As we continue reviewing area millage requests before Northeast Michigan voters Nov. 8 we turn our attention to Presque Isle County, where voters are being asked to support a new millage request – a 0.25 mill millage over five years to support historical preservation within the county.

Admittedly, this millage is a hard one for us to assess, as those who would stand to benefit most from the estimated $196,700 it would generate have taken a public stand against it.

The Historical Partnership of Presque Isle County – made up of the Glawe School Committee, Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum, Millersburg Depot Historical Museum Society, Onaway Area Historical Museum, Presque Isle County Historical Museum, and the Metz Fire Trailside Historical Park – oppose the millage.

The ballot language states the millage is being sought “for the purpose of providing funds for historical preservation services in Presque Isle County, to preserve Presque Isle County’s rich and vibrant history, educate the public, conduct programs and projects, operate and maintain museums, and provide such other services as may be necessary to perform historical preservation activities.”

Mark Thompson, president of the county historical partnership, said partnership members and county commissioners had been working on language for a ballot proposal. However, he said just days before the millage deadline, the partnership learned the county was proceeding with the issue, but commissioners, rather than the partnership, would control the funds from the millage.

“The ballot proposal contains no details on how the funds would be allocated,” Thompson said, “and the County Board doesn’t intend to deal with that issue until after the election. There is no guarantee that any of us will get the stable funding we so badly need. In fact, there’s no guarantee that we will get any money at all.”

Because of that uncertainty, partnership members decided to oppose the ballot issue.

We choose to neither endorse nor oppose this request. Instead, we ask county residents to vote as they see fit.

Should this millage be defeated, however, we think commissioners would have a hard time justifying to themselves rushing to put it back before voters in the future. Thus, this could be the best, and perhaps only, hope of securing preservation funding.