Economy stability and reduced tax spending mentioned by most of the candidates
SUTTONS BAY — Eight Republican candidates are competing in Leelanau County’s upcoming primary election on Aug. 6.
Most of them say they want more economic stability and reduced tax spending.
The votes cast in the primary election will decide who will be Leelanau County’s 1st, 2nd and 7th district commissioners; and register of deeds — if they face no competitor in the fall.
In the 1st District, Deborah B. Allen is running against Tim McCalley for a seat on the county board.
Allen, the former Leelanau County administrator, said she wants to make sure that commissioners prioritize effective maintenance of the county’s operations and facilities.
“As one of the wealthiest counties in the state, we have natural and fiscal resources that must be managed efficiently to protect what we love so dearly,” she said.
Allen says it is necessary to “expand the level of talent and expertise essential to manage county finances” and that she doesn’t believe anything is more important than “running an effective and efficient financial agenda for the county.”
McCalley, a Notre Dame graduate, retired in 2008 from his work as an aviation controller supervisor and head of the training department at Cherry Capital Airport.
He says his attendance at “numerous” county board meetings strengthened his commitment to asking critical questions when presented with a serious issue.
To McCalley, bigger isn’t always better – and throwing money at a problem isn’t always the right solution.
“In today’s climate of high inflation, responsible spending is paramount,” he said.
2nd District
Competing for the 2nd district seat are former Commissioner Mark Walter and Forrest “Bud” Welch.
Walter, a fifth generation Leelanau County resident, served the 2nd district as its commissioner from 2002 to 2008. He retired from the Michigan Department of Corrections as a lieutenant and a veteran who defines himself as a fiscal conservative.
He believes in limited government intervention and individualism in capitalist achievement. He wants to ensure that the board prioritizes keeping costs to residents and taxes low.
“I have experience as a member on the Leelanau County Brownfield Authority, The Land Bank, Planning Commission, Zoning board of appeals, Solid Waste Board, Veterans Affairs, Community Corrections Board, assorted other boards and committees,” he said.
Walter said he would like to work with local providers toward the improvement of the county’s electric and internet grids and that he wants to optimize available funding to increase safety in the county’s school systems.
“This ties directly [into] mental health awareness education within our school systems and public safety offices,” he said.
Forrest “Bud” Welch is the founder of the Traverse City-based power transformer company Transformer Exchange, founder of Great Lakes Power Service, and co-founder of the electrical maintenance and repair company Michigan Switchgear Service.
Welch, originally from Saginaw, said he is running in the hopes of bringing “common sense back to the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners.”
“My goal is to limit government overreach [and to] rein in the out-of-control spending of our tax dollars,” he said.
Welch said he earned a degree in business administration at Saginaw Valley State University and began a career in sales shortly thereafter.
7th District
While Amedee DeCruydt will be listed on ballots as a candidate for 7th District, Melinda C. Lautner and Steve Yoder are the only candidates actually competing for that position.
DeCruydt said when he heard that Lautner would be running, he dropped out of the race to endorse her.
“I’m on the ballot in name only,” he said.
Incumbent Commissioner Lautner, a lifelong Grand Traverse area resident, said she is running for re-election because of the support she received that encouraged her to continue her governmental duties.
She wants to guide the county through its policy challenges and to make it a priority to ensure that it follows the rules of order and procedure that “have kept Leelanau financially stable.”
Steve Yoder has been on the Solon Township board for seven years, and said he is running because it felt like it was time for a “fresh voice” on the county board.
“I believe it’s important as a commissioner to lead by example and always listen to the needs of the community,” he said.
If elected, he said he would bring a voice of “stability and common sense to every situation.”
Register of Deeds
Incumbent Register of Deeds Jennifer L. Grant is running against Renee Wyler, who said she is a Securities and Exchange Commission whistleblower.
Grant, a sixth-generation Leelanau County resident, said that her 22 years of experience in Leelanau County land records management makes her the go-to candidate for carrying out the protection, preservation and accuracy of the county’s land records.
“It is vital the office continues the rigorous process currently used when handling documents to maintain the existing high standard, since the records are permanent,” Grant said. “Preserving our land records for residents is critical.”
Grant said there are several projects currently underway in an effort to further increase the preservation and accessibility of Leelanau County’s land records.
Two of her priorities, if elected, include completing the integration of the grantor/grantee index project; and indexing, verifying and uploading the county’s deed records prior to Jan. 1, 1965, she said.
Wyler said that her priorities largely center around addressing what she called a “secret unconstitutional tri-party agreement between FNMA (Federal National Mortgage Association), the government and State-Bar Mortgage Group, LLC,” as well as adding a requirement “for anyone recording a document in Leelanau County to also file a state-issued ID and require Leelanau County to image all of their documents online.”
She said she would also “address the intrusion of the gaming program ‘Call to Duty’ that kicked me out of both of the two computers in the Leelanau County Register of Deeds Office in early 2024,” as well as a recent malware program affecting the area’s courts and deeds records.
Registration
According to Leelanau County’s notice of registration, any qualified elector of Leelanau County who is not already registered, may register in person with their local clerk, with proof of residency, by 8 p.m. Aug. 6.