sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Steve Schulwitz
Alpena County Clerk Bonnie Friedrichs organizes the election data that will go to the county’s board of canvassers for certification. There was only one proposal on the ballot for a $3 surcharge for 911 operations and it passed with ease.
ALPENA The few voters that went to the polls in Alpena County Tuesday were in a generous mood, as they easily approved a five-year extension of the surcharge that supports 911 operations.
The surcharge will be $3 for cell phones, and landlines, and be on residents’ phone bills as they are currently.
It is expected the surcharge will generate between $800,000 and $1 million a year, and cover most of the expenses for 911 operations.
sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com
News Photo by Steve Schulwitz
A voting sign is pictured at an Alpena polling place on Tuesday afternoon
ALPENA Voters continue to trickle in to the polls in Alpena County to vote on a surcharge that will continue to fund 911 operations.
If approved cell and landline phone users will continue to see a $3 fee on their bill for the next five years. The tax is expected to generate between $800,000 and $1 million a year, which will be used for operations and upgrades.
The county-wide tax is the only thing on the ballot for the special election. At about 11:45 a.m., there were only 17 voters in Precinct 1 in Alpena who voted.
News File Photo
The Alpena County Courthouse appears in this News file photo.
ALPENA An Alpena County court case will be used to set precedent in future state courts following a Michigan Court of Appeals decision, announced Friday.
The appeals court sided against Travis Johnson, who told the higher court he shouldn’t have to pay $1,200 in court costs assessed as part of his sentencing in 2017.
Unlike many other decisions by the appeals court, the Johnson decision was for publication, which means it will become part of the overall body of law in the state and can be cited by attorneys and judges in determining the outcome of other cases.
sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com
ALPENA Voters in Alpena County will decide if they want to continue paying up to $3 on their telephone lines to help finance 911 operations.
The Alpena County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for a special election in May to request voters’ approval of the surcharge.
Residents currently pay the $3 surcharge each month on each cell line and landline, which can generate between $900,000 and $1 million a year, according to Hall.
A special election will cost the county about $20,000, county Clerk Bonnie Friedrichs said, and each township and the City of Alpena will have to pay their own costs for election workers, postage, and other expenses.