Today is primary election day in Michigan.
Less than a quarter of eligible voters will likely head to the polls, though election officials expect a handful of contested primaries and a Detroit Institute of Arts millage to draw out dedicated voters.
The DIA says it will have to sharply curtail services — or even close — if a 10-year millage in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties doesn't pass.
Each county's elected commissioners this spring approved language for a 0.2-mill proposal to support the DIA as a regional resource.
A levy of 0.2 mills means 20 cents per each $1,000 of taxable value. Property owners would pay $10 for every $100,000 of taxable value shown on municipal tax statements.
"The DIA does not receive any funds from the state, city or county," says the campaign's FAQ page. "Elimination of all public funding for operations has required the museum to turn almost entirely to the private sector, an operating model that is not sustainable, particularly in the current economy."
Also headlining the ballot is a GOP primary for U.S. Senate among Pete Hoekstra, Clark Durant and Randy Hekman.
In the 11th Congressional District, there's an open seat; in the 13th, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, is trying to extend a 47-year congressional career; and in the 14th, two incumbent Democrats, Hansen Clarke of Detroit and Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township, face off due to redistricting.
For the primary election guide from the Detroit Free Press, click here.
