CURTIS TOWNSHIP — Three candidates are vying for one open seat on the Curtis Township Board of Trustees in Alcona County.

Alan Fischer, Harley Richard Hopp, and Kevin Perry all are running as independents in the Nov. 5 election.

Their contest happens as other voters in some portions of Alcona County are asked to consider a sinking fund millage for Oscoda Area Schools, while voters in Onaway are asked to consider an irrevocable franchise for the Presque Isle Gas and Electric Co-op.

ALAN FISCHER

Fischer is a retired economist and previously sat on the Curtis Township board. He’s currently the township’s zoning administrator. He said he wants to serve his community.

Fischer said the community needs a township hall. A dispute over where township government would be headquartered led to the recall of the township supervisor earlier this year.

Fischer said the community is doing well, economically, but needs to have more unity and community spirit. And a permanent township hall would help.

“We used to be able to have community events when we had a hall, and our community is kind of loose right now,” he said. “We don’t have as much communication as we used to.”

RICHARD HOPP

Hopp worked as a police officer for 25 years and retired 27 years ago. He said he still wants to “protect and serve.”

He said his priorities are God, family and country.

“I was on the township board before, and I resigned because of health, and now I’m throwing my hat back in the ring,” he said.

Although Hopp is running as an independent, he is a self-proclaimed “Trumper,” a reference to support for President Donald Trump, and said he would like to see unity.

“One God is running this country,” he said.

KEVIN PERRY

Perry is a Vietnam-era veteran and retired scientist who did research for General Motors.

He said he’s running for the township board because he had been helping the township board with the township newsletter and has served as an alternate on the township Planning Commission.

“Then somebody resigned, and I ended up a permanent Planning Commission member,” he said. “This isn’t actually what I retired to do, but I keep getting drawn into this stuff. A few of my friends asked me to run, so I said I would.”

Perry said he would like the community to have a township hall, with township offices and a fire station.

OSCODA SCHOOLS SINKING FUND

Oscoda Area Schools will ask voters in Curtis, Greenbush, Gustin, and Mikado townships to vote on a 1.23-mill property tax on all properties for 10 years. A sinking fund is used for building repairs and upgrades, as well as safety and security upgrades.

Superintendent Scott Moore said the millage would generate about $753,000 annually, amounting to about $7.5 million over the 10-year period. It would cost the owner of a $100,000 house about $61.50 per year.

The sinking fund would be used to make facility upgrades to both Oscoda High School and Richardson Elementary School. Oscoda High needs its steam boilers replaced, tuckpointing to the building’s bricks, and upgrades to the auditorium’s lighting and sound systems. Richardson Elementary needs its single-paned windows replaced, its kitchen updated, and its parking lot replaced.

Both schools would have portions of their roof replaced, asbestos abated from the floor tiling, temperature control systems installed, and the replacement of the remaining heating and ventilation units.

Additionally, the district would use the funding to replace some of its laptop computers, cameras on interior doors for added security, and reroofing the bus garage.

PIE&G FRANCHISE

Onaway residents will be asked to approve an irrevocable franchise to allow the Presque Isle Electric and Gas Co-op to operate in the city.

PIE&G President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Sobeck said that, when the company purchased Aurora Gas in 2018, they went around to the communities with whom they didn’t have an existing franchise and asked them to approve one and then asked them to put it on the ballot to make it irrevocable.

“The City of Onaway did that, and that’s why it’s on the ballot,” he said. “If it’s approved, it’s an irrevocable franchise. If it’s not approved, it just means its an approved franchise but it’s revocable.”

Sobeck said a franchise is required for utilities to operate in each township or city, whether its cable TV or electric or gas utilities. He said the franchise gives permission for that company to operate a system in that community.

If approved, the irrevocable franchise would last for 30 years.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.