The future of Empire is on the line Tuesday as village residents go to the polls to elect either the same or different representatives for the council and president positions.
Incumbent village president Sue Palmer, former trustee, and previous village president Dan Davis square off in a grudge match.
Palmer, a retired energy consultant, has been married for 52 years and has two children. She is a past member of the planning commission and the council before she was elected president.
Davis is a lifelong resident of the Empire. He served on the Village Council for several years and was elected president in 2020. Dan worked in management and sales for various electrical firms in Traverse City.
Seven candidates will rumble for three trustee seats on the Empire Council.
The field includes two incumbents, Maggie Bacon and Linda Chase; two former trustees, Wayne (Soni) Aylsworth and Teresa Howes; and three newcomers, Ella Skrocki, Andrew Clements, and Jessica Shelton.
Bacon has served on the Village Planning Commission and is currently a Village Trustee and street administrator. Chase has served on the council for five years. Alysworth previously served on the village council, including time as village president.
Howes spent her career as a trade negotiator and policy maker, working for USTR, Commerce, and USDA. She has served overseas three times and grew up on a farm in Manistee County.
Skrocki is a passionate waterwoman, environmental activist, and business owner, now operating Sleeping Bear Surf in the Village of Empire.
Clements, a small business owner, has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a bachelor’s degree and lives in the village with his family.
Shelton is a yoga and Pilates instructor in Leelanau. She previously worked for ArtPrize, organizing the event in collaboration with Grand Rapids city leadership, and for eight years as an educator at Kendall College of Art and Design.
