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You are Viewing an Archived Issue

Posted: 10/31/12

Bruce Twp election
has additional candidates

by CHRIS GRAY
Observer Staff Writer

      The choices for Bruce Township Board of Trustees will be more numerous than what the ballot shows.
       Though the Nov. 6 election ballot has the supervisor, clerk and treasurer candidates running unopposed, two write-in candidates are also vying for the former two positions.
       Voters will also choose between three candidates for the two trustee positions to fill out the five-member board for the 2012-2016 terms.
       Below is a summary of each candidate using information provided through questionnaires or interviews:

       Richard Cory
       Cory, a videographer, will appear unopposed on the ballot for the supervisor position. He said his top concerns are addressing the sewer debt, encouraging the development of access to 33 Mile Road and establishing relations with Romeo.
       "I am a proven community leader," he said. "I respect other's opinions, and have the ability to bring people with varying ideas together to solve problems."
       He said his background with establishing Parks and Recreation as well as the local cable studio would lend to being the supervisor.
       "I have participated in over 20 budgets and audits, and received A1 ratings on all of them," he said.

       Jonathan "Randy" Ingersoll
       As of the Oct. 26 deadline to file for a write-in candidacy, Jonathan "Randy" Ingersoll submitted his name for the supervisor position.
       "Among other things, I don't like the election process that has given Bruce Township a single choice for general election," he said. "I would like to give everyone a write-in option."
       Ingersoll said his background in engineering, construction and facilities management would give him the ability to address the sewer debt, bring civility to township relations and keep the budget balanced.
       "The current administration has done a good job reducing expenditures, and if I can I'll maintain that trend and keep it going," he said.

       Susan Brockmann
       Clerk Susan Brockmann will run unopposed on the ballot. She believes the board will need to prepare its budgets with a possible reduction due to state personal property tax laws while addressing the sewer debt.
       "I think we should do some re-evaluating before we just keep borrowing from the general fund," she said.
       She said her 25 years of accounting, human resources and project management lend to handling the clerk position.
       "I don't think that in these economic times we can afford to have someone in this position who cannot fulfill all those job requirements, and I do have the municipal finance background," she said.

       Trese Servitto-Smith
       Write-in candidate Servitto-Smith is seeking the clerk's position. Using experience in local government and the private sector as an office manager and accounting clerk, she hopes to address the sewer debt.
       "You try to advertise your business district to get as many people in there using the system so that you have enough billings or revenue coming in on just those sewer treatment fees," she said.
       She believes the board has behaved "irresponsibly" since it was elected in 2008.
       "After a year, and it didn't even take that long . . . I just found the disrespect among the board members unacceptable," Servitto-Smith said.

       Deborah Obrecht
       Treasurer Deborah Obrecht will run unopposed on the ballot. She has served as treasurer since 1988 and is a certified Level II assessor and certified municipal finance administrator.

       Trustees
       Three hopefuls are running for the two trustee positions. Republican Trustees Paul Okoniewski and Mark Falker are seeking re-election while Democrat candidate Zachary D. Fowler is seeking one of their open seats.
       Okoniewski said to tackle the sewer debt he will work to encourage new businesses and development in the sewer district, such as the medical campus on 33 Mile Road.
       Aside from that, he said he aims to improve township infrastructure should he be re-elected.
       "I have been working to improve the dirt roads in the township as well as install a sidewalk along the east side of Van Dyke from Kaeding to 33 Mile Road," he said.
       Falker and Fowler did not submit responses to questionnaires as of Observer print deadline.