In nine weeks, voters in communities around the county will determine a variety of local issues, with two townships considering millage renewals and proposals, four communities filling school board seats, and, on Mackinac Island, votes will be cast for city posts.

Six millage proposals will be addressed in the county, with four slated for Brevort Township, including a bond for a library and community center, a road millage, a community center operating millage, and a fire department millage.

In St. Ignace, voters will consider a new school millage to fund the building of a wood heating plant, replace buses, and improve technology. Moran Township voters will cast ballots for a renewal

the school operating millage. School board seats will be filled at St. Ignace Area Schools, Gros Cap School, Les Cheneaux Community Schools, and Mackinac Island. Only Engadine Consolidated Schools will not have candidates on the ballot. The district changed all board terms to six years and elections to November ballots on even years to coincide with state elections.

Unless a write-in candidate files a declaration of intent with the county clerk's office by 4 p.m. Friday, April 23, one seat will become vacant on the St. Ignace school board. Three seats will be under consideration by voters, although only two candidates have filed for the posts.

Incumbent Ronn Farr will be on the ballot for the four-year spot, as will G. Michael Emery. Mr. Farr stepped onto the board five months ago when Kathy Campbell resigned in September. Current board members David Latva and Ann Massey are not running for reelection. Mr. Latva served two terms on the board and Mrs. Massey served one term. Their terms expire June 30.

If no write-in candidates file for the election, the remaining vacant board seat would be filled by school board appointment. The board would have until July 30 to fill the spot.

Also, St. Ignace trustee Sean Arthur, who is moving from the area, resigned her board seat following the February meeting. With the deadline past to place the seat on the ballot, the board is advertising the vacancy to seek interested candidates. The appointee would serve on the board for one year and then the seat would be placed on the May 2011 ballot. The deadline to apply for the seat is Friday, February 26. The board is expected to make the appointment at its March meeting.

Nicole Brown and Helen Graichen are running unopposed on the Gros Cap School board. The two incumbents are seeking new twoyear terms.

Four candidates are seeing two seats in the Les Cheneaux Community Schools district at Cedarville. Incumbents Carl Mc- Intire and Marianne Coyne are seeking reelection to the four-year posts and are challenged by newcomers Stuart Spencer and Luke Jaroche.

On Mackinac Island, Jack Armstrong and Jennifer Bloswick will seek four-year terms on the school board. Both candidates are running for the first time and are seeking the seat to be vacated by Sara Chambers, who has served nine years on the board.

Also on Mackinac Island, City Council incumbents Dan Wightman and Armand "Smi" Horn will seek to retain their three-year council seats against challenger Sam Barnwell. Mr. Wightman is seeking his third council term, Mr. Horn seeks his ninth term, and Mr. Barnwell is seeking his first term on the council.

Seeking her 35th term as mayor

Margaret Doud, who is unchallenged in the one-year position. Also uncontested are city government seats of clerk, treasurer, assessor, and city supervisor. Running for the one-year terms are Karen Lennard, who seeks her seventh term as city clerk, Rick Linn, who is running for his sixth term as treasurer, Ron Dufina, seeking his 28th term supervisor, and Robert Benser, running for his 12th year as assessor. Both the supervisor and assessor serve on the city's Board of Review. Voters will consider millages the City of St. Ignace and the townships of Brevort and Moran. St. Ignace Area Public Schools seeking 0.7 mills over the next 11 years to pay for $2,675,000 in bonds

would sell to the district's eight buses over the 11-year period, buy interactive instruction boards for all classrooms, purchase a computer for each student in grades five through 12, provide for replacement and updating of the computers over the 11-year period, buy a computer storage cart, and construct an $800,000 wood chip plant that would be used to heat the school. The board of education had sought and received permission from the Michigan Department of Treasury to sell the bonds. Approval was granted Friday, February 19. The Board Education, with a 5-0 vote, approved the millage ballot language at a special meeting at 2 p.m. Monday, February 22, at the St. Ignace Middle School Library.

Voters in Moran Township will consider a renewal of the school's operating millage. The three-year, 16.8734 levy is expected to generate about $961,784 a year beginning in 2010. The millage would be assessed on second homes and businesses in the township.

In Brevort Township, voters will consider a renewal of the Fire Department operating and capital expense millage of 1.9396 mills. The five-year millage is expected to raise about $59,668.14 in the first year.

Also under renewal consideration in Brevort Township is a 0.50 mill four-year levy for general operating and capital expenses for the township's community center complex. The millage would be collected from 2011 to 2015 and is expected to generate an estimated $14,915.84 the first year.

A renewal millage of 2.9094 mills for improvement of county roads in Brevort Township will be determined at the election. The millage allows the township to raise funds to be disbursed to the county road commission for road improvements and is expected to raise $89,504.59 its first year. The levy would expire in 2015.

Brevort Township also is proposing to borrow not more than $300,000 and issue a general obligation tax bond not to exceed 30 years. The money would be used to pay for the cost of designing, acquiring, construction, furnishing, and equipping a new township hall. Under consideration is housing a library and community center in the hall. The township estimates that 0.50 mills would raise about $14,916 the first year .

Voters have until Monday, April 5, to register for the election.