Glen Arbor Sun’s 2016 election coverage
Focus on Leelanau County Commission, Glen Arbor Township races
From staff reports
In advance of the Nov. 8 general election, the Glen Arbor Sun reached out to interview candidates for Leelanau’s seven County Commission seats (both incumbents and challengers) and two candidates vying to replace John Soderholm as Glen Arbor Township Supervisor. At least one candidate for each County Commission seat responded to our interview request, as did both candidates for Township Supervisor — Bob Hawley and Peter Van Nort.
Our County Commission interviews include: District 7, both incumbent Melinda Lautner (R) and challenger John O’Neill (D); District 6, both incumbent Peachy Rentenbach (D) and challenger Casey Noonan (R); District 5, incumbent Patrica Soutas-Little (D); District 4, incumbent Ty Wessell (D); District 3, incumbent William Bunek (R) and challenger Dean Robb (D); District 2 challenger Dana Getsinger (D), and District 1 incumbent, running unopposed, Tony Ansorge (R).
We asked these 10 candidates about their goals if elected to office, how they’d support economic development and jobs, solve the problem of too little affordable housing and lack of workers, what they’d do about Sugar Loaf resort which sits empty after 16 years, Glen Arbor’s response to the August 2015 megastorm, their top environmental issues, their thoughts on the Mackinac Straits oil pipeline, local government lessons from the Flint water crisis, how to foster civility in politics, and their favorite spots in Leelanau County.
We also interviewed candidates for State Representative, Dan Scripps (D), and U.S. Congressional candidate Lon Johnson (D). Each of their opponents declined to answer our questions.
Finally, we published a compilation of essays by local women writers, chronicling their thoughts on women’s empowerment through their lifetimes, and the prospect of a woman winning the presidency, next Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Thanks for your readership. And please fulfill your duty on election day by going to the polls and voting.
