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ELECTION 2022: 3 seek GOP nomination in Alpena County’s District 5

Brenda Fournier

ALPENA — A pair of longtime Alpena County officials and a political newcomer will square off in the Aug. 2 primary election for the chance to represent the county’s District 5 on the Alpena County Board of Commissioners.

Former county undersheriff Terry King, incumbent Commissioner Brenda Fournier, and newcomer Tammy Thomson will run as Republicans in the primary. The winner will be unopposed in November unless a third-party or independent candidate files later in the process.

Thomson didn’t return calls and messages seeking an interview for the story.

Fournier served as an Alpena Township trustee before being elected to represent District 5 on the county board.

King was the undersheriff for many years, before being forced to resign by then-sheriff Steve Kieliszewski over alleged improprieties. King sued the county over an alleged whistleblower violation and reached a $125,000 settlement with the county in which he agreed to never work for the county again.

Terry King

King said that agreement doesn’t bar him from seeking election, however, and he said he wanted to run because of his love for the community and to help the county board address issues.

Around the same time he resigned from the Sheriff’s Office, several insensitive texts sent by King years ago were made public. King said that, during his time away from being a police officer, he has grown as a person, prayed, and examined himself.

He pledged to never participate in potentially hurtful conduct and said he has grown as a person in the many years since the texts were sent.

King said he is ready to move beyond the controversy and help get the county, which is struggling financially, back on the right path. He said that, if the budget ills aren’t addressed, the state could send in an emergency manager to take over to help right the ship.

“I’m (running) because I care and I want to do the right thing, help out as much as I can, continue to be a public servant for the citizens of this county, and I’m actually looking forward to it,” King said. “The county is facing a large challenge with its budget. It is always the budget. We can just never seem to get a balanced budget, and I just don’t understand that. We have to do something now, before the state takes us over.”

King said balancing the budget isn’t going to happen overnight, but added that he is prepared to make difficult decisions on potential cuts if it means it will help improve the budget. King said he has experience in managing revenues and expenses while serving as undersheriff and that will help with the budgeting process.

Fournier, who has been on the board for six years, agrees with King’s assessment of the county’s finances. She said that, over her time on the Board of Commissioners, she has pushed for less spending and making cuts when needed. She said that, instead, the can always seems to be kicked down the road and the county continues to fall further and further in the hole.

Alpena County is facing a budget shortfall of as much as $1.7 million for the next budget year, which begins Jan. 1.

“We need to go over each and every department to see if there is some way to cut down on spending in them,” she said. “I hate to say it, but, if need be, if we have to let go of one or two people in an office that has too many, then we have to do what we have to do. There are going to be some very hard decisions to make.”

The county has already utilized $800,000 from the $5.5 million it received from the American Rescue Act Plan to help trim the budget shortfall last fiscal year, and doing so three more times has been discussed. That would leave the county limited funds to use on other needed projects.

Both King and Fournier said they are not in favor of utilizing the federal stimulus cash to plug budget holes. They said continuing to use the money to shrink the deficit could actually make things worse when the federal money is depleted and expenses remain the same or higher.

“I want to see that money used for helping people, doing projects, even if they are in the city of Alpena or the townships that also really need the money,” Fournier said. “There are so many things out there we could be doing and investing in.”

The commissioners are also considering seeking a tax increase from voters to make up for revenue lost because of a state law that limits the tax rates local governments can charge in certain circumstances.

Both King and Founier said they oppose tax increases when the money the county receives now isn’t handled responsibility.

“Right now, the people in our county are having a tough go of it, trying to pay for gas, groceries, and everything else,” she said. “We’re going to help them by raising their taxes? I don’t think so. I can tell you, if this comes up for a vote, my answer will be no.”

The county’s general fund and savings often help to pay for county-owned property, including Northern Lights Arena, the Plaza Pool, the Alpena County Fairgrounds, the now-vacant former county jail, the District Health Department No. 4 building, and the now-vacant former Michigan Department of Health and Human Services building.

King said the county’s property portfolio is too large and an effort to get out from under some of those properties is needed. He said the sale of the old jail should be the first move, because voters were promised it would be sold when they were asked to support a property tax increase to build the new jail on M-32.

“The county has a lot of property and buildings, and several are vacant, so we are going to have to find suitable tenants or sell those properties,” King said. “I would be more in line with possibly selling them, especially the old jail, because it was promised to the public and it needs to happen. It should have happened already.”

Fournier said she knows there are a lot of people who enjoy the pool and the arena, but she said they have become burdens to the county’s finances. She said that, currently, the pool is heavily supported by the county’s property tax for youth and recreation services, but, if a proposed renewal of that tax fails in August, the county would have to pony up hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep the pool open.

That, she said, is something the county can’t afford.

“The county should not be in the business of owning lots of property and real estate,” she said. “I already suggested we sell the (DHHS) building, because of what it could cost to repair and maintain. I hate to say this, because I know a lot of people love the pool, but maybe it needs to shut down to keep the county going. Maybe it can be sold and privatized so the county doesn’t have the financial responsibility for it. ”

The Fournier File

* NAME: Brenda Founier

* AGE: 76

* OCCUPATION: Retired

* ELECTED EXPERIENCE: Alpena County commissioner, 2017 to current, Alpena Township trustee, 2006 to 2008, 2013 to 2016

* HOME: Alpena Township

* FAMILY: Married, three children

The King File

* NAME: Terry King

* AGE: 58

* OCCUPATION: Sales, Dean Arbour Ford

* ELECTED EXPERIENCE: None

* HOME: Alpena Township

* FAMILY: Married, two children

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