Our recommendations for November ballot
Voters in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills will be determining the fate of candidates and a number of local and state ballot issues in the November 3, general election, either at the polls or through absentee ballots which are now being mailed out by municipal clerks.
Below are our recommendations on candidates and the ballot issues.
U.S. House of Representatives / 11th District
(Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, most of Oakland County)
We have always been impressed with Democrat JEREMY MOSS during his time in the state House and now in the state Senate. As we have said before, he has innate leadership skills and has been a main driver on critical issues that have included women’s health care rights, LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, expanded voting, as examples. Moss has done this in many cases by working across the aisle. We look forward to what he can do in Congress. That said, we hope that his Republican opponent in this race will return in the future to seek some other position, perhaps at the state level.
Michigan Senate / District 7
(Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills)
Without doubt, voters need to send Democrat JASON HOSKINS to the state Senate. He would bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Senate with his years of service in the government trenches starting with the Southfield City Council, 10 years as a legislative aide in Lansing and his current House position. Hoskins has a track record on civil rights, including for the LGBTQ+ community, voting rights, reproductive rights and concerns for the small business community. Hoskins should be voters’ choice.
Michigan House / District 6
(Most of Birmingham, part of Bloomfield Township)
Democrat MELANIE MACEY, an attorney practicing public interest law, has spent eight years on the Royal Oakland City Commission and the past couple of years working for the Promote the Vote organization, along with time on a school panel devoted to equity and diversity concerns. A clear track record of working on behalf of the public. Macey will be someone to watch in the state legislature.
Michigan House / District 19
(Part of Birmingham and Bloomfield Township)
We have followed incumbent state Representative SAMANTHA STECKLOFF (D) through her three terms in Lansing as she focused on health issues, road funding needs and education. It’s obvious that her time on the Farmington Hills City Council taught her the importance of working closely with local residents. Steckloff has clearly earned another two-years in the state House.
Michigan House / District 20
(Small portion of Bloomfield Township)
A very small portion of Bloomfield Township falls in the district now held by Democrat NOAH ARBIT who has worked hard at fighting in Lansing for reproductive rights for women, civil rights for the LGBT+ community and hate crime legislation. Voters should certainly give him another term.
Michigan House / District 54
(Bloomfield Hills and part of Bloomfield Township)
Neither of the candidates seeking this House district, which reaches into the northern portion of the county, have held elected office in the past. But we think voters would be best served by Democrat SARAH POUNDS of Lake Orion, a seasoned paralegal that has been appointed to Oakland County panels by the board of commissioners. She has a good grasp on the issues that will face state lawmakers.
THE BALLOT ISSUES
Proposal 2026-1
Convene a constitutional convention
This proposal is a perfunctory requirement of Michigan’s state constitution, of which this draft was first approved by voters in 1963. In 1960, in the prior constitution, a requirement was approved by voters that every 16 years as the first proposal on the general election ballot, voters must be asked to approve and rewrite the state’s constitution. By wide margins, voters rejected the proposal in 1978, 1994 and 2010. Holding a constitutional convention could open a can of worms for residents, with issues like women’s healthcare, abortion and numerous civil rights guarantees currently enshrined. We urge voters to vote NO.
Proposal 2026-2
Prohibit campaign contributions from certain regulated utilities, government contractors
On an initial reading, this proposal sounds great. It would prohibit regulated electric and gas utilities, contractors with over $250,000 annually in government contracts, and people and organizations with substantial connections to these contractors, from making direct or indirect campaign contributions to those who run for or hold offices that impact them. The problem is it does not prohibit donations from union officials and officials connected with special interest groups, thereby punishing some businesses for donating while permitting others to give to candidates. This is a selective enforcement plan that we cannot support. Nice try but there is work to be done on cleaning up the flow of campaign money. We recommend a NO vote.
Renewal of Oakland Zoological Authority Millage
This is a renewal of a .1-mill 10-year property tax millage to fund zoological services through the Oakland County Zoological Authority, supporting animal care, educational and senior programs, and facility maintenance at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak. It was previously approved in 2008 and 2016, and would last through 2037. This millage renewal would continue crucial operating support for one of the region’s top attractions, historically accounts for one-third of the zoo’s overall operating budget, and offers a benefit to Oakland County’s residents. Vote YES.
Historical Museum Authority Millage Proposal
Voters in Oakland and Wayne counties are being asked to support a 10-year .2-mill tax proposal which would primarily benefit the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Detroit Historical Society. Fifteen percent of the revenue collected would be distributed to other smaller historical museums in the counties, although they have not yet been designated. In return, as with the Detroit Institute of Arts millage, county residents will receive free admission, and there will be free transportation for schools and senior tours. While we are disappointed Macomb County is not participating and would like assurances that local museums, like Cranbrook Institute of Science, be included, we recommend a YES vote.
Bloomfield Hills Library Millage Replacement
Since 2011, Birmingham’s Baldwin Public Library has provided Bloomfield Hills residents with library services through a dedicated millage. This election, residents and businesses are being asked to renew the existing library millage of .52 mills per year for six years. Vote YES.
Bloomfield Township facilities bond
Those living in Bloomfield Township are being asked to approve a $50 million public safety facilities bond, with a maximum repayment of 20 years, in order to build a new police department on the Bloomfield Township campus and a new fire station at Maple and Telegraph. Both facilities are sorely outdated and renovation of existing buildings is out of the question. The new police building, to be built in a parking lot of township hall, will allow Bloomfield Cable TV to move into the building, and BCTV will then be renovated into a new animal welfare facility, addressing and solving numerous needs at once. The simple annual average tax to retire bonds would be .4380 mills. Vote YES on this win-win-win proposal.
Birmingham Public Schools bond
We wish this was a straightforward facilities and safety improvement bond for BPS which we could readily endorse. Unfortunately, there are gray areas that concern us – and some members of the community. This bond proposal seeks $240 million over 20 years (tax of 1.3 mills) to enhance school safety and security, including security camera systems, an emergency notification system, emergency radios, backup generators, and fire alarms. It would also improve HVAC systems, acquire technology, ADA playground improvements, remodeling and other work at Midvale Early Childhood Center, building additions and purchase of school busses. All are items to support, yet questions regarding significant enrollment declines – up to 25 percent less students in several schools – and other issues need to be addressed in an open, transparent manner by the board. So we encourage a YES vote, with reservations.
