2025 Grand Rapids Election Guide

Grand Rapids residents will head to the polls this fall with a full slate of local offices and ballot issues awaiting their decision. This is the official Village of Grand Rapids guide to all things on your ballot.

Election Schedule

• Voter registration deadline: Monday, October 6, 2025
• Early in-person voting begins: Tuesday, October 7, 2025 (Wood County Courthouse)
• Absentee ballot application deadline: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
• Absentee ballots must be postmarked by: Monday, November 3, 2025
• Election Day: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 (Otsego High School Auditorium for those living in the Village of Grand Rapids).

Grand Rapids Village Council

This year, four seats are open on the Grand Rapids Village Council, with eight candidates competing for the positions.

NWO Community Media has reached out to each candidate to submit a written address to voters, continuing a tradition of providing residents with direct access to candidates’ platforms and priorities. Those written addresses will be published together on TowpathRadio.com in the coming weeks.

Recently, the Heart of Grand Rapids hosted a Candidate Meet and Greet at the Old Fire Hall, where Nathan Bolton, Douglas Grey, Patrick Nagle, and Lynn Sylvain answered questions from community members. Peggy Seab, who had initially declared her candidacy, was in attendance but announced she would not be running.

The remaining candidates—Jody Donsbach, Louise Estep, Sean Thiebaut, and Matthew Tolles—were unable to attend the fire hall event. They are scheduled to host another Meet and Greet at the Grand Rapids Library on Saturday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Video of the first candidate event can be viewed here: Watch on YouTube.

Township and County Races

• Grand Rapids Township Trustee: Two seats are open, with Ike Topp and Ken Knaggs running unopposed.
• Bowling Green Municipal Judge: Judge Alyssa Blackburn is running uncontested for re-election.
• Wood County Educational Service Center Governing Board: Three seats are open, with Judith Paredes, Timothy F. Smith, and Bethany Vincent seeking election.

Otsego Local Schools Board of Education

In the Otsego Local School District, three seats are up for election with four candidates in the running: Allen C. Limes, Angela K. Powell, Mark D. Tolles, and Bradley J. Anderson.

Local Ballot Issues

Two tax levies will also be on the ballot for Grand Rapids Township voters:

• Proposed Fire Protection Levy (Replacement)
  A replacement levy at 2 mills for fire protection, expected to generate $110,000 annually. This equates to approximately $70 per $100,000 of appraised property value, beginning in 2026 and collected for five years.
• Proposed Swimming Pool Levy (Additional)
  An additional levy at 0.9 mill to support the Grand Rapids Swimming Pool for operation, maintenance, and recreational activities. The levy is estimated to generate $50,000 annually, costing about $32 per $100,000 of appraised property value, beginning in 2025 and collected for three years.

Both measures require a majority affirmative vote to pass.

What’s Next

NWO Community Media will be publishing the full written addresses from all council candidates soon, providing voters with an in-depth look at each candidate’s vision for Grand Rapids.