Traverse City Record-Eagle

Election 2011

ELECTION LETTERS

Letters to the editor regarding the Nov. 8 election.

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November 6, 2011

Nov. 8 Election Roundup

To view a sample ballot including all issues in your area, and get information about where and when to vote, click here »

Local issues and races, including links to our coverage:

ANTRIM COUNTY

Charlevoix Public Schools

One four-year board term

  • Dale Boss
  • Richard E. Joseph

Central Lake Township

  • Proposal to recall Central Lake Village President Walter Russell

Helena Township

  • Ten-year 0.75 mill proposal for constructing and maintaining roads.
  • Twenty-year 0.25 mill proposal for operation and maintenance of Helena Township Cemetery.

Township Ambulance Authority

  • Four-year 0.65 mill proposal for ambulance service in Central Lake, Chestonia, Custer, Forest Home, Helena, Kearney, Mancelona, Star and Warner townships.

BENZIE COUNTY

Benzie County  Central Schools

One four-year board term

  • Tyson Burch
  • Lorene Hill Cota

Two vie for Benzie school post

Benzie Shores District Library

  • Proposal for Benzie Shores District Library to reduce its previously authorized millage from 1 mill to 0.75 mill.

Frankfort-Elberta  Area Schools

One four-year term

  • Richard Schmitt
  • William A. Storrer

City of Frankfort City Council

(vote for one)

  • Katie Condon
  • Sandy Jackson

Glen Lake  Community Schools

One four-year board term

  • Meredith Goodrick

Joyfield Township

  • Three-year 1.5 mill proposal for planning and zoning activities.
  • Proposal to recall Joyfield Township Supervisor Larry Lathwell.
  • Proposal to recall Joyfield Township Clerk Gary Lathwell.
  • Proposal to recall Joyfield Township Treasurer Debra Lindgren.

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY

Traverse City Commission

(three available seats)

Jeanine Easterday

  • Age: 58
  • Occupation: Registered nurse
  • Government experience: City planning commissioner from 2005 to 2008; member of the Board of Zoning Appeals from 1991 to 1999.
  • Issues: Opposes modifying the city’s tax-capture districts. Supports the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Supports public investment in private projects if the projects make sense.
  • Profile: Candidate strives to create consensus

Tim Werner

  • Age: 43
  • Occupation: Scientist and engineer
  • Government experience: None
  • Issues: Wants to promote better connectivity throughout the city. Opposes modifying the city’s tax capture districts. Supports the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Supports public spending on private projects if the projects provide significant public benefit.
  • Profile: Candidate is a proponent of connectivity

Jim Carruthers (incumbent)

  • Age: 48
  • Occupation: Worked in management and fund development for several nonprofit organizations
  • Government experience: First elected to city commission in 2007, previously served eight years on the city’s parks and recreation board.
  • Issues: Supports possible modification of the city’s tax-capture districts. Supports the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Skeptical of public investment in private projects.
  • Profile: Candidate a self-described 'gadfly'

Bob Donick

  • Age: 59
  • Occupation: Union representative, retired police officer
  • Government experience: None
  • Issues: Running primarily to preserve and possibly increase the city’s police and fire staffing levels. Supports the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Wants commissioners to be more involved in neighborhood association meetings. Supports public investment in private projects if the projects make sense.
  • Profile: Candidate's concern: Staff reductions

David Ford

  • Age: 49
  • Occupation: Principal at Ford Insurance Agency in Traverse City
  • Government experience: None
  • Issues: Strong interest in business development throughout the city. Wants to make it easier for businesses to expand and develop. Opposes the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Wants more infrastructure improvements in neighborhoods.
  • Profile: Candidate stresses business development

Barbara Budros (incumbent)

  • Age: 59
  • Occupation: Private practice attorney and mediator
  • Government experience: Elected to first four-year term on the city commission in 2007
  • Issues: Supports possible modification of the city’s tax-capture districts. Supports the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Skeptical of public investment in private projects.
  • Profile: Budros is seeking re-election

Patrick McGuire

  • Age: 59
  • Occupation: Controller for Traverse City-based Howard Energy
  • Government experience: Member of the Citizens Operational and Financial Analysis Committee (COFAC)
  • Issues: His chief concern is maintaining the city’s financial stability. Supports the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Doesn’t want to modify the city’s tax-capture districts.
  • Profile: Candidate touts business experience

Traverse City Mayor

Ralph Soffredine

  • Age: 74
  • Occupation: Retired police officer
  • Government experience: Traverse City police chief from 1982 to 2003 and fire chief from 1991 to 2003. City commissioner from 2003 until now. Traverse City Area Public Schools board member from 2001 to 2004. Board member for several community groups.
  • Issues: Concerned about continued reduction of city employees and would oppose further cuts. Supports the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance. Opposes a potential merger of city police and fire departments with outside agencies, but wants to foster better cooperation with those agencies. Supports using public money for worthwhile private projects.
  • Profile: Mayor candidate Soffredine concerned

Mike Estes

  • Age: 61
  • Occupation: Retired investor, former state auditor and internal auditor and analyst at Ford Motor Co.
  • Government experience: Traverse City mayor from 2007 to 2009; current Traverse City Light & Power board member.
  • Issues: Largely favors looking at ways to streamline city government, even if it means cutting employees. Supports the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. Willing to examine a merger of the city’s fire department with an outside agency. Wants to ramp up infrastructure spending from $1 million to $2 million each year.
  • Profile: Mayor candidate Estes wants to streamline

 

Traverse City Proposal 1 (Non-discrimination ordinance):

City commissioners last year approved a non-discrimination ordinance after lengthy discussion. The ordinance, among other items, protects gays from discrimination in housing, employment and other areas. City officials crafted the ordinance to “close the gap” in existing civil rights laws. Federal and state laws prevent discrimination based on religion, race and a host of other criteria, but sexual orientation isn’t addressed. A group that opposes the measure later circulated petitions in an effort to force a referendum election on the issue. Opponents of the ordinance claim it isn’t necessary and actually gives gays special, undeserved protection. The city’s ordinance also includes race, religion and other items already protected under federal and state laws. City residents who want to retain the ordinance should vote “yes” on Proposal 1.

 

BATA Millage

Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA), an agency that provides fixed-route and dial-a-ride bus services in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties, seeks a millage to cover operational costs. Voters last approved a BATA millage in 2007, when they signed off on 0.35 mills for five years. The state’s Headlee Amendment bars millages from rising past the rate of inflation, so BATA can ask for only 0.3454 this time around. If approved, the millage would provide about $2.3 million a year from 2013 through 2017. BATA could have waited until November 2012 to float the proposal, but Executive Director Tom Menzel worried that political elections set for next year could distract voters.

Text of the millage proposal is as follows:

For the purpose of reauthorizing the same total millage levy approved by the voters in 2007 for public transportation purposes and to allow BATA to continue operations, shall up to 0.3454 mills for a period of five (5) years (2013-2017) be levied on all taxable property in Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties?

This is a renewal millage of the 0.35 mills rolled back to 0.3454 mills under the Headlee Amendment.

If approved and levied in full, this millage will raise an estimated $2,305,190 for public transportation purposes in the first calendar year (2013).

By law, a portion of the BATA millage raised will be distributed to other governmental entities which capture property taxes. These are the City of Traverse City Downtown Development Authority, Grand Traverse County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Grand Traverse County Land Bank Authority, Leelanau County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and Leelanau County Land Bank Authority.

 

Traverse City Area  Public Schools

Two four-year board terms

  • Megan Crandall
  • Marjorie Rich

     

Kingsley Area Schools

Two four-year board terms

  • Beth Lajko
  • Michelle Quigley-Gomez

Forest Area  Community Schools

One four-year board term

  • Joanna Durfee

One partial term ending Dec. 31, 2013

  • Ruth Ann Berry

Buckley Community Schools

One four-year board term

  • Ted Allen
  • James Cade

Bonding proposal

  • Proposal to borrow up to $6,735,000 for infrastructure, technology, athletic facilities and buses. First year to levy 2.35 mills.

Union Township

  • Five-year 0.5 mill renewal to provide the township's share of the Grand Traverse County Fire Board budget.

KALKASKA COUNTY

Boardman Township

  • Two-year 2 mill proposal for construction of a new fire barn for the Boardman Township Fire Department.
  • Five-year 1 mill proposal for the operation of the Boardman Township Fire Department.

Clearwater Township

  • Five-year 1 mill proposal for the maintenance and repair of roads.

C.O.O.R. Intermediate  School District

  • Proposal to increase the current 0.6329 millage by 0.5852 mills for 20 years for special education.

Forest Area  Community Schools

One four-year board term

  • Joanna Durfee

One partial term ending Dec. 31, 2013.

  • Ruth Ann Berry

Garfield Township

  • Six-year 1 mill renewal for the operation of the fire department.

Kalkaska Public Schools

Two four-year board terms

  • James S. Peters
  • Dawn Plude
  • Aaron J. Popa

Operating millage renewal

  • Three-year 18 mill renewal on non-homestead property

Oliver Township

  • Five-year 1 mill proposal for general township operating purposes.

LEELANAU COUNTY

BATA Millage (see above)

Glen Lake Community Schools

One four-year board term

  • Meredith Goodrick

Leland Public Schools

Two four-year board terms

  • Christopher L. Butz
  • Beth A. Richter

Operating millage renewal

  • One-year 10.9013 mill renewal on non-homestead property.

Leland Township

  • Four-year 0.4398 mill renewal for general township operating expenses.
  • Combination and renewal of two previously approved millages of 0.25 mills. 0.5 mills will be levied for 2012-13 for Emergency Medical Services and Fire Department Equipment.
  • One-year 1.3 mill proposal for operations and maintenance of emergency medical services and firefighting operations.

Suttons Bay Township

Three-year 0.25 mill proposal for maintenance and construction within the Suttons Bay Park system.

Traverse City Area  Public Schools

Two four-year board terms

  • Megan Crandall
  • Marjorie Rich

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