Politics & Government

Secretary of State Dismisses Farmington Schools Bond Campaign Complaints

The district and school board member Howard Wallach did not violate the law, as alleged in campaign complaints filed by Nov. 5 bond referendum opponents.

The Michigan Secretary of State's office on Monday dismissed two election-related complaints filed against Farmington Public Schools and board member Howard Wallach, over actions related to the district's Nov. 5 bond referendum. 

District residents Irving Ginsberg and Sue Burstein, both vocal opponents of Farmington Public Schools's Nov. 5 bond request, filed the complaints against board chair Howard Wallach for comments in support of the bond made during the district's Sept. 30 Senior Breakfast, and against the district, based on the tag line, "Did you know Farmington Public Schools is asking our community to support a bond proposal at the November election?”, that appeared in list serv emails.

In response to Burstein's complaint about the emails, Lori Bourbanis of the Elections Bureau wrote that there are no directives in the email that expressly ask for a "yes" vote on the bond. 

"The emails make the reader aware that the district has placed the bond proposal on the ballot at the November election," she wrote. "By placing the issue on the ballot, the district is asking voters to approve the measure. The emails do not do any more than inform the reader of these facts."

In response to Ginsberg's complaint, Bourbanis wrote that Wallach was within his rights to express his own views under an exception in the state's campaign law that allows elected or appointed officials or employees, on their own time and with their own funds, to express their personal views.

While it is illegal for districts or officials to use public funds to advocate for the bond, "...there is no evidence that Mr. Wallach caused any public resources to be expended," she wrote. 

In a district press release, Wallach and Superintendent Sue Zurvalec said they knew no laws had been broken. 

"I am very pleased that the Secretary of State acted so quickly in dismissing the frivolous complaint against me," Wallach said. "This was simply another false accusation that has been made against me by the same small group of people over the last several years."

“It is sad and unfortunate that this attempt to discredit the School Board president and the school district is clouding the real issue of the needs of the District that these bond proposals will address," Zurvalec said. 

Patch contacted Burstein and Ginsberg via email; in the event they respond, we will update this post. 


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