Troy News This Week

Five names are on the Nov. 3 ballot for two Troy School Board seats, with the Oakland County Republican Party campaigning against two candidates and an anonymous texting campaign tying candidates to Flock cameras. A resident survey presented to the City Council showed respondents split 41 to 59 on the library part of last year's rejected bond.

By the Numbers

• 5 — names on the ballot for two six-year school board seats
• About 12,000 — Troy ballots cast as of Oct. 26, the city clerk said
• 72 — overall resident satisfaction score, on a 0-to-100 scale
• 41 to 59 — survey split on the library portion of the 2025 bond

The Weather: Warm on Election Day, Then Rain and a Cooldown

Sunday, Nov. 1, is forecast foggy, with a high of 68° and a low of 40°. Monday, Nov. 2, is overcast with a high of 62°. Tuesday, Nov. 3, Election Day, is the week's warmest day, overcast with a high of 73°. Wednesday, Nov. 4, has drizzle, a high of 67° and the week's highest chance of rain, 46%. Thursday, Nov. 5, is overcast with a high of 65°. Friday, Nov. 6, brings light rain and a high of 62°, and Saturday, Nov. 7, light rain and a high of 53°.

The News

Oakland County GOP campaigns against two Troy school board candidates

Vital Anne, Walt Cook, Mary Gunn, Michele Maleszyk and Beau Taylor are on the Nov. 3 ballot for two six-year seats. Party labels do not appear on the ballot. Maleszyk has suspended her campaign; her name remains on the ballot.

The Oakland County Republican Party is campaigning against Cook and Taylor. Since August it has publicized messages it says Cook wrote joking about Charlie Kirk's death. A party mail piece says Taylor supported a group tied to a “domestic terrorist organization,” which party chair Vance Patrick told Troy Thrive “refers to Antifa.” Cook said he “cannot verify their authenticity.” Taylor said he has “no clue” what the claim refers to. The party's filing for Aug. 25 through Oct. 18 lists $39,032 in spending, none of it naming Troy, school boards, Cook or Taylor. Patrick said the statement “is indicative of all invoices OCRP had received to date.”

Source: Troy Thrive, “National Rhetoric or Local Stakes? Inside the Troy School Board Race,” October 29, 2026

Unsigned texts tied candidates to Flock cameras

Texts from an unidentified sender on Oct. 12 and 13 linked Cook, and then Anne and Taylor, to support for Flock license plate cameras; the second urged votes for all three. Cook and Taylor had both publicly opposed the cameras. Flock and an Oakland County Republican Party official deny sending the texts, and no one has claimed them.

City Clerk Aileen Dickson told the City Council that about 12,000 Troy voters had cast ballots as of Oct. 26, about 20% of the city's voting population, including 9,800 returned absentee ballots. Early voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Troy Community Center.

Source: Troy Thrive, October 29, 2026; Troy Thrive coverage of the Oct. 26 meeting

Survey: satisfaction at 72, library bond support at 41

William SaintAmour of Cobalt Community Research told the City Council on Oct. 26 that overall satisfaction scored 72 on a 0-to-100 scale, against a national average of 57, from 539 valid responses to a mailed random sample, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4%. The slight decline from 2024 is not statistically significant, SaintAmour said. Respondents' support for the library portion of the November 2025 bond was 41 to 59, while most supported its roads, parks and public safety portions. Voters rejected the $137 million bond 55% to 45%, WXYZ reported.

Council Member David Hamilton said November 2028 is the likely target for a new request. The staff memo says the results will be discussed at the council's Nov. 21 advance. The memo says each of two focus groups had eight participants; SaintAmour said six and five.

Source: Troy Thrive coverage of the Oct. 26 meeting, from the agenda packet and the meeting transcript

Council seeks youth council options, pet shop information

Saanvi Rameswarapu asked the council during public comment to create a Troy Youth Advisory Council and said 50 students were in the room. Mayor Ethan Baker sought consensus for the administration to provide options, “not voting on anything tonight,” and members agreed. Baker also asked for information on a possible pet shop ordinance, pointing to Berkley's.

All seven members attended, and the council approved every item before it 7-0, including a two-year insurance renewal with a first-year contribution of $1,004,688 and a five-year website agreement with Revize LLC.

Source: Troy Thrive coverage of the Oct. 26 meeting

Long Lake and Rochester west side now expected to reopen week of Nov. 2

The west side of the Long Lake Road and Rochester Road intersection is now expected to reopen the week of Nov. 2, because of environmental testing and concrete curing time, the city posted. Access to Rochester Road from Sylvanwood, Trinway and Creston roads is expected to reopen beginning Nov. 9.

Source: City of Troy on Instagram, October 26, 2026

What's Next

• Sunday, Nov. 1 — early voting ends at the Troy Community Center
• Week of Nov. 2 — west side of Long Lake and Rochester expected to reopen
• Tuesday, Nov. 3 — Election Day
• Monday, Nov. 9 — Sylvanwood, Trinway and Creston access expected to reopen
• Saturday, Nov. 21 — council advance, where survey results will be discussed

Metro Detroit

Michigan votes Tuesday; SMART and DDOT rides are free

A Detroit News/WDIV poll of 600 likely voters, taken Oct. 19-22 by the Glengariff Group, had Democrat Abdul El-Sayed at 51.4% and Republican Mike Rogers at 45.1% for U.S. Senate, and Democrat Jocelyn Benson at 51.4% and Republican John James at 44.5% for governor, Deadline Detroit reported. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 points.

SMART will offer free rides on all its services in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and DDOT will also offer free fares, WDIV reported. Connector and ADA Paratransit riders should reserve in advance.

Wayne, Oakland and Macomb voters decide a 10-year renewal of the Detroit Zoo's 0.1-mill tax, first approved in 2008. Advocates put the cost at $10 a year for a $200,000 home, FOX 2 reported. Wayne and Oakland voters also decide a 0.2-mill, 10-year tax for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Historical Museum, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and other historical museums, WDIV reported.

Source: FOX 2 Detroit / WDIV Local 4 / WDIV ballot list / Deadline Detroit, September-October 2026

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