Traverse City Record-Eagle

Election 2011

November 6, 2011

Decisions aplenty for city voters

BY ART BUKOWSKI abukowski@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — David Opatik stood at the curb of his house on Eighth Street as car after car turned off nearby Division Street and raced along.

City voters on Tuesday could drastically overhaul the city commission and weigh in on a contentious non-discrimination proposal, among other items.

Downtown spending, city staffing levels and more grabbed plenty of attention in recent weeks, but Opatik hopes those who win election address another age-old city problem.

"I live in Central Neighborhood," he said as another vehicle sped by. "Traffic calming is an issue."

Voters will select a new mayor and three commissioners in Tuesday's election. That means the city might see new faces in four seats on the seven-member commission, since the mayor is included in that body.

Several commission candidates haven't run for office before, and residents have a diverse group to choose from.

"Any time citizens want to get involved, that's a good sign," city resident Heather Shumaker said. "I'm heartened to see a lot of new candidates."

City residents also will decide on an ordinance that protects gays from discrimination in housing, employment and other areas, a matter that's been discussed for more than a decade. The issue likely will bring a lot of people to the polls.

"The equality proposal, I think it makes this election even more significant," Shumaker said. "It's a statement by the residents of what kind of place they want this to be."

City Clerk Benjamin Marentette said 30 percent voter turnout is the norm for a city election. But he believes the "well-contested" commission and mayoral races, along with the non-discrimination ordinance, likely will boost turnout this time around.

"We're hoping for a strong turnout, and I would expect a stronger turnout than your typical city election," he said.

The Bay Area Transportation Authority also seeks a millage renewal.

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