Fournier Keeps Mayor's Office; School Bond Proposal Approved

ROYAL OAK, MI — Mayor Michael Fournier gets to keep his job. He held off challenger Mike Skinner by a comfortable 18 percent margin, earning 7,101 votes to Skinner’s 4,909, according to unofficial Oakland County totals.

Two newcomers will join Royal Oak’s City Commission. Melanie Macey ended up as Election Night’s top vote-getter with 7,269 while Kim Gibbs placed third with 5,684. Incumbent Sharlan Douglas retained her seat on the commission with 5,715 votes.

In the race for the partial term city commission seat, Randy LeVasseur edged Brandon Kolo by a mere 40 votes. The term will end on Nov. 25, 2019.

Royal Oak residents voted yes on two proposals to change the city's charter language. The first measure will remove sections of the charter made obsolete when Royal Oak adjusted the date and time commissioners and the mayor start and end their terms of office from the first Monday in December to the third Monday in November in the year of their election.

In 1921, Royal Oak residents set a requirement that any public improvement costing more than $1,000 can only be approved after drawings, profiles, and estimates are submitted to the commission. The second proposal will allow the City Commission to set the cost limitation.

As for Royal Oak Schools, voters overwhelming gave their approval to a $59.9 million bond proposal. It earned a “yes” vote on 72 percent of ballots.

Funds from the bond sale will be used for building additions and remodeling. The funds will also help improve athletic fields and playgrounds as well as pay for technology upgrades for the district.