Charles Downing, Anna Kanitz running to fill Macon Township Board seat May 2
MACON TWP. — Independents Charles Downing and Anna Kanitz are running in a May 2 special election to fill a vacancy on the Macon Township Board.
The seat was left vacant by Beth Loesch's resignation July 5, 2022, after a petition to recall her was circulated. Challengers to a Macon Township trustee and the supervisor won in a November 2022 recall election spurred by the incumbents' support for a large-scale solar energy project. Independent Joe Rine beat Republican incumbent Ed Clark in the trustee race, and independent candidate Dean Montrief defeated Republican incumbent Lee Wagner in the supervisor race.
Wagner was recalled for his support in May of a special land-use permit to construct a large solar farm known as the Mustang Mile. Clark also was recalled.
The township board was not able to come to an agreement on an appointment to fill the vacancy left by Loesch last year. The Lenawee County Election Commission had a special meeting but agreed it did not have adequate time to interview and make the appointment. The election law requires that a special election be held not less than 70 days after the deadline for submitting nominees if the next election date is the even year general November election. The May 2 vote is that special election.
The winner will complete the term, which ends Nov. 20, 2024.
Voting will take place at the Macon Township Hall at 8320 Clinton-Macon Road. Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Absentee ballot applications are available at the Macon Township Hall. Absentee ballots can be returned via mail or the drop box at the Macon Township Hall.
The Daily Telegram provided questionnaires to the candidates. The following are their responses, lightly edited for clarity.
Anna Kanitz
Age: 63
Occupation: Retired last July after 32 years in the Michigan public school system.
Spouse/kids: Married to Tom Kanitz for 38 years. Two children, Krystal and Brian.
Government experience: left blank
Volunteer/community service experience: Volunteer at the schools.
Why are you running for the board of trustees? Through my education, experience, and having lived in the township for the past 30 years, I will be able to be involved in the decisions that affect the people.
What do you think is the main challenge facing the township and what should be done about it? The Mustang Mile solar project.
Are you for or against the Mustang Mile solar project? Why? I have no problem with home solar but hesitate about using so much farm ground when it will not benefit residents.
How will you make yourself available to constituents? I worked at Britton Deerfield Schools when it was Britton-Macon schools and Britton Carryout. So many people know how to contact me. I will attend meetings and my phone number will be on the Macon Township website (macontwp.com).
Why should people vote for you? I am trustworthy, transparent and dedicated.
Charles Downing
Age: 39
Occupation: Regional sales manager for Truck Hero of Ann Arbor; family grain farm.
Spouse/kids: Wife, Karle Downing; son, Chase; and daughter, Kelsey.
Government experience: None.
Why are you running for the board? I’m running for the Macon Township trustee position because I feel some of previous board members did not really take the time and listen to the community was telling them. The tipping point for myself was when I attended a town hall meeting over a year ago, members of the community asked simple questions and were left with no answers. To me if you are an elected official, you owe it to the people of the community to explain the reason for doing something a certain way. At the end of the day all five people on board work for the people of Macon township and the decisions that are made need to be what’s best for the community.
The second reason I wanted to run for the trustee position is I feel it’s a way to give back to the community; most people my age just don’t get involved with this type of local government. (Editor's note: This answer was truncated to fit the word limit given to the candidates.)
What do you think is the main challenge facing the township and what should be done about it? The main challenge I see currently other than the solar project has to be roads and road maintenance. I always hear people complaining, and there always seems to be some kind of a road issue. I do think the current board is doing a good job trying to keep up with this. Let’s face it: We would all like every road in the township to be paved but the township doesn’t create that kind of income from taxes. I did see a four- or five-year plan rolled out at the last township meeting that showed many dirt roads getting much needed maintenance and tile down the road center for drainage. I think if we’re able to stay on this plan it should help with some of the complaints. But at the end of the day, unless taxpayers are wanting to pay more taxes there are only so many dollars to go around for roads. (Editor's note: This answer was truncated to fit the word limit given to the candidates.)
Are you for or against the Mustang Mile solar project? Why? I personally am against this project mostly because of the size/magnitude of this project. It’s just flat too big for a small, rural community/township like ours. At this point we just don’t know the aftereffects of a solar project of this size and what issues it may or may not cause five, 10 or 50 years down the road. There are so many factors that need to be considered here: altering wildlife patterns, water run-off, and property value loss to home adjacent or in view to this project just to name a few. I can’t believe people are going to be lining up to buy or build a home in the county directly across from 1,300-2,800 acres of solar panels. Most people that live or move to rural towns like ours do so for the view of trees, wildlife, and wide-open views.
I do understand both sides of this hot topic. But I just don’t see how Macon Township residents gain from this big of a solar project. (Editor's note: This answer was truncated to fit the word limit given to the candidates.)
How will you make yourself available to constituents? I have lived in this township for over 10 years now and in Britton my whole life. If elected, I know the township website has contact information and phone numbers for all board members. I’m in sales for a living, so I always answer the phone.
Why should people vote for you? I hope people vote for me because I really care about what happens to our community for years to come. I have lived here my whole life, I have many friends and family here, and I have started my family in this community and want to see it thrive for years to come.
I feel my experience operating our fourth-generation family farm and my 15 years in sales and marketing with Truck Hero out of Ann Arbor make me a great asset and fit with the current four Macon Township Board members. If you look at this group as a whole, everyone brings a different outlook/view to the table. I feel this is very important when making decisions. At the end of the day, we all need to make decisions that are the best for the community, and the only way we can do that is to look at it from all different viewpoints.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Charles Downing, Anna Kanitz running for Macon Township Board seat
