Board Meeting

I attended the May board meeting last week, and it was eye-opening. The board, consisting of supervisor, treasurer, clerk, and trustees (2), was accompanied by the Whitewater Township attorneys, which isn't the norm. I think that the presence of the attorneys is in response to the continuing litigation surrounding special road assessments from several years ago.

The meeting lasted over two hours, one full hour of which was devoted to the sales pitches of two insurance firms, competing for the Township's business. The firms, which are primarily one-agent offices, gave 15-minute and 45-minute pleas, respectively. Most poignant was the 45-minute agent, the Township's current provider, who almost shed a tear as he gave his impassioned speech. I wonder if all the service providers are required to give their pitches during a public meeting, and, if it would be possible to hold them all to a shorter time frame.

There was a short discussion about the work of the Planning Commission, a body that exists to support the Board in preparing and recommending changes to the Township's Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance. The Board is conflicted about allowing the Planning Commission to complete its Master Plan recommendations, but finally agreed to wait for the finished product to be presented. Since the Planning Commission is composed of persons appointed by the Board, I cannot imagine that the task of finding potential new Commission members would be an easy one, if the Board decides to take back the work that it initially entrusted to them.

Rural Character

"The Whitewater Township Board will strive to maintain the rural character of our community..."(the first part of the Whitewater Township mission statement).

Whitewater Township is shaped like the state of Idaho, and its approximately 46 square miles are split from east to west by M-72, a large Michigan highway. The township area south of M-72 is quite heavily wooded, while the area to the north is more agricultural. Elk Lake Road runs north from M-72 to the top of the township boundary, and it is a beautiful, scenic road at any time of year. As Mother's Day approaches, the cherry trees are beginning to blossom, and bee hives can be seen in many orchards. However, the danger of overnight frost still lingers, and it makes the orchards seem fragile. The orchards are fragile, susceptible to fickle weather, pollination, disease and conversion to subdivisions. Without the orchards and farms, the rural character of Whitewater Township would truly be questionnable.

Paperwork

In my small northern Michigan township, paperwork is the first hurdle to becoming a candidate for local office. I present myself to the township clerk for an election packet, which consists of the following:

Cover page
Fact page, outlining filing requirements and deadlines ("Fact Page")
Summary of Michigan's Campaign Finance Act
Pamphlet, describing valid and invalid signatures on petitions
Affidavit Of Identity And Receipt Of Filing ("Affidavit")
Township Nominating And Qualifying Petition ("Petition")
Statement Of Organization Form For Candidate Committees ("Statement")

I begin with the Affidavit, the purpose of which is candidate identification. Sections I and II are simple (basic residency information), but do require a quick reference to the Fact Page (thanks, clerk!). Section III stops my progress, because it asks for the number of signatures on my Petition, and I haven't got any yet. Since Section IV requires the services of a notary public to certify the Affidavit, I set this document aside, and take up the Petition.

The purpose of the Petition appears to be community involvement. The Petition must be signed by between 3 and 10 registered voters from my township (again, this from the Fact Page), so I dutifully troop around the neighborhood, receiving 7 signatures. I fill in the number 7 in Section III of the Affidavit, and move on to the Statement.

The Statement is an exercise in hilarity, as its purpose is to establish a finance committee to support my election campaign. Hilarious because I am the committee's sole member, and I currently have no funding! Nevertheless, I fill in my name and address repeatedly in the sections for committee candidate, committee treasurer and committee record-keeper.

I return to the township clerk with my Affidavit, Petition and Statement in hand. The clerk reviews all three forms, then notarizes the Affidavit and certifies the Petition. I am now an official candidate. My final paperwork journey takes me to the county clerk's office, where I file the Statement, and take a deep breath.