Four candidates competing for two open Harbor Springs council seats
HARBOR SPRINGS — Four candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to be considered for the two open seats on the Harbor Springs City Council.
On Nov. 8, voters will decide amongst incumbent Nancy Rondel and challengers Jeff James, Maggie Lacy and Jamie Melke.
More:Candidates talk millage, short-term rentals at Harbor Springs forum
All candidates were sent the same questions and given the same deadline to respond.
The News-Review reserves the right to edit responses for length, clarity and adherence to Associated Press style guidelines.
Jeff James
Age 64, semi-retired and self-employed in the property and liability insurance business.
Q: Do you have any previous experience pursuing and/or holding elected office?
A: I served two years on zoning and planning in Nichols Hills, Oklahoma, four years on city council (in) Nichols Hills, Oklahoma, and four years (on) city council (in the) city of Harbor Springs.
Q: What key factor(s) prompted you to pursue the council position for the upcoming term?
A: I am running for city council to protect and return our small town government from the long and overreaching arm of Lansing and large state government presence. I am also running for city council to return city hall and city government back to the taxpayers and voters and restore the lost respect that they deserve.
This current city manager and city council have demonstrated a complete lack of (respect), consistent lack of transparency — until they are caught — and an adamant refusal to listen to the taxpayers. I will represent and listen to the taxpayers and protect their checkbooks and property from the current fiscal irresponsibility that we are under.
Q: If successful in your council bid this November, what key attributes and/or skills do you think would make you effective in office?
A: My previous answers stated that I have and am still running a successful, self employed insurance business of 40 years. Also, I spoke to my political involvement and previous experience as a city council member and leader in every community I have lived. My 15-year, year-round residency and five-generation family legacy of being multiple property owners and taxpayers since 1945 proves my love and my family’s love and support for all members of this community.
Q: What do you see as the most pressing issue for city government to address in the upcoming year or two?
A: I see immediate concern in forming a budget committee and balancing the budget as the taxpayers have been asking for. Instead, we keep getting hit with enormous and greedy Headlee requests. First a 20-year Headlee rollback that would give (the) city manager and council 20 years of unsupervised access to our checkbooks and then a five-year Headlee after the 20-year failed.
Maggie Lacy
Age 56, works in healthcare.
Q: Do you have any previous experience pursuing and/or holding elected office?
A: Yes, I ran as a write-in candidate in the last election cycle. It was a good experience. Unfortunately, I wasn’t seated. The same leaders are still in office, continuing their quest to change the landscape of Harbor Springs by inviting high density living under the disguise of affordable and workforce housing or to bring families to the area.
Q: What key factor(s) prompted you to pursue the council position for the upcoming term?
A: I was raised in the small town of Crested Butte, Colorado. I understand the charm and the importance of keeping Harbor Springs as the charming small town everyone loves. The past three years, we have witnessed changes and inefficiencies by our city's leaders, such as the boardwalk being closed, the destruction of a merchant’s walkway under the DDA without community feedback and an ongoing degradation of our sidewalk infrastructure.
Some of the basic fundamentals are being ignored ... If you take the time to whiteboard all of the city's recent initiatives, pushing for two Headlee overrides to raise our taxes, paid parking and primary focus on parks and recreation, you will realize that the mayor and city manager support the Emmet County Transit Authority, which the taxpayers would always be obligated to support. The people of Harbor Springs need to understand these details because the vote on Nov. 8 will forever change the landscape of our small and charming town.
Q: If successful in your council bid this November, what key attributes and/or skills do you think would make you effective in office?
A: I’m a true believer in the power of reflecting, evaluating and working on a continuous improvement plan. I’ve also had to manage and oversee company operation budgets and projects. I am good at delegating and finding experts to bring to the table in order to expedite and evaluate progress.
Q: What do you see as the most pressing issue for city government to address in the upcoming year or two?
A: Harbor Springs needs to ensure we are working through completing some of the projects that are scarring the beauty of our town. Evaluate what is in place and work on listening to residents’ views. Making assumptions based on survey samples of 45 to 150 participants is not adequate when changing the long-term outlook of the town. I believe we need to slow down on some of the initiatives and look to see what some of the national outcomes (are) that impact our state, i.e. the short-term rental decision, that will ultimately impact Harbor Springs.
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Jamie Melke
Age 37, dining room manager.
Q: Do you have any previous experience pursuing and/or holding elected office?
A: I never would have thought I would run for office or enter politics. I see this as an opportunity to represent the people in my community while moving forward with a positive approach.
Q: What key factor(s) prompted you to pursue the council position for the upcoming term?
A: I am passionate about solving the issues we face in our community. Being involved in a resort community often requires creativity in creating a balance between the residents and visitors. I live, see and work within that balance every day. I spend most days interacting with residents, neighbors and visitors. I hear what they are saying, and I am consistently thinking of ways to help our community grow and prosper.
Q: If successful in your council bid this November, what key attributes and/or skills do you think would make you effective in office?
A: My hospitality and restaurant background has given me years of practice in problem solving and making the best decisions for all involved. I do this by knowing and following the rules, listening to concerns, and doing my best to keep everyone happy, even if it means there is a compromise. I will approach my role on city council in the same way. There are some tough decisions to make in the next few years, but I am confident that I am able to look at the big picture and make decisions based on facts and what is best for the most people.
Q: What do you see as the most pressing issue for city government to address in the upcoming year or two?
A: There are an overwhelming number of hot topics that the city has been facing recently, including short-term rental regulations, location of a new electric substation, and concerns with the budget. A lot of decisions will have to be made soon; I will approach each issue with an open mind, I will listen, and I will make decisions that will put Harbor Springs in the best position to move forward while also respecting the long-standing traditions that make our community unique.
Nancy Rondel
Age 69, registered nurse and previous business owner.
Q: Do you have any previous experience pursuing and/or holding elected office?
A: I have been on the Harbor Springs City Council since November 2020.
Q: What key factor(s) prompted you to pursue the council position for the upcoming term?
A: I am interested in serving another term on council for several reasons. It takes some time to understand how city government works and I feel another term would allow me to be more efficient and productive than in my first months on council. I have worked very hard on a number of issues that the council is working on and I would like to have the chance to continue to help make progress in these areas.
Q: If successful in your council bid this November, what key attributes and/or skills do you think would make you effective in office?
A: If I am elected in November, I will continue to be a voice of reason on all of the issues that council deals with. I am a good listener and consider all aspects of a situation. I treat people with respect even if we do not agree on an issue. Disagreement is never cause to attack someone's character. I am always well informed and "do my homework" before addressing what is on the agenda.
Q: What do you see as the most pressing issue for city government to address in the upcoming year or two?
A: There are a number of very important issues that Harbor Springs needs to address. The lack of housing in our community, the need for more reliable electricity, the lack of workers for businesses, people's unwillingness to communicate in an honest, respectful manner, the need to balance our expenses and revenue and the challenges that social media presents with disseminating inaccurate information. All of these issues will take work and cooperation on the part of the public, staff and elected officials to solve.
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Four candidates competing for two Harbor Springs council seats Nov. 8
