American Flag

ALPENA — Two competitive races offer voters in District 1 and District 2 of the Alpena County Board of Commissioners a chance to choose who represents them.

In District 1, representing the area between Alpena’s 11th Avenue and State Street, from Chisholm Street to Tuttle Street, voters will choose between Republican William La Haie and Libertarian Scott Parkham, neither an incumbent.

District 2 voters, who live north of Chisholm Street, between its intersection with Johnson Street and the Alpena marina, will select between incumbent and current county board Chairman Robert Adrian, a Democrat, and Republican Jesse Osmer.

Experience running a downtown Alpena store for most of his life gives La Haie an understanding of budgets, balance sheets, and financial management, he said. He believes that experience would add to the county’s leadership.

He has not yet looked at the county’s current finances and does not have an opinion on whether county funds have been used wisely, La Haie said.

La Haie added his name to the ballot because he believes he can help his district and its residents and because someone asked him to run, he said.

He believes himself capable of performing well as a commissioner but feels it premature to take any stance on issues related to the county or district before the election.

Parkham, also a business owner, said the county needs to wrangle spending to keep it within the county’s budget.

After lengthy conversations with county officials about the county’s budget, Parkham said he believes commissioners need to learn to say no to maintain financial stability.

The county has shown recent promising signs of economic growth, attracting new businesses and jobs, Parkham said.

Parkham hopes to join the board to advocate for spending that stays within the county’s means to keep that positive momentum going, he said.

He believes his experience as a business owner in charge of employees and maintaining customer satisfaction while attending to many concerns at once would translate well into political leadership.

Parkham said he prioritizes listening over speaking and values finding the root cause of a problem rather than simply treating its symptoms, qualities he would like to bring to represent the people of District 1.

Adrian wants to return for another term to continue the positive movement he believes the board established in the past several years.

He applauded several significant changes implemented by the board, including hiring a county administrator, planning for an improved boat launch on Long Lake, and working toward establishment of a capital improvement plan that will, he said, prepare the county for future necessary projects.

His 10 years as a commissioner and three-decade career as a firefighter make him a good choice to continue leading the county as commissioners work toward financial stability, Adrian said.

While the county’s budget has dipped into the red some years, he feels good about its general direction, noting that the county has a statutory duty to provide certain services and few options for cutting expenses.

As costs for providing required services increase, voters will have to choose between fewer services and more millages, and he believes he can help steer the county through such decisions, Adrian said.

Osmer doesn’t share that optimism about the state of the county’s finances.

Federal funds helped the county through a difficult financial time last year, but the county used that money to patch holes that will remain unfixed when that funding goes away, Osmer said.

With government experience at the federal and state levels, including assisting state Rep. Sue Allor, R-Wolverine, with the development of the state budget, Osmer feels he can help Alpena County manage its finances wisely and with foresight.

He expressed concern that the current board had not always followed its own guidelines, exceeding financial caps on expenditures.

After working with Allor and the late former U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Iron River, while still living in Alpena, Osmer said he wants to get involved in local politics, where he feels the time is right for a fresh perspective and where change is easier to enact than at state and federal levels.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693, jriddle@thealpenanews.com or on Twitter @jriddleX.