The race for county commissioner District 6 seat includes a two-term commissioner and a relative unknown.
Commissioner Gwenne Allgaier is seeking her third term on the board presenting Cleveland, Glen Arbor and Empire townships.
Allgaier is lives in Maple City with her husband, daughter and granddaughter.
Mark Roberts, the Republican nominee, did not respond to our questionnaire.
We asked county commissioner candidates the following questions to which they were asked to cap responses at 75 words each: 1.) As a result of legislation approved by state lawmakers in late 2023, the length of terms for county commissioners jumped from two years to four years. How will this impact governance at the county level?
Allgaier: Beyond freeing Commissioners from having to campaign every two years, and the many hours that takes, 4 year terms will add consistency and experience. As it takes a good year to learn how the Commission works, hopefully increased experience on the Board will lead to more effectiveness, greater likelihood of achieving long term goals, deeper understanding of our role, the needs of our community and employees, and skill at meeting those needs.
2.) In recent months, there has been a marked increase in the number of purported violations of the Open Meetings Act (OMA) by county commissioners and a board-appointed task force.
What is your knowledge of the OMA? What can be done to ensure transparency in county government.?
Allgaier: Minutes were taken at every EFTF meeting, as required, and submitted to the Clerk’s office. Submission apparently was missed in February 2024, minutes were sent in when this was noted. The Administrator’s role is to arrange for posting of minutes and meetings - this was not done until the omission was noted by the public. Our mistake? Not noting the absence of posting. All meetings were and are open to the public.
3.) Commissioners have paused its search for a new administrator with the intention of allowing the newly-elected board to select a new administrator in early 2025.
What do you consider the top three attributes of a successful applicant?
Allgaier: In our search this fall, the top 3 attributes in a new Administrator that I will focus on are people skills, prior experience as a County Administrator, and experience overseeing a finance department. Foremost, our Administrator must be able to get along with, motivate and collaborate with employees and our elected officials, as well as work with and carry out the decisions of the Board of Commissioners.
