Election 2026 · Blue Water Area
Yale schools return with a smaller $20 million bond as western St. Clair County towns ask to keep police, fire and road taxes
YALE, Mich. — Six months after voters rejected a $32 million bond request, Yale Public Schools is back on the Nov. 3 ballot asking for $20 million, and voters in a string of small western and northern St. Clair County communities will decide whether to keep paying for police, fire and road work.
The St. Clair County Clerk’s list of November proposals includes the Yale schools bond, a Yale fire millage, a Memphis police millage, road renewals in Capac, Burtchville Township and Casco Township, and an Emmett Township question that would restore operating millage cut back under the Headlee Amendment for the next 20 years.
Yale Public Schools: $20 million, up to 14 years. The district, which covers parts of St. Clair and Sanilac counties, asks to borrow up to $20 million to remodel, furnish and equip school buildings and improve playgrounds, driveways, parking areas and sites. The ballot language estimates the bond levy at 1.4 mills in 2027, or $140 for a property with $100,000 of taxable value, and an average of 2.48 mills a year, about $248 on that property, over as long as 14 years. The district has $11.9 million in qualified bonds outstanding, according to the ballot language.
The Times Herald of Port Huron reported that the new request is smaller than May’s and focused on existing buildings, including an estimated $8 million to replace Yale High School’s heating and cooling systems, new bleachers at the high school and junior high, playground equipment at the three elementary schools, student desks and new pickup and drop-off drives at Avoca and Farrell-Emmett elementary schools. Superintendent Kurt Sutton told the paper that approval would not raise property owners’ debt payments compared with 2025 because the district is paying off existing debt. Put another way, a yes vote keeps the district’s debt levy near its current level instead of letting it fall as older bonds are retired.
City of Yale: fire protection renewal. Yale voters are asked to renew 2 mills for fire protection for five years, 2028 through 2032. The city calls it a renewal of the millage that expires with the 2027 levy and estimates first-year revenue at about $96,599. The ballot language says the money may be paid to Brockway Township under a fire protection agreement, which covers contracted fire suppression, rescue and medical first response. At the full rate, it costs $200 a year for every $100,000 of taxable value.
City of Memphis: police millage renewal. Memphis, which sits in both St. Clair and Macomb counties, asks voters to renew up to 2.8655 mills for six years, 2027 through 2032, to be used only for police protection. The city estimates it would raise about $99,192 in the first year, or about $287 a year for each $100,000 of taxable value at the full rate.
Emmett Township: a 20-year Headlee override. The township’s question is titled a renewal, but the ballot wording asks something different. Emmett Township’s voted 1-mill operating levy has been rolled back to 0.6911 mill under the Headlee Amendment, which trims millage rates when property values rise faster than inflation. The proposal would add 0.3089 mill, described in the ballot language as “new additional millage,” to restore the full 1 mill for 20 years, 2026 through 2046. The township estimates it would raise $108,907.61 the first year, about $31 a year more for each $100,000 of taxable value, for general township purposes.
Road renewals. Three communities ask to keep road levies they already pay:
- Burtchville Township: 1 mill for 10 years, 2027 through 2036, for township road improvement and maintenance, estimated at $195,656.58 the first year.
- Casco Township: 1 mill for four years, 2028 through 2031, for road maintenance and improvements, estimated at $249,920.59 the first year. The ballot states it is a renewal and not a new additional millage.
- Village of Capac: 2 mills for four years for roads, streets and bridges, replacing a millage that expires after the 2026 levy, estimated at $95,293 the first year.
Voters in the St. Clair County portion of Almont Community Schools will also see that district’s request for up to 2 mills for four years, 2026 through 2029, for a sinking fund for building repairs, security and technology, estimated at about $1,094,871 districtwide in 2026. On the river side of the county, Marine City voters decide a new 2.5-mill public safety and fire tax for 2026 through 2028, which The Mitten Daily covered on Oct. 16.
Every St. Clair County ballot also carries the two statewide questions: Proposal 1, on calling a constitutional convention, and Proposal 2, on donations from utilities and government contractors.
A yes vote on any local question approves the tax or borrowing for the years listed; a no vote rejects it. Millage costs above are The Mitten Daily’s math from the rates on the ballot. Taxable value is often about half of a home’s market value or less, and owners can find theirs on their property tax bill or assessment notice.
Monday, Oct. 19, was the last day to register to vote online or by mail. After that, residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency, through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Statewide early in-person voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1. Absentee ballot applications are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 30 by mail or online, or by 4 p.m. Nov. 2 in person at the clerk’s office. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. County canvassers must finish by Nov. 17, and the Board of State Canvassers certifies statewide results by Nov. 23. Voters can check their registration and see their sample ballot at Michigan.gov/Vote.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026: The Oct. 19 deadline to register to vote online or by mail has passed, so the voting details now say so. Residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency through 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Sources:
St. Clair County Clerk, “November 3, 2026 Proposals” (official ballot language for the Yale Public Schools bond, City of Yale, City of Memphis, Emmett Township, Burtchville Township, Casco Township, Village of Capac, Marine City and Almont Community Schools questions and statewide proposals), https://stclaircountyclerk.org/Public/File/web_november_2026_proposals_pdf
St. Clair County Clerk, “2026 Election Information,” https://stclaircountyclerk.org/Page/Elections_2026_Election_Information
The Times Herald, Andy Jeffrey, “Yale schools return to ballot with revised $20M bond proposal,” Oct. 9, 2026 (May rejection of $32 million, projects, Superintendent Kurt Sutton’s comments), https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/local/2026/10/09/yale-schools-return-with-20m-bond-for-hvac-facility-upgrades-michigan/91685158007/
The Times Herald, “Inside Yale schools as district seeks $20M bond approval,” Oct. 9, 2026 (photo captions on HVAC, bleachers, playgrounds, desks and drop-off drives), https://www.thetimesherald.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2026/10/09/inside-yale-schools-as-district-seeks-20m-bond-approval/92144368007/
Yale Public Schools, “YPSD November 2026 Bond Proposal,” https://www.ypsd.us/ypsd-november-2026-bond-proposal
The Gist, “Yale Public Schools: building and site improvement bond ($20 million),” https://thegist.vote/question/2026-general-mi/st-clair-local-school-district-yale-public-schools-bond-proposal
Michigan Department of State, “Absentee voting” and election calendar (registration, early voting and absentee deadlines), https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/absentee-voting
Photo: Notorious4life, “Yale, Michigan downtown.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/), cropped, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yale,_Michigan_downtown.jpg
