Benton Harbor mayoral race underway

BENTON HARBOR, Mich.--- Voters in Benton Harbor are casting their ballots for mayor on Tuesday. Incumbent Marcus Muhammad is facing City Commissioner Ron Singleton for the mayoral seat.

The next administration will have to tackle the ongoing efforts to improve Benton Harbor Schools as its special Advisory Board met for the first time on Monday to address improvement. 

Both candidates will also have to deal with an improving, but struggling economy. Wages and property values for the city have gone up in the past few years. However, Benton Harbor still faces a 48 percent poverty rate and a median household income that is $30,000 less than the state average.