LWVKA 2010 Voter Guide

What will you do as a commissioner to improve the quality of life for residents of Kalamazoo County? How will your talents and skills enable you to succeed in these efforts? (125 words)
Considering recent oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and Kalamazoo River as examples of threats to the environment and public health, how well prepared is the county to avoid and recover from such threats? What changes, if any, would you advocate to our current policies and practices? (100 words)
How would you improve citizen participation in government and the political process? (100 words)

District 1
Kalamazoo City [precincts 2, 20, 21, 24, 28]

Jack C. Urban
Democrat. Age 69. County Commissioner. B.S., Ph.D., Chemical Engineering. After a 30-year career at Upjohn/Pharmacia, I retired, taught chemistry briefly at KVCC and became involved with ISAAC (Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy and Action in the Community). Working in grassroots organizing and in developing policy proposals that are directed at the sources of injustice gave me the courage and confidence to run for the Kalamazoo County Commission in 2006. Now completing my 2nd term.

I will continue to advocate for better public transportation. I will seek a replacement source of revenue for the local housing assistance fund. I will work to improve the administration of justice while proceeding with modernization and expansion of the county jail. I will help build awareness of the County as one metropolitan community by fostering projects that depend on intergovernmental cooperation. I will assist in finding ways to publicize county services and to make them more accessible. My talents and skills revolve around listening, interlacing the ideas of others and communicating across racial, class and economic divides. Deep down, I believe people want essentially the same thing, so I expect to find solutions to problems that are basically acceptable to nearly everyone.
The county is really quite well prepared to recover from environmental and public health threats. The sheriff’s department, with its emergency response unit headed by Lt. Paul Baker, and the County’s public health and environmental health departments are recognized as among the best in the state. However, we could do more to avoid disasters by increasing the immunization rate, discouraging rebuilding of homes in flood-prone areas, and conducting public awareness campaigns that will encourage residents to take measures on their own to improve their capacity to function safely during and immediately after storms, epidemics, and other disruptions.
By getting the County to hold public hearings on which measurements of County performance would be most revealing and informative to the general public and to institute means of communicating them to the widest possible audience. By requesting that the County website become more user-friendly. By asking that sound economic development projects which are to be paid for with tax revenue be put on the ballot for voters to decide upon. By helping neutral nonprofits conduct registration drives in low-turnout precincts. By publicizing and inviting comment on local issues, events and good governance ideas on my website, jackurban.com.

District 2
Kalamazoo City [precincts 7, 8, 9, 11, 27]

Carolyn G. Alford
Democrat. Age 60. Payroll Specialist, KVCC; employed at KVCC for 19 yrs. B.A., Public Service Administration, Siena Heights U. A.D., Business Administration, KVCC. Incumbent Kalamazoo County Commissioner, District 2 (seeking 3rd term). Member, Galilee Baptist Church. Past employment at the Family Health Center, Finance Department, 16 yrs. Kalamazoo School Board Trustee, 16 yrs. I have had the wonderful privilege and honor to serve in several leadership roles on numerous boards and committees in Kalamazoo County.

Experience, Leadership and Dedicated Commitment…I will continue to promote and strengthen greater links of cooperation between government units to maximize our funds and services, encourage more involvement in our educational systems and neighborhoods, preventive healthcare, affordable housing, foster effective restorative solutions to our criminal justice system challenges, and encourage more involvement and greater communication by non-traditional residents. Over my years of service, I have developed a strong mutual bond of trust and respect with our community. I will continue to work diligently to ensure that peoples’ voices are heard and that the county commission works to improve the quality of life for all residents.
The county had more than a glimpse into how well prepared our staff was in implementing the emergency crisis action plan. I am comfortable with the plan that we currently have in place. Staff demonstrated outstanding teamwork in protecting our County. I was very impressed with the citizen information meetings. Also, staff directly involved, as well as Commissioners, was provided daily status updates. Perhaps, our plan will be able to assist others.
Simply, putting people first; this is a work in progress. Bringing people along earlier in the process is most important for building citizen participation. This is crucial for promoting ownership. We need to take the lead role in bringing everyone to the table to set a common vision to address our many challenges. Since we know reaching out and investing in people builds partnerships and results in exceptional returns, we need to keep focusing on that goal.

District 3
Kalamazoo City [precincts 1, 3, 13, 14, 23]; Kalamazoo Township [precinct 11]

Robert M. Barnard
Democrat. Age 44. Self employed, DBA Barnard Building and Construction, State of Michigan Residential Builder, RM&A Licensed. WMU School of Engineering, Aviation Engineering Major, Business Minor. Continuing education in NAHB Certified Green Professional, certified disciplines in Federal and State Lead Abatement (HUD/EPA), Specific Asbestos Abatement. Boards and Committees: County Commissioner, Parks and Recreation, Public Housing, Appointments, Community Resources, Economic Development, Brownfield Redevelopment, Edison Business Association Member, Building Blocks Supervisor.

Through my collaborative efforts with administrative staff, citizens, and commissioners, we refined the current strategic goals for the Commission and developed new strategies for the responsible disposition of the county’s annual budget to maintain positive cash flows, stable reserves and high bond ratings. Beyond our mandated responsibilities, I believe in providing other programs and services that improve the overall quality of life for Kalamazoo’s residents, i.e., County Parks and Expo Center, Public Housing, Metro Transit Services, Dental Clinics, business retention and attraction (SWMF) to name a few. Although difficult at times, it is important to fund these programs at a level where they can generate positive impact on the community even if not every resident has a need for each particular service or program.
Due to the ongoing threat of terrorist activities, the County has increased the size and purpose of the Emergency Response Team to react to events that affect environmental and public health. The purpose is to train and plan for the most likely events and to react and protect the public to minimize injury and fatalities. It is my belief that we can not train for every potential threat, to do so would be financially futile. It is more responsible to train and plan for events that are most likely to occur, and to call on others for support when needed.
It is difficult today to get people involved in government and the political process unless there is an issue that affects them. We as a society are much busier today than we were 50 years ago. I believe in having town hall like committee meetings out in the community to encourage participation. Through the Dem Party, I have organized a successful candidate recruitment committee which coached specific individuals to run for Commission. I also encourage participation in neighborhood associations and block watch groups to maintain a sense of community.

District 4
Kalamazoo City [precincts 4, 5, 12, 22, 26]

John Patrick Taylor
Democrat. Age 32. County Commissioner. WMU Alumni Association member. Lifelong southwest Michigan resident. County Commissioner since 2002.

The county should be in the position to maintain vital quality of life programs that the state has continued to cut. We are very lucky to live in Kalamazoo County; due to our fiscal responsibility over the last five years, the Commission has helped to transform the county into one of the most fiscally responsible public entities in the state. While I hold little hope for state government to solve their structural problems, the county has positioned itself to take on more of the roles and responsibilities the state once did.
While Kalamazoo County is in better shape than most counties to react to environmental and public health emergencies, the real long-term solution is prevention. We need real legislation at the federal level that involves regulation on the quality of our infrastructure. This legislation should be made with the concern and safety of citizens as the motivating factor, not PAC dollars to influence voters.
I will continue to listen to all voters in my district and throughout the county. I also would encourage anyone who is reading this to contact Kalamazoo County Administration either by phone or internet, and research and apply to any of the various advisory boards we have.

District 5
Kalamazoo City [precinct 6]; Kalamazoo Township [precincts 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15]; Oshtemo Township [precinct 6]

Brian Johnson
Democrat. Age 59. President of B R Johnson Corporation, a consulting firm. Attended U of Michigan, majoring in economics. County Commissioner, 14 yrs (1986–92, 2003–present). Legislative aide with Michigan House of Representatives, 10 yrs; consumer advocate, 3 yrs; insurance/investment business, 7 yrs; service on local and statewide boards for many yrs.

I will continue to support responsible economic development with an emphasis on brownfield redevelopment. I will continue to promote effective criminal justice best practices such as Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Program, drug/sobriety/mental health courts, and community corrections programs. I will fight to protect and enhance human services vital to the health of the needy and the community as a whole. My 24 years of experience in government enables me to separate “what will work” from “what won’t work”.
Kalamazoo County’s Emergency Management Team did a fine job responding to the Kalamazoo River spill. State and federal officials have the power to do much more than they are presently doing to prevent future disasters. At the county level, we need to develop a land use strategy. This will help residents avoid contaminated drinking water in the future. Groundwater is best protected when water/sewer infrastructure keeps up with sprawl. Otherwise, high concentrations of septic-tank dry wells will eventually threaten supply of well water.
If there is anything that has disappointed me about the county board’s process this decade, it has been our tendency to use consultants too often and ignore the talent and experience we have in the community. We did it right in 2003 with our strategic planning process. We included many people active in the community within our topical workgroups. The result was a vision, mission and goals owned not only by the Board of Commissioners, but by the community as a whole. We abandoned that approach after 2004, and we should revisit it.

District 6
Kalamazoo City [precinct 10]; Kalamazoo Township [precincts 1, 2, 9, 10, 13, 14]

Michael Seals
Democrat. Age 49. Veteran’s Support Coordinator, Disability Network of Southwest Michigan. A.D., Business Management, Davenport College. Graduate, Kalamazoo Central H.S. Family moved to Parchment in 1967, to Kalamazoo westside in 1969. Served in U.S. Navy, 1981–89. Two children. Line worker, Consumers Energy, 1990–2005. Graduate, Kalamazoo Chamber Leadership Class, 2010. President, local chapter of A. Phillip Randolph Institute; United Way Board of Directors, 9 yrs, representing labor; Treasurer, Eastside Neighborhood Association Board of Directors; President, Kalamazoo River Clean Up Coalition.

I will continue to work with the leaders of Kalamazoo to make our community safer as I have in the past. The eastside of our community is in need of our help, and I want to hear their ideas on how we can make it a better place to live—like the proposed Eastside Community Center which I have advocated for years. Continue to work with leaders to achieve what the people want. It is not just about the eastside; we live in a great community already, we just need to listen and respond to their wishes. [How will your talents and skills enable you to succeed in these efforts?] Continue to work with all the leaders in our community as I have in the past.
As the President of Kalamazoo River Cleanup Coalition, I can tell you we are extremely proud of the way our sheriff and our current County administration handled the recent crisis on the Kalamazoo River. The new responsibility will be to make sure the cleanup is completed and that there are policies in place for future events.
I plan on trying to get participation by having neighborhood meetings or attending events so people have a chance to talk with me. I believe it is our responsibility to make ourselves accessible. I also believe we need to promote the election process and help people to understand its importance. Register, educate and get people to the polls. I wish I had a better answer. It is a challenge to get people to participate.

District 7
Kalamazoo City [precincts 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]

Kai Phillips
Did not respond in time for publication.

David R. Buskirk
Democrat. Age 58. Electrician. High school graduate, some college, trade school (electrical apprentice). Current Commissioner from the 7th district, having served for the last 16 yrs (8 terms), and current board Chairman, being chosen by my fellow commissioners 5 times. www.buskirkforkalamazoo.com

Continue to represent all residents of Kalamazoo County in a fair and equitable manner. Continue support for Economic Development through Southwest Michigan First’s efforts for job retention and job development. Also continue participation with the Southwest Michigan Alliance which deals with issues with our legislators and continued support for education, transportation and other infrastructure needs. My leadership style and capabilities and experience allow for continued dialogue with the needed parties to accomplish this.
As chief elected official in the county, I was involved from the beginning with declaration of an emergency and mobilization of our EOC, Emergency Operation Center. Kalamazoo County is blessed to have dedicated staff and structure to handle emergencies like this and other threats, and we can respond very quickly, as we did in the case of the oil spill. Our quick response prevented further damage downriver from the oil spill. I think we need to continue to be on the leading edge of emergency response and learn from each event and move forward as we did with air monitoring and water monitoring in this instance.
Encourage participation in discussions on community issues when they are brought to the attention of the public. Get involved with neighborhood organizations and events, as neighborhoods, whether they are in cities or small communities, are the lifeblood of the county. Apply for any board or advisory committee at the county, township or city and village level. This is where the real policy making is done. The most important thing you can do as a citizen is to vote.

District 8
Portage City [precincts 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 17]

John W. Zull
Did not respond in time for publication.

District 9
Kalamazoo City [precinct 25]; Portage City [precincts 7, 8, 11, 15, 20]

Nasim Ansari
Republican. Age 63. Consultant. Master of Science, Master of Business Administration. Kalamazoo County Commissioner; Portage City Councilman; member on various Boards and Commissions; retired local government employee. Small business owner. Adjunct Professor. Possess the leadership, administrative and technical skills necessary to serve. Experience on the City Council and various Boards and Commissions an asset to the County Commission. Compassionate, good listener. Man of principle and integrity, committed to serve the public interest. www.nasimansari.com.

I will promote policies that will retain existing and attract new businesses to the county. Combine resources of the public and private sectors to effectively promote continuous economic diversification and the creation of job opportunities. Favorable taxes, skilled workforce, and necessary infrastructure—good transportation, water and sewer—would be incentives to prospective investors. I bring unique experience to the Commission. As a retired local government employee I know how a government functions. As a small business owner I understand the needs of small businesses. As an Adjunct Business Professor, understand strategy and planning. I am currently serving fourth term as a County Commissioner and also continue to serve on various Boards and Commissions. Also served as Portage City Councilman.
The County is proactive and well prepared to respond to various emergency situations. It is working in partnership with other public and private organizations, and has the resources available to respond. An Emergency Response Plan is in place. The practice exercises are conducted regularly. The Disaster Committee meets every month. The County averted the significant threat to the Kalamazoo River and public health by its prudent timely response. Clean up in certain areas is still underway; the policies and practices will be revisited and recommendations for any change will be based on this experience.
Citizen participation is the essence of Democracy. Their participation can be improved by better communication and providing them with information on various issues and challenges that may affect their way of life; by emphasizing the importance of their participation and showing them the benefits that can be achieved by their participation; by treating them with respect and making them feel comfortable in the political environment. Town hall as well as one-on-one meeting with the citizens would also improve citizen participation.

Chuck Vliek
Democrat. Age 56. Program Vice President, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, country’s largest non-profit community development intermediary. B.S., Finance, WMU; Master’s, Urban Planning, Pratt Institute, NY. No elected office. Kalamazoo has been home for 50 yrs. Experience through community service. Past President and Board member: Leadership Kalamazoo, Pretty Lake Vacation Camp, Habitat for Humanity. Board member: Residential Opportunities Inc., First of America Bank CDC, Edison Neighborhood Association, Statewide Vision 20/20, Portage Human Resources Board. United Way Allocations Committee; co-chair, State Housing Authority’s strategic plan committee.

My priorities for the County include a diversified economic base, a skilled and trained workforce and maximizing the potential of our youth through education. Any unit of government has limited ability to achieve these goals alone, and my strongest attribute is 20+ years experience in strong collaborative models between government, the private sector, philanthropy and the non-profit sector to bring about change. The County Board needs a strong vision for the future and the leadership to carry out the vision through creating broad-based partnerships. Kalamazoo is blessed with high levels of generosity, both human and financial, and diversity in population and employment; the County can be a catalytic partner in achieving a vision through better utilization and connection to what currently exists.
The environment and public health are very important issues to all of us, and deserve utmost attention at the County within fiscally responsible constraints. I know the County has staff to deal with these “crisis” situations and were aware of the oil spill within hours of it occurring. I know they also responded to resident needs through the flooding problems of a year ago. Improvements on customer service (county residents) should be made and the county should demonstrate leadership in environmentally sensitive operations—a practice that is currently lacking.
First off, relative to political process, we have created a very polarizing and negative process. This has resulted in party politics and party first. At the County level, it should always be community first and not party; and in fact, County elected candidates should be non-partisan as they are at the City level. Additionally, 17 commissioners is ineffective and inefficient for positive results and by nature creates a smaller constituency base. A Board of 7 to 9 members would be more productive, reduce some expense and still result in decisions positively benefiting the entire county.

District 10
Portage City [precincts 1, 9, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21]

Phil Stinchcomb
Republican. Age 48. Manufacturing sales representative, selling precision steel sheets and blanks to OEM manufacturing plants and small business sheet metal fabricators in Southwest Michigan and Indiana. B.S., Business, Marketing, Indiana U, 1987. Moved to Kalamazoo County in 1997; married to Pam for 15 yrs; 3 children, 1 dog. Financially support: my local church through tithes and offerings, YMCA, Loaves & Fishes, Adopt a Soldier, WayFM. Volunteer: Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, AYSO, Little League, Bantam Basketball, Kidamazoo Production. www.philstinchcomb.com

It’s all about jobs and reforming government. I support the private sector and its ability to create jobs. Our companies are not the problem, our government is. Mandates, unrealistic regulations, excessive business taxes cause our companies to down size, reorganize, cut costs, and in the worst case, leave the state. We must reform County government. I will lead the County Board of Commissioners to work with our cities and townships to reduce costs and implement the thoughtful consolidation of services. I will be a responsible steward of your tax dollars. Why? Because I pay them too.
The recent oil spill in our backyard came as a surprise to most of us, well, at least me. I take for granted gas stations, power supplies, and food stores. How the resources we need every day get to the place where we purchase it, is important to remember. I realize now that pipes laid 20 plus years ago or more are all potential leak hazards. I sell steel, I know it doesn’t last forever; it rusts eventually, heat and cold affect it. We, as a County, must beware of potential leaks in future and must know maintenance plans.
Property taxes will continue to fall for the next several years, which means the county, as well as the local cities, will have less revenue from the taxes demanded to provide current services. That is, we will have to prioritize. Do we want protections or social services? I will lead the County to openly discuss necessary changes. Transparency to the public is imperative going forward. In addition to open Commission meetings, I will lead the County to hold forums on specific issues that will affect the citizens of Kalamazoo County.

Michael Quinn
Democrat. Age 63. Retired. Own Shamrock Montessori with my wife, Yolanda, who operates it. B.A., Applied Mathematics, WMU, 1991; M.S., Statistics, WMU, 1998. Served in Marine Corps, 1966–69; one tour in Viet Nam. Served in Peace Corps, Nicaragua, 1975–77. Worked over 23 yrs at Summit Polymers, in Engineering, Manufacturing, and Research and Development. Incumbent County Commissioner, elected in 2008.

To the extent that we care for the health and safety of our residents, preserve and enhance the environment, and maintain and improve our infrastructure, we are fulfilling the appropriate role of county government to make this an attractive place to live, to work, and to grow businesses. I work with commissioners of both parties in scrutinizing the quality and level of services offered by our various departments, and in exploring what we might be able to do to achieve improvements.
Unfortunately, for many emergency threats, we can only be reactive. But I believe the staffing and training of our emergency management team is up to the challenge of the most likely small to moderate disaster scenarios. I think an area for improvement is the current lack of public involvement in disaster drills. Not enough people know where they should go if they were forced from their homes, or by what means they could reunite with their school children and other family members.
I am attentive and responsive to input from residents and groups such as ISAAC and Michigan Organizing Project (MOP) who see unmet needs and chronic problems, and who are striving for change. I go door-to-door for issues like the mass transit and law enforcement millages, and to get people to vote in elections. I want every resident to be confident that she or he will receive respect, attention, and fair treatment in every interaction with the county.

District 11
Portage City [precinct 10]; Texas Township

Tim Rogowski
Republican. Age 54. Self employed, Owner, Wings Financial Group. B.S., WMU. Politically involved with organizing, volunteering and supporting candidates and policies that match my own outlooks, beliefs and values. Naturally, all of these variables will not entirely overlap. However, I like responsible, thoughtful discussion and fiscal responsibility. We need to look out for one another; ready to help where necessary and still support a capitalistic method of governance.

I’ll certainly draw on my managerial, volunteerism and financial background to evaluate and support programs and methods that will promote local and regional growth. Similarly, because we cannot spend more than we make, we need to teach and also practice responsible spending. We also need to collaborate with one-another; both inside and outside the county boundaries to seek growth. Also, we need to hire and appoint skilled talent to lead our county departments to provide the best services that taxpayers can support. Finally, we need to keep our community secure. Supporting and training our sheriff and deputies continues to demand our awareness, as safety is a basic need.
Threats and disasters of all kinds occur around our country, and our oil spill may prove benign if we are deliberately targeted. This summer during the local oil emergency, I was favorably impressed with reports of cooperation to aid Enbridge to avert a much larger problem. Our Sheriff’s department did a terrific job in maintaining strong communication of both difficulties and successes as days and weeks passed. The Sheriff’s department needs support for ongoing training, protecting us from threats of accidental or deliberate actions. Training comes at a cost, and we should recognize this as an essential expense.
An old axiom: Necessity is the mother of invention, often dictates when individuals become motivated to act or react. Naturally, as a commissioner, I’m interested in learning from our citizens matters that concern them. It’s from this beginning phase that we’ll learn if more or less control is needed to solve a complaint or persuade action to move an issue along. Sometimes we need to plant seeds, knowing fully we ourselves may not enjoy the shade.

Barbara Hammon
Democrat. Age 58. Registered Nurse, Neuro Critical Care Unit, Borgess Medical Center. A.D., Nursing (RN), KVCC, 1994; B.S., Nursing, Ferris State U, 2010. I have lived all my life in Southwest Michigan and since 1972 in Kalamazoo County. My father, three adult children and one grandchild reside in Kalamazoo County. I have worked since 1974 at Borgess Medical Center, the last 16 yrs as an RN.

Health care is at the front of the news on a daily basis. I will support programs that assist people in taking control of their health. As an RN, I often see people who have untreated or inadequately treated conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Effective control of these diseases will improve quality of life and decrease overall health care expenses. Programs such as the Family-Nurse Partnership help parents in raising healthy children. Children of families enrolled in this program see fewer readmissions to the hospital and higher vaccination rates. My experience as a RN has prepared me to assess the health care needs of our residents and develop a plan to meet those needs.
Kalamazoo County received a federal grant to take part in a national system of emergency management. The Kalamazoo County Emergency Management (KCEM) department has nationally developed and tested protocols in place to address environmental, industrial and terrorist emergencies, and was well prepared to meet the recent emergency of the oil spill near Marshall. Kalamazoo County has 1000 feet of containment booms it was able to use to protect the Kalamazoo River and Kalamazoo County residents from the million gallons of spilled oil. We have a good system in place now; we need to continue updates and improvements.
Communication and education regarding governmental issues is vital to citizen participation. The county population needs information regarding what the commission does and how the commission affects their lives to make good decisions. As Commissioner, I will hold regularly scheduled visits regarding local issues at neighborhood and township sites. A picnic table with coffee pot at the Texas Township Farmers Market and other public events will be great opportunities for local residents to meet with local officials and express their ideas about improving their community.

District 12
Oshtemo Township [precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9]

Brandt Iden
Republican. Age 27. C.F.O., Baron Properties, a real estate management and development company. Graduate, Kalamazoo College. As the C.F.O of Baron Properties, Brandt has significantly grown the multi-family housing development department and is helping to transition the company into affordable housing and Veterans’ assisted living facilities. He is a member of the board of directors for numerous local non-profits and is politically active. For more information please visit us at www.voteiden.com.

With my unique skill set, as a business leader, community leader and volunteer, I will (a) Create Jobs. As a job creator, I will utilize my extensive community and business leadership experience to drive economic development and create more quality jobs. (b) Oppose New Taxes and work to lower our current tax burden. As a business leader, I understand that you and your employer have to work on a fixed budget and so should government. I will not support tax or assessment increases. (c) Support Public Safety. I believe that a critical component to local government is a strong public safety program. Therefore, I will continue to support efficient public safety programs, which ensure that our homes and property remain safe and secure.
After having the opportunity to speak with many local county and public safety leaders on this issue, I believe that our county and public safety officials were and are prepared to handle this type of emergency situation. Kalamazoo County was a partner in the clean up and restoration process for Calhoun County. Our local public safety officials were also crucial in their prevention efforts, to ensure that the oil spill did not impact the citizens of our county. I commend their efforts!
Often times, I believe that the lack of participation in the political process comes from apathy of the taxpayer. Our citizens are tired of being overtaxed by a government which is unable to produce tangible results. As citizens and taxpayers, the government needs to be held responsible for every dollar of revenue collected. Without providing results and true value for dollar, our citizens will remain apathetic and continue to lose faith in their government. Government must become more customer service friendly by providing quantifiable results.

Scott McCormick
Democrat. Age 38. Oshtemo Township Trustee; Field Director for Thomas Batten campaign. Began at KVCC; transferred to WMU. Elected to Oshtemo Township Board, 2008.

I will work to create jobs in Oshtemo and protect quality of life in our residential neighborhoods. We can expand the U.S. 131 business loop and add access to G Avenue and 10th Street. We can redevelop Oshtemo’s brownfields with incremental financing authorities. These actions will create jobs and keep large gravel trucks off our local roads.

The pipelines that transport petroleum products in Kalamazoo County are very old. They need to be replaced. It is time to replace them. If we continue to use these deteriorating pipelines, oil spills will occur with alarming frequency. It is the responsibility of the pipeline owners to fix this problem. I hope that Enbridge and other corporations will take action now to replace aging pipeline infrastructure and prevent future environmental catastrophes.

I am a member of the Public Media Network Executive Board. Public Media Network broadcasts local government meetings on 5 cable channels and 1 FM radio station. The easiest way to become informed about local government is to watch these channels. Citizens should become informed and them participate in the political process. I encourage everyone in Kalamazoo County to watch or listen to local government meetings on PMN stations.

Gabriel P. Hartfield (Write-in candidate)
Did not respond in time for publication.

District 13
Alamo Township; Cooper Township; Parchment City

Deborah J. Buchholtz
Republican. Age 43. Business Development Analyst at major pharmaceutical company. M.B.A., Business Policy & Finance, U of Chicago; B.A., Economics & Political Science, U of Michigan; Parchment Schools. 10 yr incumbent, 2 yrs as chairman and 4 yrs as vice-chairman (current); experience in small businesses and consulting, especially in the areas of accounting, marketing/PR, business development and continual quality improvement.

I will continue to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of government operations and services, promote collaborations to most creatively and successfully build community and individual capacities, and seek greater involvement of citizens in public sector decision-making to improve quality of life and economic development. I am a consensus builder with a reputation as a tough, hardworking, fair and pragmatic commissioner who is well prepared, well informed and dedicated to our community and its improvement. I am a detail-oriented fiscal conservative with focused attention on measurable results, accountability and best practices in government. Economic development and quality of life needs sound, stable, well-run government in order to thrive. I am honored to contribute to and lead these successful common-sense efforts in Kalamazoo County.
Kalamazoo County is well prepared for responding to and recovering from disaster, leading multijurisdictional drills and mock disaster training with other governments, first responders and support groups (both paid and volunteer) within and outside of the County. The recent oil spill in Calhoun County demonstrated our fast, proactive collaborative approach to dealing with disasters. I do not see any current needs for correction, simply general continuous improvement as we experience real events and learn from them; the cooperative spirit and joint efforts have proven successful. Accidents will occur; I do not see any present opportunities for County intervention through legislation.
(a) Increase opportunities: Broaden use of citizen and community leader input and expertise on various boards, authorities and in decision-making by actively seeking such advice and participation. (b) Increase access—public meetings: Move more issue discussion from committee meeting to later, televised meeting; schedule meetings to conflict less with traditional work hours enabling greater public involvement. (c) Increase access—board: Meet regularly with local organizations, media, other groups; introduce County booths/tables at community events, particularly in summers of non-election years, where commissioners and staff are available to listen and answer questions within the community.

Harvey Hanna
Democrat. Age 60. Retired from Borgess Medical Center. A.D., Accounting, Davenport U; graduate, Parchment H.S., 1968. Lifelong Kalamazoo County resident; married to Patricia Hanna for 25 yrs. Worked as a UAW member for 15 yrs; retired from Borgess Medical Center in materials management. President, Parchment Lions Club; member, Centerpoint Church.

We must invest in our local economy in order to improve the quality of life for our residents. Our tax dollars are precious and should be spent wisely. I strongly support encouraging our local taxpayer-funded jobs to be given to local residents by enacting a local hire preference ordinance. The unemployment rate in Kalamazoo County is too high to be giving county jobs to people who live out-of-state. We should stand committed to our residents while working to improve our economy by hiring locally and keeping our tax dollars here.
While the Kalamazoo County Emergency Management Department has protocols in place to address emergencies, I’m thankful for the quick response of our Sheriff Rick Fuller and our Drain Commissioner Pat Crowley in response to the oil spill into the Kalamazoo River. Thankfully, the flow of oil was contained, and we continue to have 24/7 cleanup efforts underway in our county, all paid for by Enbridge. I would advocate, however, for more transparency with the clean-up process and better communication with the voters about how our taxpayer money is being spent toward preventing or dealing with emergency situations.
I believe good representation starts with transparency and continues with listening to voters. We must make available to our constituents more information about what is happening with our tax dollars. Also, local residents will be more inclined to participate in the political process if they feel their voices are being heard. I pledge to my constituents that I will keep an open-door policy with them. Any concerned citizen is welcome to contact me at home to give suggestions or express concerns about our county’s direction.

District 14
Charleston Township; Richland Township; Ross Township

Jeff Heppler
Did not respond in time for publication.

District 15
Comstock Township [precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8]; Galesburg City

Ann Nieuwenhuis
Republican. Age 57. WMU Instructor. B.S., M.A., WMU. Active partner with civic leaders working collaboratively to achieve goals. Leader in county-wide initiatives to stabilize and stretch revenues and resources. Vice-chair, Older Adult Services Advisory Committee and Health and Community Services Committee. Member, statewide Agriculture and Tourism Committee. MSU County Extension, 36 yrs. Lifelong resident. Small business owner. Strong statewide perspective and network. Proven track record providing common sense solutions. Visit www.electann.com.

Effective county government demands active leadership. I am eager to continue my active participation in all levels of government. I value being a conduit to connect people, resources and community needs across Kalamazoo County. I have been able to combine my role as a commissioner with my community and development expertise enabling me to work successfully with others to improve the quality of life for all residents. My priorities: (a) Lead the charge against unfunded state mandates to avoid fiscal and social damage to local government. (b) Develop programs that strengthen our local economy and retain people with expertise and know-how to drive innovation. (c) Stabilize the funding of our vital infrastructure to create jobs, attract businesses and increase local property values. (d) Continue to provide Common Sense Solutions.
With increasing environmental and public health threats, citizens need to understand the risks facing their community. As an Emergency Planning Specialist, I facilitated community discussions to weigh the cost of emergency preparedness against expectations for response and recovery. Kalamazoo County Commissioners face the same challenge. The question we must address is: Can we afford not to be prepared? We must remember that the best of plans depends upon the people who implement the process. I have first-hand involvement with the Kalamazoo County oil spill, and appreciate the Sheriff and his staff’s quick response and continued work to protect our community.
We need a stronger research-driven citizens’ agenda of priorities. To accomplish that goal, County Commissioners need to place a higher value on civic leadership and the amount of involvement of our citizens from voting to volunteering. We can begin the process by reviewing our current format for citizen time and renew our efforts to teach citizens the roles and responsibilities of County government. I know that with frequent interaction with our residents, a commissioner learns what people need and want and what residents are willing to support. Together we can identify ways to increase a citizen’s personal engagement in government.

Leroy Crabtree
Democrat. Age 45. Business Manager. A.D., Electronic Engineering; served a 4-yr BAT Electrical Apprenticeship; completed several technical/vocational training programs through OSHA, Red Cross, Fiber Optic Association, U of Wisconsin, U of Tennessee; currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Employee Safety and Health from the National Labor College. County Commissioner, 2 yrs. Union Administration, 10 yrs; contract negotiation and dispute resolution, 20 yrs.

I am working with a bipartisan group of county commissioners to draft a local hiring policy for county construction projects. In recent years the public has approved millions of dollars of millage request to pay for schools, juvenile homes, and other taxpayer-funded construction in Kalamazoo County. The majority of these dollars have exited our community in the pockets of businesses and workers from outside our County. If we have unemployed, qualified people in our community who are looking for a job, I believe they should be given the opportunity to recover some of the tax dollars they pay. I will work with the other commissioners to draft a fair policy that creates employment opportunities for the skilled workforce we have in our community.
Our County Office of Emergency Management is very well equipped to respond to natural or man-made disasters. During my term on the commission, I had an opportunity to serve on the Disaster Committee with Lt. Baker, his staff and with the private partners who work together to implement an emergency management plan. They already have an efficient operation and good cooperation between local, state and federal agencies, and the private sector. I believe an effective response locally can be assured.
I will improve citizen participation by making myself very accessible, seeking public input on issues of importance, and representing public interests as expressed to me. I don’t think most people want to be in politics. I believe most of us want to elect someone we can trust to represent us. When we believe we are being heard, we speak more often. That makes government work and increases participation in the process.

District 16
Climax Township; Comstock Township [precinct 5]; Pavilion Township; Wakeshma Township; Portage City [precinct 2]

John Gisler
Republican. Age 66. Retired, Pharmaceutical Marketing Manager. A.B., Biology/Chemistry, Wabash College; M.B.A., Finance, Syracuse U. Extensive business experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including 14 yrs as a manager with responsibility for multi-million-dollar budgets.

I will ensure that Kalamazoo County’s financial house remains in order while we wait for the economy to recover. The county faces a significant financial challenge in the coming years. Home values are down. As a result, property tax revenues are down $1.6 million. This means fewer dollars to maintain county services. Revenue-sharing from Lansing is also reduced and federal stimulus money disappears in 2011. We must scrutinize every dollar spent by the county. Essential services must be maintained, but some services will have to be reduced or eliminated. My experience managing multi-million-dollar corporate budgets and my MBA in Finance will enable me to help make the tough decisions that lay ahead. Increasing taxes is not an option!
There is no way to protect against all threats and risks. The best you can do is prepare common-sense emergency plans. Such emergency plans have enabled the Kalamazoo River oil spill to be controlled rapidly in a professional, focused manner. Enbridge and all government agencies are working cooperatively. There has been a minimum of finger-pointing and blame-assigning. As a result, damage has been minimized.
Each citizen must make his/her own decision about this. Hopefully the current economic and job crisis will prompt more people to become aware of government’s impact in their daily lives. Only when citizens are “paying attention” and consistently vigilant, will “we the people” take back control of our government.

Thomas Post
Democrat. Age 62. Expediting Manager, Clausing Industrial Inc. B.S., Geography major, Zoology minor, Eastern Illinois U. Started career with Johnson Outboard Motors, Waukegan, IL, 1970. Laid off due to plant closing after working in production and management positions in Production and Production Control Departments, 1985. Attended College of Lake County (IL) to study business management, 1986. Moved to Kalamazoo to work in Sales and Transportation Management positions with Startrite Inc. and Clausing Industrial Inc., 1987–present.

I want to work with railroads, trucking companies, and Southwest Michigan First to create jobs. My plan is to develop a rail/truck freight terminal in Kalamazoo County. Domestic and international containorized freight would arrive and depart Kalamazoo via railroad. It would be delivered to points in West and Mid-Michigan by truck. Currently this freight is trucked here from Detroit and Chicago. Truck delivery of containers to and from a Kalamazoo rail terminal would shift jobs from Chicago and Detroit to Kalamazoo. This increase in transportation efficiency will encourage manufacturing and distribution development here. This terminal could create hundreds of transportation, manufacturing, and distribution jobs. Other communities are looking at this idea too, but only Kalamazoo has the best location.
The largest inland oil spill in history woke me up. I live a 1/4 mile from the same pipeline that ruptured. The Sheriff’s Office, especially the Office of Emergency Management, was proactive from the start on this spill. They didn’t want the spill stopped at Morrow Dam but wanted it stopped before it got there. They went to the scene of the spill and represented Kalamazoo County’s interests. I have worked with other units of county government on other issues and have seen similar professional-level results. I look forward to working with people who operate at this high level.
I want to establish a service office, with regular hours, in our district. I will finance it with my commissioner’s salary. I’ll try to help people with problems, many of which are related to finding which unit of government needs to be contacted. Maybe we can find ways to make government simpler and our lives less stressful. On the local 16th District level, I must ask why Climax Township closed the polling place in Scotts and why was the Pavilion precinct #2 polling place moved from Scotts to a rural location? Neither of these moves encourages citizen participation.

George D. Henderson
No Party Affiliation. Age 59. Partner, The HairCutters, 5919 Portage Road. Formed the business in 1979 and continue to own and operate. Greene’s College of Barbering, 1970; have attended both KVCC and WMU. Appointed Wakeshma Township trustee, 1977; elected Wakeshma Township Clerk, 1978 and 1980. Elected to Kalamazoo County Commission in 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988 and1990. Opted not to run in 1992. As County Commissioner, served as Finance Chairman twice, Board Vice Chairman once and Board Chairman twice (1989 and 1991).

I think the first priority should be economic development, I will concentrate my efforts trying to get the Michigan Economic Development Authority to assist Kalamazoo County in marketing this area as a Distribution Center for products being manufactured or processed in other areas whether it is here in the U.S. or abroad. There is a slim chance that we will ever regain our manufacturing base that we once had, but consumption of products will still be there so we will need to have distribution centers. We are in an excellent area to promote ourselves to be that center at the intersections of I-94 & 131 and 15 or so miles from I-69. There are millions of people within a 3-hr. radius of Kalamazoo County.
One can never be totally prepared for what may happen, but I think that Kalamazoo County has always had a very good Emergency Preparedness Center which operates out of the County Sheriff Department. Things like the Oil Pipeline rupture will generally put an area in a reactive mode until something like that happens once and then it is on your radar. As for what I have seen, I think all organizations have done very well given the situation.
I would try to be a good model public servant as I have in the past in hopes that that would encourage others to want to serve and be involved.

District 17
Brady Township; Prairie Ronde Township; Schoolcraft Township

David C. Maturen
Republican. Age 62. Small business owner, Real Estate Appraiser. Former state and county employee. Expertise in taxation, land use and budgeting. Master’s degree, Public Administration; Bachelor’s degree, Business Administration, WMU. Brady Township Trustee, 14 yrs; County Commission, 8 yrs. Chaired several state and national committees in government and private sector.

Keep service levels acceptable with performance measures in place. Keep taxes low. My MPA helps me to understand the workings of government, the bureaucracy and budgeting.
Very well as just shown by our Sheriff’s Department and Office of Emergency Management relative to the Enbridge spill. [What changes…would you advocate…?] None—accidents will happen and we need to be ready for them.
Better civics lessons to teach them that local government has a fairly big impact on their daily lives. Other than that—they are on their own as we need to spend our efforts on delivering services and not tooting our own horns.

Jerry Rudolph
Democrat. Age 64. Retired; currently doing pro-bono and volunteer mediation work (civil rights, special education and domestic relations) with Gryphon Place—Dispute Resolution Services. Bachelor’s degree. Labor Relations and Dispute Resolution, 30+ yrs. Former arbitration advocate to include grievance procedure, EEO (Federal) and Merit System Protection Board (MSPB—Veterans dispute procedure within the federal government). I was a first chair advocate in over 100 cases and have provided over 50 post-hearing briefs to arbitrators and administrative law judges. Campaign e-mail address: santapal@comcast.net

As a candidate for the 17th District, which covers the south county geographical areas including the Villages of Vicksburg and Schoolcraft, I would like to increase the presence on the Commission that there really is a South County. It is evident to me that the needs of the cities of Kalamazoo and Portage seem to carry the day, and south county needs a skilled advocate and a problem solver to represent them on the County Board. My career background provides the tools necessary to accomplish that mission.
It appears we were not prepared for the type of oil spill we received on the Kalamazoo River. I would give kudos to the first responders who were able to head off the spill before it reached Morrow Lake. As usual we must learn from our shortcomings when it comes to environmental and public health. I would advocate a systematic oversight and accountability program.
I believe we should offer more community/town hall type meetings, not just to discuss current problems each time, but to do some forward thinking. We must do better in disseminating information in the most effective manner we can. Convenience, regrettably, is a necessity these days in each and every task we perform. “Getting the word out” and keeping the proper context is a difficult mission, but one I am more the willing to undertake.