Who Will Replace Melinda Lautner?

Now comes the final edition of The Ticker's look at races for the Leelanau County Commission. You can read previous entries here, here and here.

Today we look at two candidates vying to replace District 7 Republican Commissioner Melinda Lautner, who fell in the primary to Steve Yoder after 30 years on the commission. Though districts changed during that time in both number and boundaries, Lautner always represented Solon Township, meaning this will be the first time in three decades that residents of that township have a new commissioner.

District 7 now includes Solon and almost all of Kasson Township. The race in November is between Yoder and Democrat Tim Dowd.

Lautner, who long accused local Democrats of trying to unseat her, inferred that they threw their support behind Yoder in the primary. 

"There are a lot of yards up here that had signs for my opponent in the primary that now have signs for his opponent," she tells The Ticker. 

In any case, Lautner is grateful to citizens for re-electing her so many times and officially predicts that her district will remain in Republican hands, even as "times are changing" in the political landscape of Leelanau County. 

Meanwhile, The Ticker reached out to Yoder and Dowd to ask a series of questions. Their responses are below.

YODER

Please tell us about your personal and professional background.

I reside In Cedar with my wife Kasey and son Gideon. I manage a family business in the agriculture industry. I have served on the Solon Township board for nearly the past 8 years while also being the board representative on the township planning commission. I am also the current chairman of the Leelanau County Planning Commission along with volunteering in many other capacities around the region. 

Why should voters choose you?

Having served on the Solon Township board, as well as managing a family business, I’ve gained experience in government and how it works, as well as understanding the needs of the business community. I believe we need a fresh voice that listens, is transparent, and accountable to the needs of the citizens of Kasson and Solon Townships. I believe it’s very important that a commissioner always be accessible and view things with an open mind so that the best solution can be found. The role of county Commissioner should always be viewed as a service to the community and never be taken advantage of or used for one’s own gain. My role as County Commissioner if I am elected is to be a voice for the people of Kasson and Solon Townships and to always manage the citizens’ tax dollars with fiscal responsibility. 

What are the most important issues facing the county?

I believe one of the top issues facing the county today has to do with the current Finance/HR department. We need to have a stable Finance/HR department that has the resources it needs to succeed. It has been approved and supported by the current board but has not been achieved. Secondly, we need to find a permanent County Administrator who is able to fulfill the duties requested. As commissioners, we need to have a plan in place to recruit and retain staff at the county by creating an environment that supports the staff, and ensures they have the resources needed to succeed. There will always be issues that come up that need to be dealt with at the county level which will require hard questions and tough decisions to be made. I hope to use my business mindset to look at things with a broad perspective and make informed decisions that benefit the citizens of the 7th District. By all the Commissioners working together we can achieve that and much more for Leelanau County.

DOWD

Please tell us about your personal and professional background.

Personally: I am the youngest in a family of twelve children. I have been married to my wife Kathy for thirty years and have four grown children-- Ryan, Sarah, Grace and Hollie. I have lived in Solon Township for twenty-nine years in the home that Kathy and I designed and built.

Professionally: I have been a Union carpenter for fifty years and a licensed residential builder almost as long, since 1981. I am a FEMA Disaster housing inspector.

I was a Trustee of my Carpenters Local #202 Traverse City, MI. I also served as the Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of St. Patrick’s Credit Union in Union Lake, MI.

Why should voters choose you?

Voters have a choice this year of status quo stagnation or understanding the precious gift that we have, Leelanau County! Our farms and farmers need to be supported to survive in an ever more competitive market. Young families with children need programs to provide decent housing, and safe, nurturing care. We are the stewards of almost twenty percent of the world's fresh water, a HUGE responsibility! Everyone deserves a place to call home and an all-inclusive community to feel a part of.

What are the most important issues facing the county?

There are so many important issues facing the County and we need to choose carefully the ones that our Government should take on. I know that everyone wants clean drinking water. We want a safe community with good schools and recreational opportunities for our children. Our buildings, facilities and roads are a huge part of the work that the Board of Commissioners must stay focused on, budgeting funds to keep them updated and safe.

Photo: Dowd (left) and Yoder