DETROIT, Mich. (WOWO) — Nearly 500 local government positions across Michigan could be left vacant after the November 3 election because nobody is running for the jobs, raising concerns about the ability of communities to maintain essential services and conduct elections. An analysis by Bridge Mic higan of ballots from communities across the state identified at least 478 races with no candidates or too few candidates to fill all available seats. The positions represent close to one in 10 of the more than 5,400 local offices on the November ballot. The shortages affect school boards, village councils, library boards, township governments and other local offices, with rural communities facing particular challenges finding residents willing to serve. School board seats are the most frequently unfilled positions, accounting for nearly a third of the openings identified in the analysis. The problem extends beyond Michigan. A separate national study found approximately 10,000 local government seats with no candidates in 2024, according to research cited by Bridge Michigan. Local officials say low pay, increasingly demanding responsibilities and growing hostility toward government workers are making it harder to recruit candidates for positions that directly affect residents’ daily lives. In Seville Township in Gratiot County, township Supervisor Tish Mallory spent the summer trying to find someone willing to run for clerk before the filing deadline. The position pays $12,960 a year, and Mallory said several people declined. “We have an appointed clerk now who I had to beg,” Mallory told Bridge Michigan. “‘Please, I need a clerk!’” The township’s experience reflects a statewide problem involving jobs that can require substantial time and responsibility despite often being part-time positions with modest compensation. Michigan has at least 14,500 elected local government positions across its townships, villages, cities and school boards. In smaller rural communities, some positions pay less than $10,000 annually, while certain township trustees receive as little as $50 per meeting. Many school and library board positions are unpaid. A recent University of Michigan survey found that three out of four townships and villages reported greater difficulty filling required elected positions. Stephanie Leiser, director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy, said political hostility at the national level has increasingly affected local government, making public service less attractive. “Who wants to sign up for a low-paying job where you’re officially working 12 hours (a week) but it’s more like a full-time job,” Leiser told Bridge Michigan. “And by the way your neighbors may hate you.” Leiser warned that the vacancies matter because local officials are responsible for essential functions such as collecting taxes, conducting elections and making decisions about schools and public services. “We want smart, motivated people in these jobs,” she said. “If you’re just begging people to take positions, you’re probably not going to get the most qualified person.” School boards account for 145 of the positions identified as lacking candidates in Bridge Michigan’s analysis. Village boards have 151 such openings, while library boards have 29. Some communities are facing particularly significant gaps in leadership. Laingsburg, in Shiawassee County, has no candidate running for mayor. Omer, in Arenac County, has no mayoral candidate and two city council positions without candidates. Fifteen of Michigan’s 252 villages have no candidates for village president, including New Lothrop Village in Shiawassee County. Karen Maksimchuck, who has served as New Lothrop’s clerk for 39 years, said the village has struggled to find someone to fill its top elected position. The community has about 565 residents, and state law requires the village president and board members to live within village limits. The previous mayor moved away, leaving Maksimchuck’s husband filling in as village president. But he has already completed two years in the role. Maksimchuck said the village board plans to advertise locally after the election and appoint someone to the position. The annual salary is $1,800. “I don’t think (the trouble finding candidates) has anything to do with the pay,” she told Bridge Michigan. “I think some people don’t want to get involved.” The shortage also affects election administration. Ten township clerk positions on Michigan ballots have no candidates, including an opening in Bridgehampton Township in Sanilac County, which has about 745 residents. Township clerks oversee elections, but changes to Michigan’s election rules have increased the workload, according to local officials. Bridgehampton Township Supervisor Leo Sonck said constitutional changes requiring additional days of voting have made the job more demanding and contributed to turnover among clerks. “It’s a lot more work (than in the past),” Sonck told Bridge Michigan. The position pays $11,000 a year, and he said the township cannot simply increase compensation to make the job more attractive. “There’s been a heavy turnover of clerks in the last four years, because of the extra work,” Sonck said. “There were a lot of veteran clerks who said, ‘I’m done.’” The shortage extends to financial responsibilities as well. Four Michigan townships have no candidates for treasurer, an office responsible for tax collection and banking. In Ingallston Township in Menominee County, near the Wisconsin border, Supervisor Dan Bartell said the township has been searching for a treasurer since he took office two years ago. Bartell described the position as potentially suitable for a retiree seeking part-time work, including the possibility of working from home. But he said dealing with demanding members of the public can discourage people from accepting local government jobs. Michael Siegrist, clerk of Canton Charter Township and president of the Michigan Municipal Clerk Association, said the difficulty recruiting candidates reflects a broader decline in civic participation. “Volunteerism is down everywhere, from Elks Clubs, Rotary, Kiwanis,” Siegrist told Bridge Michigan. “There’s some fraying of community ties.” Siegrist said civic organizations once helped introduce people to public service and leadership. He believes declining participation in those groups has contributed to a smaller pool of people willing to take on government responsibilities. The state has proposals intended to ease the pressure, but legislation addressing the staffing crisis has made little progress in Lansing. One set of bills would provide $3.5 million for shared administrative support in areas such as finance, human resources and information technology. Supporters say that assistance could reduce the workload on local clerks and treasurers, particularly in smaller communities with limited resources. Another proposal would allow townships to hire an election-certified individual from outside the community when the clerk’s position is vacant. Some townships are also trying other approaches, including appointing deputy clerks and treasurers who do not have to meet the same residency requirements. Some villages have shifted from elected clerks and treasurers to employee positions, while others have reduced councils to the minimum five members permitted by law. When positions remain vacant after the election, city, township and village boards can appoint people to fill them. If officials cannot find replacements, the vacancies return to voters at the next regularly scheduled election. For communities already struggling to recruit residents, that means the search may continue long after the November ballots are counted. In Seville Township, Mallory is already looking ahead to the 2028 election and trying to find someone willing to run for clerk. “It’s hard,” she told Bridge Michigan. “Somebody’s gotta do it.” The post Michigan Faces Nearly 500 Local Election Races With No Candidates on November Ballots appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less