TRAVERSE CITY -- The Grand Traverse County Road Commission will stay a part-time, three-member appointed board with salary and benefits worth more than $20,000 a year.
The county board voted 5-4 Tuesday night against electing the commissioners. The board took no action on trimming benefits or expanding the road commission board from three to five members.
Commissioners Dick Thomas, Larry Inman, Bruce Hooper, Larry Fleis and Addison Wheelock Jr. voted against making the positions elected. Several commissioners voiced concerns that county-wide elections would result in the more heavily populated areas stacking the road commission.
"The city and large metro townships could steer the total direction of road construction in this county for a long time," Wheelock said.
All five commissioners propose waiting to see if the state Legislature will change the law to allow election by district.
Commissioner Ross Richardson said the road commission will ask voters in 2010 to pass a millage to fix roads and the "public should have some say" in who serves on the road board.
Richardson was joined by commissioners Christine Maxbauer, Mike Stepka and Beth Friend in favoring elected road commissioners.
Members of the public spoke strongly in opposition to the free life, health, vision and dental benefits road commissioners receive to attend one meeting a month but the county board spent little time on the issue.
Under state law if the county board sets the benefits it has to pay for them. Currently the board allows the road commission to determine its own benefits and pay for them out of road funds. The county board asked for a legal opinion to determine if by limiting the road commission benefits it would get stuck with the bill.
The board gave no indication when or if it plans to revisit the issue.
