A circuit court judge has ruled in favor of a Sylvan Township resident who filed a motion to force the Board of Canvassers to recount the votes cast on a 4.4 mill tax levy on Aug. 7.
The 20-year millage to pay for sewer and water debt was approved by seven votes during the primary election, 480 votes to 473 votes, and subsequently, Sylvan Township resident Janis L. Carr paid the $10 for the recount.
Although it was scheduled for Sept. 4, the Board of Canvassers determined that because of a 2-inch gap between the zippers, the ballot bags had not been sealed properly, and the recount could not take place.
Sylvan Township resident Patrick Zieske filed a motion in circuit court on Sept. 19 requesting a show cause hearing as to why a recount could not take place and the judge ruled in his favor on Wednesday, Oct. 3.
The recount shall take place in the next 21 days.
Because there is a tax involved, and those tax bills are scheduled to be mailed on Dec. 1, Zieske said previously that he and several other township residents, decided to file the motion to try to force the recount.
He said previously, “The main point is to see publicly what the count is and that it’s done out in the open.”
As it currently stands, Sylvan township resident will begin paying 4.4 mills for 20-years to repay about $12 million in bond payments for a sewer and water system and about $1.2 million owed to the Washtenaw County treasurer for money advanced by the treasurer to the township for water and sewer special assessment installments that were voided by a court judgment.
