Kalkaska County board votes to place Kaliseum operational millage renewal on November ballot

The Kalkaska County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 12, 2024, approved Resolution 2024-34 to place an operational millage renewal for the Kaliseum on the November ballot. Commissioner David Comai moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner Jeff Sieting supported the motion; the board recorded a roll-call vote with six ayes, zero nays and one absence (Truman Bicum). The minutes record the motion as carrying.

Board members said the renewal is needed after the Kaliseum millage failed at the August primary and because the facility recently underwent a roughly $2.6 million renovation. Commissioners discussed the need to pay off a $1 million bond and the goal of returning $1.6 million to the General Fund to stabilize county finances and Kaliseum operations. Commissioner James Sweet expressed concern about continued General Fund support for the Kaliseum; Commissioner Robert Baldwin said the facility must be self-supported; Commissioner Scott Matley emphasized the need for increased revenue following the renovations.

The motion, as recorded in the minutes, calls for filing the resolution with the county clerk by Aug. 13, 2024, at 4:00 PM. The minutes also record the motion text as placing the question on the "November" ballot but show the year as "November 2025" in the motion language while simultaneously listing the Aug. 13, 2024 filing deadline; the minutes therefore contain an internal inconsistency on the ballot year. The board's recorded outcome was 6 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent.

The board did not provide additional specificity in the minutes about the millage rate, estimated tax impact, or how long the renewal would run; those details were not specified in the meeting record. The resolution was filed with the clerk as described in the motion language in the minutes.