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Calumet village faces many choices Tuesday

CALUMET — Registered voters will face many choices Tuesday regarding seats on the Village Council, recalls, and disincorporation.

Three council members appointed to fill vacancies earlier this year are Roxanne King, Jeffrey (Paulie) Mihelcich, and Darice Taylor. They are hoping to retain their four-year-term seats on the council, while candidates Nathan Anderson and Darla Hane are vying to win seats. Of those five, voters can not choose more than three, according to the ballot.

Virginia Dwyer, who earlier this year was the subject of a recall petition, is defending her seat against business owner Julie DePaul Johnson, and Nicholas Farrell. This is a partial term, ending on Nov. 20, 2020.

The recall referendum is against Village President Dave Geisler and replace him with Anderson. The wording on the ballot is confusing, however, said Calumet Township Clerk, Beth Salmela, and cautioned voters to read it carefully.

“They are not only voting to recall Geisler,” Salmela said, “they are also voting for who they want to put on the council (presidency),” adding that the wording on the ballot was created by the state.

Because the township office felt its wording confusing, it was checked and rechecked. If the people vote to recall Geisler, they will be voting to replace him with Anderson, the other name appearing on the referendum. Anderson was the originator of the petition to have the recall election placed on the ballot.

“We’re relatively sure people will check off who they think they’re going to vote to recall,” Salmela said, “because the wording appears as to recall just one, Geisler or Anderson.”

The referendum to disincorporate the village is, by comparison, simply worded: Shall incorporation of the Village of Calumet be vacated? A yes answer is voting to dissolve the village government. The decision is not up to village residents alone, Salmela said, but will require a two-third majority of the entire township to pass.

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