LMC postpones millage renewal proposal to Aug. 8 ballot

At a special meeting this morning, the Lake Michigan College Board of Trustees unanimously voted to withdraw the millage renewal proposal slated to be on the May 2 ballot. The decision was made due to language in the proposal that may have been inconsistent with the intent of the renewal request.  

“It is a priority at Lake Michigan College to be transparent with our taxpayers,” Lake Michigan College President Dr. Trevor Kubatzke said. “We don’t want to communicate anything that may be unclear about what we are asking.” 

The updated millage proposal with revised language will be on the Aug. 8 ballot.  

“Lake Michigan College is grateful to the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber, the Southwestern Michigan Association of Realtors, and Kinexus Group for their endorsements of this millage renewal proposal. We hope we can count on their support in the August election,” Kubatzke said. 

According to a 2021 study by Lightcast, LMC’s positive economic impact on the community totals more than $400 million a year. This includes the economic and social impact of LMC alumni, workforce training, and college operations. LMC is a leader in higher education, community and employer partnerships, workforce training, and retraining and serves as a cultural hub for Southwest Michigan.   

“LMC offers more than 75 accredited academic programs with small class sizes taught by accomplished and knowledgeable faculty,” said LMC Board Chair John Grover. “Nearly 400 high school students are enrolled in our Early College Program. Many of our in-district students qualify for free tuition through the LMC Promise. Plus, LMC offers community destinations such as the Fab Lab and LMC Mendel Center, the largest performing arts center in the region. 

“We would not want to jeopardize any of the benefits that LMC brings to the community due to ambiguous wording,” Grover continued. “We felt the best solution was to wait until the August ballot.”