For the supervisor position, voters will choose between Republican incumbent Nathan Skibbe and Republican challenger Abbi Kaszubowski.

Five Republicans are running for four open trustee seats: incumbents Cash Kroll, Norm Poli, Steve Lappan, and Russ Rhynard, and challenger Kevin Galloway.

No Democrats are running for any township seats, so the winners of the primary contest will likely run unopposed in November and win the four-year term starting Jan. 1.

Primary Election Day is Aug. 6, but absentee voting begins this week.

Nathan Skibbe

Skibbe said much responsibility is placed on the supervisor and he believes the township is in a better place than when he was first elected in 2016.

He said the township operates on a balanced budget, has increased its savings, and the township government has helped amp up economic development.

He said he wants to seek office again because he still has things he wants to address along with the trustees and the community.

“We have done a lot, but there are still things on our agenda we haven’t seen through to fruition,” Skibbe said. “I want to continue the momentum that we have and solve some of our historic problems and differences with our community partners. I want to reestablish a proper direction for sustainable growth in the township. Simply put, I want to make my hometown the best it can be.”

Skibbe said he also wants to continue to work with developers to push for further growth in the township. In just over a year, the township’s M-32 corridor became home to a new Starbucks, Marshalls, and Aldi, and a new Hampton Inn is under construction now.

Skibbe, who said he worked directly with the developers of those projects, said development interest in the township’s U.S.-23 corridor is beginning to show life, too, as a new Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is planning to open later this year, as well as a new restaurant.

Alpena Township and Alpena have for a decade been in court over how much the township should pay the city for water and sewer services. Skibbe said wrapping up that litigation is also a high priority for him, and a resolution may be approaching after 26th Circuit Court Judge Ed Black recently made several critical rulings that went in the township’s favor.

Both the city and township continue to negotiate a new water rate deal.

Kaszubowski said she believes there is a lot of concern about the direction of the township, especially about its transparency. She said becoming the supervisor would provide her an opportunity to make a meaningful and impactful contribution to her community.

Kaszubowski agreed with Skibbe that long-term plans need to be made to address the amount of growth expected in the township. She said infrastructure in the areas ripe for development need to be able to accommodate growth, and that includes public safety. She said she would fight to allocate more money to public safety.

“Our public safety and emergency services need to be enhanced, and I really want to make sure our public safety is adequately funded and equipped,” she said.

The township has for years sought ways to fund its fire department without pulling from general fund dollars and discussed outsourcing its firefighting operations to Alpena, though the board eventually voted to keep the services in-house. Voters twice in 2022 rejected a proposed tax hike that would fully fund the township fire department.

Kaszubowski said she would be more transparent and accountable than current township administrators and would make sure her constituents have a say in how township government is run and in the direction it moves.

“I want to make sure the people’s voices and concerns are heard in a timely fashion,” Kaszubowski said.

She admitted there would be a learning curve for her, but she is confident she can do the job with the help and expertise of the department heads and other township employees. She said she is a quick learner and has a drive to be successful that would benefit the township.

“Some political aspects will be new to me, but somebody needs to step up if we want change,” she said. “I have no problem pulling up my sleeves and getting to work.”

The candidates for trustees agree with Skibbe and Kaszubowski that detailed plans need to be made to ensure the township’s infrastructure is adequate to handle economic growth.

Galloway, who is 25 years old, said a large piece of that is investing in public safety. He said that, if the Alpena area grows the way local officials hope, there will be more people in town, which would increase the number of medical emergencies, car crashes, and fires.

Galloway said he believes he offers something the other candidates for trustee don’t: a vision and outlook that differs from the older members of the board.

“I think having a newer and younger mindset can help bring new ideas and possibilities that just may not have been thought of or considered,” he said. “I’m excited, and I honestly think I can be the voice of the youth and for the middle class in the township.”

Poli, who is the longest-tenured member of the board, said that, over the last handful of years, the township has improved its technology, which helps save money and provides faster service to residents. He said the budget is strong because the board scrutinizes spending and utilizes the township’s new capital improvement plan to plan for and save for large projects.

Poli said all of the good news about township government makes some developers want to invest in it and its residents.

“These people don’t come here because they might do well,” he said “They come here because they know they are going to do well. They do their homework on the township before we even know they are interested. We know there is more interest, and that is exciting for us and especially the community.”

Kroll the current group of trustees have been fiscally responsible with taxpayer money and the budget and savings shows. He said he is pleased with the economic development and other positive initiatives in the township.

He said there are a few other issues that need to be addressed, including the future of the fire department and ending the water litigation with Alpena. Kroll said those two issues were a large reason he decided to seek another term.

“I want to put those to rest,” he said.

Lappan said he is proud the township stabilized its budget and bolstered its savings without having to use any of the money the township received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. He said the township used the money for a new water tower, improvement and security upgrades to its facilities, and for some updates to the fire department.

Lappan said he wants to find ways to create more housing and to continue to work with developers who want to open businesses in the area.

“Alpena Township is growing into the hub of commerce, and we must continue to work with agencies like (economic development firm) Target (Alpena) so we don’t repeat our past mistakes,” he said. “We know there are more growth opportunities, not only for big-box companies, but for mom-and-pop businesses, too. They are all vital to the community.”

Rhynard said he is pleased with the development in the township and is excited for future projects. He said township staff deserve most of the credit for the township’s successes.

He said Skibbe and the department heads all made sacrifices to help stabilize the budget and put the township in the good financial health it is in now.

“We can’t take credit for all of that,” he said of the trustees. “We have good people in all of our offices, and you can say a lot of things about Nathan Skibbe, but he has a lot of knowledge and has worked very hard, and the results are obvious. He deserves a lot of credit.”

Rhynard said the board doesn’t always agree with one another on issues, but he believes it is the debate before an important vote that has also helped those trustees work together. He said all of the current trustees have gained valuable experience over the years and that has helped the board function effectively.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.

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