Lack of cooperation prompts Tuscarora Township officials to resign

TUSCARORA TWP. — For local government to function effectively in small communities like Tuscarora Township in Cheboygan County, the active participation of citizens is required.

Larger municipalities can afford to hire workers to make sure the garbage gets picked up, taxes are collected and other needed services are provided. Communities like Tuscarora, which has a population of a little over 3,000, depend on residents committed to civic engagement to run for clerk, supervisor, treasurer and trustee offices to take care of municipal services and obligations.

Once the election is over, the winners assume office and keep the wheels of local government functioning, sometimes with the help of those they defeated in the election.

That's the way it worked in Tuscarora Township until last November's election, according to supervisor Mike Ridley and treasurer Bobbi Balazovic. At the April 4 township board meeting, Ridley and Balazovic announced their intention to resign from their posts. Ridley has served in township government since 2008 and Balazovic since 2007.

Balazovic and Ridley both recall a township office from prior years where, after an election was held, those who won the office they were seeking, regardless of party affiliation, would work together to bring progress to the community. There was a spirit of cooperation that's apparently in short supply now, they claimed.

"Our office used to be where if the treasurer was doing something the clerk would jump in and the supervisor would jump in to help. You could call on people to help," said Balazovic.

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She said that atmosphere of cooperation disappeared when Jay Reidsma was elected clerk last November.

"The clerk's door is shut 90 percent of the time. I have been told multiple times by the clerk he won't work with me," Balazovic said. "I have offered to help or suggested we could do this. Yet there is no cooperation there."

"It's amazing what that does to the atmosphere in an office to not be able to talk to someone you need to work with," she added.

Ridley has also noticed the lack of cooperation and said it's wearing on him as well.

"It's not nearly the atmosphere that used to to be there. It was a fun place to come and work every day — it was the best job I ever had," Ridley said. "The last few weeks I didn't even want to come to work and that bothers me."

"I have sat down with Jay and we talked about the amount of work he had to do," Ridley added. "It was always professional and I think we had one raised-voice issue. I never said you have to leave your door open. I just knew it wasn't good and he admitted it wasn't good."

Ridley recalls that Reidsma once said to Balazovic at a public meeting "I don't trust you and I won't work with you."

Reidsma did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

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In addition to Balazovic and Ridley, two park commissioners, the airport manager and a member of the downtown development authority have also resigned. Residents and others have spoken up at township board meetings about the discord in local government.

Ridley is worried that the "my way or the highway" attitude will tear the township apart.

"Bobbi has an amazing work ethic as do others in the community. This community is built on volunteers who step up and do the job full time. You are always on call. What is bothering me right now (is all of the resignations)," said Ridley. "The community will continue to crumble because there is a new belief that policies and procedures are more important than the community volunteer base. People ask me what I am most proud of and I am most proud of the people who stepped up and moved this community forward."

As clerk, Reidsma will have a pivotal role in the November 2024 election.

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The township board — made up of Balazovic, Bob Kramer, Reidsma, Ridley and Janet Vance — are all Republicans. Along with Reidsma, Kramer and Vance did not respond to requests for comment.

Township attorney Matthew Cross said the board does not need to call for a special election to replace Balazovic and Ridley.

"They have a period of time within which the remaining three board members must appoint a new treasurer and supervisor. At this time, neither the treasurer nor the supervisor has tendered their resignations in writing. My understanding is that they intend to give the township ample time to identify replacements before their seats actually become vacant, so I do not expect these resignations to impact the township board’s ability to conduct business," said Cross.

— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Lack of cooperation prompts Tuscarora Township officials to resign