District 5 Leelanau County Commission candidates Ross, Campbell address housing, clean energy, broadband
L-r, Kama Ross (D) and Alan Campbell (R)
From staff reports
The Nov. 5 election will determine which party controls the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners (BOC), and which policies and initiatives they pursue next year. The Commission is currently deadlocked between three Democrats and three Republicans, with one seat vacant.
In District 5, which serves Leland and Centerville Townships, incumbent Democrat Kama Ross faces Republican challenger Alan Campbell. It’s a rematch of the race in 2022.
The Glen Arbor Sun reached out to all 14 candidates for the BOC and asked about their positions on issues or initiatives that are key to Leelanau County citizens: namely, affordable housing, renewable energy, broadband access and services for both seniors and families with young children. Our questions, and their responses are below. Today we’re featuring Ross and Campbell, who are vying for the District 5 seat.
1) What can the county government do to increase the availability of workforce or affordable housing? How would you work with townships or villages to educate them about zoning issues? Would you establish a housing commission that could attract state or federal dollars? Would you consider tax-exempt bonds, or a millage, to create more affordable housing?
2) Do you support the effort to secure grant money for solar panels at the county governmental center? What renewable energy or environmental initiatives should the board of commissioners pursue?
3) What are the next steps on bringing broadband to more Leelanau citizens?
4) Do you support early childhood services for young families? How can the board of commissioners support both early childhood services and senior services?
Kama Ross (Democrat, incumbent)
Affordable housing: We need to work closely with community partners, non-profits, human service agencies, builders, and our township zoning boards. The County Board needs to look at ways to use Tax Increment Financing, our strong Land Bank Authority and Brownfield programs to help more residents that currently cannot afford to live in the county they work in. This problem is huge and complex and one that we as a county need to show leadership in now. We can’t wait for the market to correct what is not right. Home ownership is a priority for people wishing to live in Leelanau County and I believe creative partnerships should be developed at the county and regional levels.
Clean energy: I will vote yes to accept the solar grant if awarded. Solar panels work very well in Leelanau County – just ask one of your 213 neighbors that have a solar installation on their property. I understand the complexity of the electric grid and solar is one of the sustainable sources which increases the diversity of our electricity supply. Key to meeting our increase energy needs going forward and showing leadership is for the County to help educate our community on increasing our energy efficiency (which I am doing as a member of the task force) and promote solar as a renewable, green and clean alternative.
Broadband: Through the wise management of our ARPA funds, broadband project will be 97% complete to those unserved and underserved in the county. The BOC needs to work with all current Internet Service Providers to complete our network for all and continue to support affordable rates for this essential utility. The BOC is looking at BEAD funding and other state and federal grants that are offered directly to the local providers to complete the work.
Early childhood and senior services: I support both county millages to help support our youngest and oldest populations. I also volunteer at Parenting Community events and talk with parents about how important the services are to their success in raising young children. Our senior population is well supported by educational and service programs that meet the needs of our most vulnerable adults. The BOC works with the staff of both millage recipients to make sure that tax dollars are being used effectively and efficiently. Our changes to their budgets reflect real program costs to meet program needs.
Alan Campbell (Republican)
Affordable housing: I feel a need to apologize for the negativity with answers to questions posed. I think they were asked as a way to determine my willingness to move the county forward with issues that are held dear by many residents. But I believe constituents should demand that their government adhere to its own rules, to state law, to fiscal responsibility, and to promises it has already made. For those reasons, all your questions deserve more than cheerleading responses. Leelanau County has addressed the housing issue for years, and some progress has been made through land transfers from tax-reverted property. Most of the work,, however, is being done by nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity, which is building the affordable housing neighborhood at the northwest corner of Bugai Road and M-72. I fully support those efforts, and tip my hat to Habitat for its effort to find first-time homeowners who work hard and will become contributing residents of Leelanau County. For county government’s part, I was disappointed to see on the county website that the last three meetings of the Housing Action Committee were cancelled. Their scheduled dates were May 13, July 8, and Sept. 9. Before starting a new housing commission, I suggest revitalizing the task force already in existence.
Clean energy: Thank you for for the question, which specifically asks about the effort to secure the grant. The grant application has already been submitted, and the county is awaiting news as to its fate. I do not support the effort leading up to the grant application because it included multiple violations of the Michigan Open Meetings Act as determined by the Leelanau County Prosecutor. He chose not to prosecute the violations, a decision that I agree with as I do not believe intent was involved. However, that does not justify what happened. In a similar misstep, the chair of the county energy task force was listed as “employee No. 1” on the grant application, then lobbied the board for approval. That is a violation of the county Conflict of Interest policy. I support and pledge to follow that policy. I’m one of those “any and all” energy advocates for meeting the future needs of this country, including nuclear. Installation of solar panels at the government center is a laudable goal for many, but won’t change the temperature gauge in ten years. However, a lack of confidence and trust in local government can have a generational legacy.
Broadband: The all-encompassing program to bring broadband to every private parcel in Leelanau County was conceived in 2017 but did not get underway with intensify until this year. Nearly all of the county’s federal COVID money—about $4 million—was dedicated to the effort. However, that funding level has been estimated to be $1 million short of the amount needed to finish the project.
While the goal was laudable, I do have problems with a lack of oversight on the part of the County Board. When I walk into the county building and ask questions about the project, I find that no county employee was assigned oversight responsibility. While the project was envisioned by the Leelanau Peninsula Economic Foundation, that body is a nonprofit outside of the umbrella of county government. The County Board hired a downstate consultant who is being paid $260,000 from the General Fund, but he rarely reports to the board and no representative provides office hours in the county.
Your question asked for the next step in completion of the project, and that leads back to the financial shortfall that still exists. It’s been assumed that the money could be drawn from the county Tax Revolving Fund, but long-standing written policy limits how those monies can be expended. The policy states that the TRF can only be used to pay down long-term debt such as bonds or on projects listed on the county Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The broadband project is not mentioned on the CIP, which prioritizes major undertakings of the county to ensure sound fiscal policy. Perhaps that’s because the broadband infrastructure will never be owned by the county; it is owned by an out-of-state investment corporation that may or may not be sold off after government funding dries up.
Frankly, the County Board over the past two years should have been saving money to finish the project. So funding remains the biggest obstacle at this point.
Early childhood and senior services: The answers are yes, and that it’s property owners rather than commissioners who are supporting childhood and senior services. Voters have approved very generous millages for both age groups. While the board reviews budgets for the Commission on Aging and early childhood programs, both run mostly independent of commissioner control due to their dedicated millages. . Of note, social workers employed in the early childhood program work for the Benzine-Leelanau District Health Department and not Leelanau County. They counsel parents, encouraging them and providing direction on how best to care for their children. No direct child care in the traditional sense is given.
