ELECTION UPDATES

NOVEMBER 2025

Election season is underway!

Absentee Voting

As of Thursday, September 25, 2025, Absentee Ballots are available at your City Clerk's Office. For those who are enrolled in the Permanent Ballot List, or who have completed an Absentee Ballot Application, the initial mailing of ballots will take place on Friday, September 26, 2025. Absentee ballots will continue to be mailed as applications are received.

A voter may run their absentee ballot through a tabulator during Early In-Person Voting or at their precinct on election day (and of course, you may still return the ballot to the City Clerk's Office by 8 pm on election day to have it tabulated by the Absent Voter Counting Board).

Electronic Notification System

Proposal 2022-2 amended the Michigan Constitution to include a voter’s right to receive updates on the status of their absent voter (AV) ballot applications and ballots, including by electronic notification. 

Voters can subscribe to receive electronic notifications at Michigan.gov/Vote directly, when registering to vote, or when submitting an online AV application.

Once subscribed, voters will be notified of all the following: 

• When their AV ballot or application has been received by their local clerk,  
• When their AV ballot has been sent by their local clerk, 
• If their AV ballot or application has been rejected for any deficiency, 
• Instructions for how to cure any deficiency to have their AV ballot or application accepted.  

Early In-Person Voting

Early In-Person Voting will begin on Saturday, October 25, 2025, and will run through Sunday, November 2, 2025, from 9 am to 5 pm. The Early Voting Site for voters in the City of Traverse City is at the Governmental Center, Lower Level, 400 Boardman Avenue.

Third Party Voting Advocates

During election season, third party organizations that advocate for voter participation may send you text messages, emails, and absentee ballot applications (even if you are already registered, have completed a form, etc.)

Have a question on the status of your voter registration, absentee ballot, or more?

Call your local Clerk. We are happy to help! Or visit, michigan.gov/vote to check the status of your registration, absentee ballot, and more.

Candidate Forums

League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters hosted a Candidate Forum for City Commission and Mayoral candidates on September 23, 2025. The event was recorded and may be viewed at the link.

Learn More

Traverse Connect

Traverse Connect has provided a series of questions to the City Commission and Mayoral candidates and published their answers.

Learn More

ELECTION PROPOSALS

THREE PROPOSALS ON CITY BALLOT

Three Proposals are on the City's November 2025 Ballot.

Proposal 1

Shall the Charter of the City of Traverse City, Section 129, which currently provides that the principal of the Brown Bridge Trust Fund may only be used upon approval of the voters, be amended to allow the City Commission for a period of five years to place $3,000,000.00 of Brown Bridge Trust Fund principal in a separate trust fund for City park capital improvements and/or improvements that increase accessibility to City parkland, and any of the three million dollars not contractually committed to a project within five years, shall be returned to the Brown Bridge Trust Fund? 

The Brown Bridge Trust Fund Ad Hoc Committee, through a public input process has developed the following park project list that focuses on access and improvements. Should voters approve the ballot proposal, the list will guide how funds are invested.

Project List

Investments (listed in random order, and not necessarily order of priority)

1. West Bay Lake Shore Stabilization: beach access, water quality, erosion
2. Brown Bridge Quiet Area: Trail and trailhead development for recent land acquisition
3. Hickory Hills Mountain Bike Trail Design & Development
4. Park Essentials: Waste receptacles, picnic tables, benches
5. Park Experiences: Playground equipment, sport amenities, interactive features, pavilions, pedestrian scale lighting
6. Trees: Increased canopy and shade in parks
7. Pickleball & Tennis Court Reconstruction at Slabtown Corners

Access (listed in random order, and not necessarily order of priority)

1. Boardman Lake Loop Trail Access
2. Bryant Park Access: Improved pedestrian and bicycle access
3. ADA Access Improvements

Learn More

Proposal 2

Shall the Charter of the City of Traverse City, Section 129, which currently provides that the principal of the Brown Bridge Trust Fund may only be used upon approval of the voters, be amended to provide that upon recommendation of the City Treasurer, the City Commission may place any amount of the principal in the Brown Bridge Trust Fund up to a cumulative total of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in a separate revolving loan fund to be used only for interfund loans to other City funds within the budget of the City of Traverse City?

Proposal 3

Shall the Charter of the City of Traverse City be amended to require an ethics ordinance which shall apply to all elected and appointed officers, employees and volunteers of the City of Traverse City?

ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT UPDATES

TWELFTH STREET BEGINS AND ELEVENTH STREET TO CONCLUDE

The City’s 2025 Road Reconstruction Projects are fully underway, with the last of the five streets to begin reconstruction next week. This work will cause disruptions to pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic. Appropriate signage will be in place for the detour, and access to all homes and businesses will be maintained at all times. 

Following are updates on current projects.

Eleventh Street Reconstruction Anticipated to be Completed September 26, 2026

Paving activities began this week and the project is anticipated to be substantially completed, Friday, September 26, 2025.

Crack Sealing Project

Crack Sealing will continue the week of September 29, 2025. The process is mobile with no closures. The project is anticipated to be completed Friday, October 3, 2025, weather permitting.

Veterans Drive Sidewalk Work Extended to October 3, 2025

Beginning Monday, September 22, 2025, sidewalk work will be conducted on the south side of Sixteenth Street and on Veterans Drive. The project will involve the removal and replacement of approximately 200 feet of sidewalk on the west side of Veterans Drive, north of Boughey Street. The work is anticipated to be completed on Friday, October 3, 2025, weather permitting. During work, the east-west ramp will be closed at Boughey Street. The sidewalk will be closed on Veterans Drive, south of the Tides apartments.

Twelfth Street Reconstruction Completed November 14, 2025

Twelfth Street reconstruction between Union and Cass Streets began this week and is anticipated to be completed Friday, November 14, 2025, weather permitting. 

Work activities include:

• Full reconstruction including new curbs, asphalt, bioswales, and two hydrant replacements
• Utility Upgrades: Improving sanitary sewer, watermain, and storm sewer utilities
• No parking on a section of E. Twelfth Street during certain times and provides for two-hour parking during certain times for weekdays

During the project, Twelfth Street will be closed between Union and Cass Streets. Sidewalks within the construction area will also be closed. Intermittent closures of the sidewalk intersections at Cass and Union will occur, but not simultaneously. Access to driveways and nearby side streets will be maintained as much as possible; however, some temporary restrictions may be necessary during specific construction activities. Proper barricades and signage will be in place to ensure safety and provide clear directions.

West Front Street Safety Enhancement Project

Beginning Monday, September 29, 2025, work activities will begin for the W. Front Street Safety Enhancement project. W. Front Street will be under flag control on September 30 and October 1, 2025. Paving markings will begin on October 2, 2025. The project is anticipated to be completed on October 3, 2025, weather permitting.

Water Service Replacement Line Project

During the week of September 29, 2025, contractors for the Water Service Replacement Line project will be working on sidewalk restoration in project areas.

MDOT PROJECT UPDATE

ROUNDABOUT TRAFFIC SHIFT

Work continues on the Michigan Department of Transportation's M-22/M-72 project in the City and Elmwood Township. This week, crews will move to a temporary pattern in the new roundabout.

• First: Traffic will use the outside lane of the new roundabout.
• Later: Shifts will move vehicles to the inside lane as crews construct the center island, splitter islands, and pedestrian refuge islands.

MDOT expects the road to fully reopen in late October, weather permitting, with full project completion by November 15, 2025.

SAFE HARBOR COMMUNITY MEETING

Safe Harbor will host its quarterly community meeting on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. The meeting will take place in the McGuire Room at the Traverse Area District Library, Main Branch from 5:30 - 6:30 pm. The public is welcome.

NO WIPES

IN PIPES

Friendly reminder: Do not flush "flushable" wipes! They don't break down in the sewer system, causing clogs and sewage backups. In municipal systems, wipes form "fatbergs" with grease and debris, damaging infrastructure and leading to costly repairs.

IN THE COMMUNITY

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS FAIR

A heartfelt thank you to the Traverse City Human Rights Commission for hosting this month’s Know Your Rights Fair. We are also deeply grateful to the many community partners who participated, creating opportunities for meaningful face-to-face connections. Together, they offered support, information, and advocacy to empower and uplift all members of our community.