typically, in the school election one or two board members are elected and residents may have to vote on an issue or two.
According to Bastian, the Orion Township Clerk, the law has now been in place for about a year and some parts of it have had another look. She said school election dates have loosened up. Bastian suggested the school district could save money if its election took place every other year.
You could still pick the date,? she told board members. ‘I believe citizens could still be served every other year as far as the school district is concerned.?
The school election last May cost $30,000.
According to LO Financial Director Jillynn Keppler, school election costs increased because of the difference in the number of poll places used.
In the past, the district had seven precincts. Last May, there were 14 precincts.
School board vice president Bob Gretzinger asked Bastian to provide the board with more information on how the change could be done.
‘We did look at this once before,? board president Leeann Bartley said.
‘We decided not to do this, but we can look at it again. I think our biggest problem is half of the board could change.?