PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Absentee ballots for the May 5th election will start arriving in local mailboxes over the next few days as they will be mailed out today.
The most bitterly contested issue is the trash referendum in Portage, whether the city’s new single hauler waste system should be continued, or scraped.
This week, Portage city council members were urging voters to educate themselves on the issue and make sure they vote.
Council member Katherine Olmstead refused to take a position one way or another.
But Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Pearson was clearly opposed to the referendum. He said the old system left seniors and others vulnerable to unfair charging practices.
He says a no vote saves homeowners money.
Council member Nichole Miller didn’t want to tell people how to vote, but made it clear that a yes vote could have unintended consequences and not only effect regular trash service, but, recycling, solid waste and yard waste pickups that the city has used a single hauler to provide for years.
Opponents say it eliminates their freedom to choose their hauler.
Only Portage voters will get to vote on that issue.
A routine renewal of the KRESA special education millage will appear on ballots countywide.
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