Traverse City Record-Eagle

Election 2009

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October 16, 2009

Candidate focuses on Hickory Hills

MaryAnn Moore has served on city's COFAC

By Sheri McWhirter

Editor's Note

This story is fourth in a series of profiles of Traverse City Commission candidates.

Read the entire series as it is published in our election section at record-eagle.com/election »

TRAVERSE CITY -- MaryAnn Moore wants to pay back the community she raised her family in.

Moore, 71, is a semi-retired real estate broker making her first run for public office. She is seeking election to the Traverse City Commission, after serving on the city's Citizens Operational and Financial Analysis Committee.

"I was very active in COFAC. There was a lot we discovered and we thought we could make a difference," Moore said. "I have gotten very excited about the possibilities."

There are several issues Moore said she is ready to tackle, which include finding a way to bring Hickory Hills Ski Area back into the black and avoiding future operating deficits.

"I'm interested in either Grand Traverse County taking over operations, or a two-tier payment system in which we charge non-Traverse City residents a higher fee to close that gap on the deficit," Moore said.

Last year, about 25 percent of the ski area users were from Traverse City, she said.

Another priority is continued infrastructure improvements across the city, similar to work done on Woodmere Avenue. Improvements like that draw businesses to the area, she said.

Moore also wants city taxpayers to see more of a presence from the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department, since they help pay for road patrols by county deputies. Either city taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for road patrol, she said, or they should see deputies cruising city neighborhoods.

"I don't care which, I just want our money's worth," Moore said.

Affordable housing initiatives in Traverse City also will require joint efforts between public and private entities, she said.

"I think it's important that we understand affordable housing cannot be done with private funds only ... because it costs too much to build to sell to somebody who makes $12.50 an hour. Affordable housing is a problem and Traverse City has to do more than talk about it," Moore said.

Moore has lived in Traverse City for 42 years. She has been married to Tom Moore for 50 years and has three children and eight grandchildren.

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