Oakland: Residents reject tax hikes in Berkley, Royal Oak Twp.

Jennifer Chambers / The Detroit News

Voters in Oakland County defeated ballot measures Tuesday that included a new tax to build a new community center in Berkley, a proposal to stop new liquor licenses in Royal Oak and another tax hike for services in Royal Oak Township, the county's most-taxed community.

But it wasn't all bad news for municipal coffers.

Proposals supported by voters included a library services millage in Pleasant Ridge, two emergency services taxes in Oxford and a 0.25-mill tax for paramedic operations and fire-related expenses in Madison Heights.

In key mayoral matchups, incumbent Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence surged to victory with 77.59 percent of the vote, while Pontiac's ex-deputy mayor Leon Jukowski won a narrower victory by defeating challenger Sandy-Michael McDonald by 52.91 percent.

• In Berkley, voters sent a resounding "no" to city leaders when they overwhelmingly defeated two proposals that would have raised taxes to build and maintain a new community center. Nearly 72 percent of voters defeated a $15 million bond proposal for the center by a vote of 1,234 to 3,153. Also defeated was a second measure for a 1.5-mill tax to operate and maintain the facility. That measure lost by a vote of 3,005 to 1,368.

Berkley voter Bob Sherman said it is disappointing the city wasted taxpayer money to place the measures on the ballot.

"They spent $45,000 of taxpayer money after their own survey showed only 19 percent approval. Hopefully this is behind us and with a couple new council members, the city will focus on declining home values, loss of tax revenue, attracting new businesses and the things important to the residents," Sherman said late Tuesday.

• In Royal Oak, the idea of a ban on new liquor license transfers was seen as "anti-business" by some, while others said a moratorium was needed because the city's reduced police force already was spread too thin among the suburb's 40-plus bars and restaurants.

On the schools front, Oxford Schools' bid for a $33 million bond issue -- a scaled-back version of a $70 million proposal that failed in February -- passed by a mere 34 votes. The final count was 2,189 to 2,155. A second bond proposal, for $635,000 to build a synthetic turf athletic field and a storage building, failed with 61.35 percent with a vote.

• In Pontiac, results came in just before midnight with Jukowski beating McDonald, the city's current Downtown Development Authority head, by 406 votes. The new mayor inherits a $50,000-a-year salary and four years to tackle challenges that plague the city, from too much crime and too few cops to $130 million in red ink and an estimated $7 million budget deficit.

"I'm still a bit shell shocked," Jukowski said. "It's a big job. The campaign was nothing compared to the work ahead the next four years. There is a lot to do."

• In Southfield, incumbent Lawrence faced challenger Sylvia Jordan, just several months after a cloud was cast over city government following a former City Council member's bribery conviction.

"I'm so humbled and thankful for the support. I listened to the people of this community, they are educated and compassionate ... This is a call to action. I will roll up my sleeves and continue to work," Lawrence said.

Voter turnout in Oakland County was 17.49 percent, with 120,206 ballots cast out of 687,442 registered voters.

jchambers@detnews.com Mike Martindale contributed.