Posted: 3/16/05
By Aaron Vehling
Sunrise residents voted down a referendum March 8 that would have allowed the construction of a new $750,000 fire substation in the southern half of the township.
The referendum failed with 185 voting ìnoî and 52 voting ìyes.î
Lyle Thompson, chairman of the Sunrise town board, said it was ìoverwhelming that citizens did not want the substation.î
ìPeople did not want any new taxes,î he said, ìI can understand that.î
From here, the town board will weigh its options, Thompson said, and ìget a feel for what people want.î
ìFire protection will keep increasing no matter what you do,î he said.
Sunrise currently contracts for fire protection from both Harris and Almelund fire departments.
A subcommittee from Sunrise had been working with the Almelund Fire Department on a proposal for the fire substation.
They presented the idea at a town hall meeting in January to a packed house.
There was some concern about the project from Harris because representatives from that fire department were not consulted in the planning of the project.
Sunrise town officials said they would include Harris in the project if voters approved the substation.
Other results from the election:
ïA push to make the clerk position appointed rather than elected also failed, with 164 people voting ìnoî and 68 voting ìyes.î
ïBoth Shane Stepp and Manley Olson were elected to three year terms as supervisors, though Mickey Mouse did receive one write-in vote.
ïGreg Strom was elected to a three-year term on the planning commission, though a number of people received one write-in vote.
For more information on the events leading up to the vote on the fire substation, click here to go to the March 2 Post Review story.
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