Leelanau County’s District 1 Commissioner Jamie Kramer announced her resignation from her position Saturday, effective in about 30 days. Kramer’s district is the most populated one in the county, as it includes Elmwood Township and a portion of the City of Traverse City.
In an email to other members on the county board, Kramer says she decided to resign because of “the growing demands of (her) business, Earthly After.” She says that, because of frequent county board meetings, she struggles to balance the needs of her career in memorial and grief counseling with her duties as an elected official.
In addition to the difficulties of serving in office as a non-retired individual, Kramer alleges that her participation on the county board has been limited due to sexual discrimination.
“I have experienced feelings of being prohibited from decision-making and board choices due to my gender, particularly from our board chair,” Kramer wrote in her resignation letter. “This has been a significant hurdle in my ability to serve effectively and contribute fully to our community.”
When asked to elaborate on this comment, Kramer said that many times during county board meetings, she felt that Chairman Ty Wessell was looking past her as she sat next to him.
Kramer said that at other times, she felt that people were being condescending and patronizing to her. She believes this could be related to her gender and age. At 42 years old, Kramer is visibly the youngest serving member on the county board of commissioners.
“It was a very pervasive feeling throughout my time there,” Kramer said. “I felt that I was kind of dismissed. The biggest reason that I’m bringing this up has nothing to do with me. I’m speaking up about it because there are women at the county building who are experiencing a gender bias.” Kramer believes the largely female staff of the county clerk’s office have “taken the brunt” of this discrimination. The county board conducted an organizational culture survey late last year, and its findings reported that county staff identified County Clerk Michelle Crocker as “vindictive and somewhat dishonest.”
Since the county board was presented with these findings, Kramer has been critical of the survey. And in her letter of resignation, Kramer thanks Crocker for her “invaluable” support and guidance in recent months.
“The survey was unprofessional, embarrassing, and we never took accountability or tried to fix it,” Kramer told the newspaper Monday. “No one is looking into why she’s seen as toxic by county employees. Could it be because she’s telling department heads ‘no,’ when they are asking for money in budget line items?”
“If we have a woman who’s saying ‘no,’ we feel differently about it than when it comes from a man. And I’m seeing that many of the people who are anti-county clerk’s office are men,” Kramer continued.
Moreover, Kramer cited frustration at being excluded from talks surrounding the Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) lawsuit against Grand Traverse County. Although Kramer is the Leelanau County board representative on the BATA board, Wessell was the one invited to participate in some discussions leading up to the legal dispute in January.
In her resignation letter, Kramer also says that the rapid expansion of her business, Earthly After, “requires (her) full attention and commitment at this time.” She says that the county commissioner role may not be accessible and inclusive enough for people who are actively working, which she says could contribute to the county’s younger population being underrepresented on the board.
Commenting on Kramer’s resignation letter, Wessell told the newspaper that he was excited when Kramer announced her candicacy because of her “relatively young age, principles, communication skills, and life experiences.” He said that he believes the county board must accommodate the needs of working parents like Kramer, who is a mother of two.
“I respect Jamie,” Wessell said. “She has been a good commissioner. She has represented her constituents well. She brings fresh ideas. Starting a new business, personal circumstances, and having a young family is challenging. I will miss her at the table and I hope that we might find a way to recruit candidates who represent our young families.”
Interim County Administrator Richard Lewis said that the remaining six commissioners will discuss their next steps at their public meetings on July 9 and 16. According to Michigan Common Law (MCL) Section 46.412, when a county commissioner resigns, the county board must appoint a resident or registered voter from that district within 30 days.
MCL states that the appointee will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. In this case, they would serve as commissioner through Jan. 1, 2025. Kramer previously stated she would not seek reelection, and three candidates have filed for her seat’s next term.
Former District 1 Commissioner Rick Robbins filed as a candidate again this year. Robbins previously ran as a Republican, but he’s running as Democrat this year. Timothy McCalley and former County Administrator Deb Allen will be pitted against each other on the Aug. 6 Primary ballot to be the Republican candidate.
