Seven candidates vie for two seats on Cheboygan County Road Commission
For the upcoming Aug. 2 primary election, two incumbents and five newcomers will be competing for a chance to fill two open positions on the Cheboygan County Road Commission for six-year terms.
The Daily Tribune asked each candidate in the road commissioner race, all Republicans, to answer some questions about themselves and what they plan to do if elected.
David Brandt
Q: Please introduce yourself, telling me a little about yourself, where you grew up, how old you are, your current profession, education and work background, what you like to do for fun.
A: I was born and raised in Cheboygan. I am 62 years old and the owner and operator of Jewel Cleaning Service for 31 years. I am also a volunteer fireman for 40 years, a volunteer groomer and operator for the Cheboygan snowmobile trails for 16 years.
I graduated from Cheboygan Area High School, was a mechanic for three years, worked road construction for two years, did construction work for three years, and worked for Cheboygan County Road Commission for four years.
In my off time I spend time with my wife Phyllis, our three children and their spouses, and our five grandchildren. I enjoy playing golf and hunting.
Q: Have you ever run for public office before? (If incumbent: How long have you held this position?)
A: I have served on Cheboygan County Road Commission for two terms.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: To make roads in Cheboygan County the best they can be. I feel that I have the knowledge and experience with budgets and finances and that is the main responsibility of a commissioner. I also travel the roads and talk to residents of Cheboygan County on a daily basis.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county in terms of the roads today? What could the county road commission do better?
A: The biggest challenges are taking limited funds and fixing and maintaining roads while replacing aging equipment and having enough employees to do the work needed. The board is always trying to get better at securing funding for our bridges that are in critical condition and funding to maintain our roads.
Q: What are the county road commission’s greatest strengths? What are they doing well?
A: The greatest strengths are working with the townships – upgrading over $1 million in road work each year. One thing we are doing well is working as a team even though there are three garages. They all work together to get the work done from management on down.
Q: What are your thoughts on the countywide road millage?
A: The road millage is very important to Cheboygan County for our roads. I personally want to thank the voters of Cheboygan County for stepping up and making Cheboygan a better place to live.
Q: What will be your top priorities, if elected?
A: Funding for our bridges and continuing to upgrade roads, and to grow our work force to better maintain roads.
Greg Bunker
Q: Please introduce yourself, telling me a little about yourself, where you grew up, how old you are, your current profession, education and work background, what you like to do for fun.
A: I am 60 years old and I was born and raised in the Wolverine area. After I got out of school there, I moved to Indian River and I've been there ever since. I am also a business owner, and have credited studies in business management, business communications and human resource management.
Q: Have you ever run for public office before? (If incumbent: How long have you held this position?)
A: This is my first time running for an elected public office.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: I am retired after 33 years of public service to the road commission. I know quite a bit about the operations of the road commission, with the last 12 years of my experience, being the supervisor of the men at the Indian River garage and maintenance of nine townships at the south end.
I started as a truck driver, was promoted up to an equipment operator, which I did for 18 years, then was a foreman for 12 years. I attended all the board meetings, so I have a good idea of what's going on.
I feel that I can give to the people what I know about the road commission, and benefit all the people in the Cheboygan County area. I like being a public servant because I've dealt with so many people over the years. I want to help the road commission. I feel my 33 years of experience and knowledge of the road commission will be best utilized with a vote for Greg Bunker, an experienced leader you can trust.
I also feel there needs to be representation from the south part of the county on the road commission board, and I want to be that representative.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county in terms of the roads today? What could the county road commission do better?
A: Biggest challenge the road commission is facing today is funding. There isn’t enough money coming in to hire personnel, upgrade equipment and keep the roads in good shape.
Q: What are your thoughts on the countywide road millage?
A: The road millage has been a great tool for improving the primary road system. There has been 45 miles of road upgraded with these funds and a five-year plan has been established to keep moving forward with these upgrades. I’m in total support of the countywide road millage.
Q: What will be your top priorities, if elected?
A: I will make and support good choices and decisions, and move the road commission in the right direction. I will be your voice for all of Cheboygan County and your trusted, experienced leader for the south end.
Henry Ginop
Q: Please introduce yourself, telling me a little about yourself, where you grew up, how old you are, your current profession, education and work background, what you like to do for fun.
A: I was born and raised here in Cheboygan. I graduated in 1977 from Cheboygan Catholic High School, then worked for my dad brothers from 1977-1985. I then moved to California and I worked at Napa County Road Department, went up the ranks and retired in 2013 as a crew supervisor.
Q: Have you ever run for public office before? (If incumbent: How long have you held this position?)
A: I ran for the county road commission in 2016 and was elected, so I am an incumbent.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: I enjoy what I do. When I first got on the road commission board, I wanted to make a difference in Cheboygan County and I think the group that's in there now has done quite a bit to change the road conditions in Cheboygan County.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county in terms of the roads today? What could the county road commission do better?
A: Infrastructure. Bridges, culverts, roads, they're all getting old. Unfortunately, the price of everything has gone up to replace or repair any of the infrastructure. It all depends on the money. I think we're doing as much as we can with what we have. The way the economy is, I hope it gets better and we get more financing from the state. The millage helps immensely for what roads we do.
Q: What are the county road commission’s greatest strengths? What are they doing well?
A: I think we're working better as a team now than in the past. There's a little more communication among all of us, the commissioners down to the crew members. The crews are working better together, borrowing one person from one crew to another, or equipment, and I see that being a real asset in the future.
Q: What are your thoughts on the countywide road millage?
A: In the last eight years, we have done a lot of projects with the millage money —Levering Road, Riggsville Road, Black River Road — these are roads that wouldn't have gotten done if it wasn't for the millage money.
Q: What will be your top priorities, if elected?
A: Maintaining what we have and trying to improve some of the areas that need improvement with the roads. I think it's going pretty good right now with everything that's happened. We lost our engineering manager recently and guys have jumped in and filled places. I think it shows that we're able to handle these things and I think that working towards keeping that going would be my goal.
Chris Hudak
Q: Please introduce yourself, telling me a little about yourself, where you grew up, how old you are, your current profession, education and work background, what you like to do for fun.
A: I grew up, here, born and raised in Cheboygan, 58 years. I have a couple of kids, they're older now.
I was a commercial mason for 22 years. I currently own a trucking company and am in and out, around the area now.
Q: Have you ever run for public office before? (If incumbent: How long have you held this position?)
A: I have not run for a public office. I've run for the school board.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: In my opinion, we need new people on the board, to make better decisions with our taxpayer dollars. I don't believe that our money is being spent in the correct ways. The roads that we drive on currently in Cheboygan, there's quite a few of them that are disasters, especially out in the Alverno area, Black River area. We have a bridge out there that's going to fall in the river.
We need new faces. I am a firm believer in term limits. Board members, they get all hunkered in and it becomes a club. I'm against that. I believe that we need term limits, but I can't change that now.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county in terms of the roads today? What could the county road commission do better?
A: Repair, cost, inflation of materials and stuff. The bids that we put out there, we put them out this month and next month, they could be an inflation of thousands of dollars, because of the materials and the cost of stuff.
I think that our money should be spent wiser, and the decisions where the money is going.
Q: What are your thoughts on the countywide road millage?
A: I would not vote for another millage. Our people in this community cannot keep affording all the taxes, tax, tax. I am not in support of this millage.
Q: What will be your top priorities, if elected?
A: I would go over the budgeting and management of funds, taxpayer funds, and how it is being spent. That would be my number one priority.
Bob Kiefer
Q: Please introduce yourself, telling me a little about yourself, where you grew up, how old you are, your current profession, education and work background, what you like to do for fun.
A: I was born and raised in this area, I am 65 years old and I graduated in 1975 from Cheboygan Catholic High School. After that, I attended CMU and MSU before working at Coca Cola in Detroit from 1979-1997. Returning to Cheboygan, I worked at Cheboygan Auto Supply, Cheboygan Lumber Company, and Carquest Auto Supply where I am still employed part-time (mostly retired). I have been married to Ann (Swiderek) Kiefer since 1988 and we have two adult children, Jacob and Kendra.
Q: Have you ever run for public office before? (If incumbent: How long have you held this position?)
A: Though I have never held public office, I was elected and served four years as a union steward with Teamsters Local 337 in Detroit while with Coca Cola.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: I am running as a Republican for this position with the goal of effectively serving my community. I have always been a proud moderate conservative. I consider myself an approachable person, strong listener and action taker and would be dedicated to serve all the residents of our county.
Friendly and familiar with many former and current employees of our road commission, I am grateful for the critical services they provide keeping us safe on the roads. I just feel like I want to serve this community a little bit.
Q: What will be your top priorities, if elected?
A: As a commission, the goal is to seek and secure every avenue of funding (federal and state dollars) and strive to improve efficiency. I will be voting for the road millage this election cycle. How and where money is spent is the main concern for all county constituents. That is where I will serve you. As an elected official, my focus would be to hear your concerns, take action, provide feedback and achieve results.
Bradley Ormsbee
Q: Please introduce yourself, telling me a little about yourself, where you grew up, how old you are, your current profession, education and work background, what you like to do for fun.
A: I was born and raised in Cheboygan. I have spent most all of my life in the automobile business, fourth generation car dealer. In 2006, I became a managing partner in Fernelius auto group here in Cheboygan. In doing so, I moved to Sault Ste. Marie so I could operate the Fernelius Hyundai location.
I am 43 years old and currently retired from the Fernelius family of auto dealerships.
As for fun, my sons and I enjoy the inland waterway as well as farming and raising boer meat goats. I am also a proud Army veteran.
Q: Have you ever run for public office before? (If incumbent: How long have you held this position?)
A: While in the Soo I spent eight years on the Chippewa County Road Commission, six of those as the vice chair.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: So I can give back to the community that has given so much to me, hopefully helping to make a great place even better for the next generation. I will not take the county's health insurance and I don't need the job. I want to help with my experience and knowledge to make a great community an even better and safer place to be.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county in terms of the roads today? What could the county road commission do better?
A: The Cheboygan County Road Commission has amazing and very dedicated employees. They are the single greatest asset. However I feel they are lacking leadership from the current board.
Cheboygan County's roads are the worst I have ever seen them, with the most revenue we have ever seen. I have driven most roads within the county since beginning this campaign and have taken pages of notes and hundreds of pictures to start day one to improve Cheboygan's lost and deteriorated roads.
The biggest challenges faced today are truck and equipment prices. A well equipped truck ready to plow snow can cost in excess of $200,000 each. The other biggest challenge is fuel prices. By looking at and bidding different rack pricing and well and by individual location there is much savings to be had in the fuel pricing and distribution.
Don't get me wrong I feel strongly the team is doing the very best they can with the tools and equipment they are given, however the roads have deteriorated to the point of ill repair.
Q: What are your thoughts on the countywide road millage?
A: I am a strong supporter of the countywide millage. These funds if used correctly can bring $3-$4 for every $1 collected into the community through grants and matching dollars programs. As a taxpayer I would spend $1 to get $4 any day.
Without the millage it becomes very difficult to navigate these programs and collect these outside funds. While on the Chippewa road commission we built a $7 million bridge on Sugar Island that cost absolutely zero dollars to the Chippewa County taxpayer. These are the type of things I bring to the table.
Q: What will be your top priorities, if elected?
A: Once elected, my absolute top priority will be to make each dollar stretch as far as possible to fix as many roads as possible throughout Cheboygan County. There will be no wasteful spending. My goal is to make the roads of Cheboygan County safe to travel again.
John Studer
Q: Please introduce yourself, telling me a little about yourself, where you grew up, how old you are, your current profession, education and work background, what you like to do for fun.
A: I graduated from Inland Lakes High School in 1988. I went into the Marines right out of high school as an aviation electrician. I got out in 1992 and worked part time for my father's gun shop and for North Central Excavating out of Gaylord.
In 1995, my father and I opened Studer's Gun Refinishing and Sporting Goods. I was the store manager, gunsmith and metal finisher. We closed up in 2001 due to my father's health issues.
I started school for introduction to computers, a creative writing class, as well as website design. I also have background in sales and marketing for Michigan Interactive or fishweb.com.
I also have started two businesses, including making Petoskey stone beads and developing an all natural skin care product.
Q: Have you ever run for public office before? (If incumbent: How long have you held this position?)
A: No.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: I am a Marine and a patriot. The oath I took only expires when and if I do. I am heartbroken over the direction of my country, so I have been doing everything I can to be involved locally. After the stolen election, I felt compelled to become involved.
I started attending the county commissioner meetings, then I joined the local Republican party and have been appointed to the Cheboygan County Planning Commission and the Cheboygan County Conservation District Board.
I want to just have a voice and make sure that people are speaking up and doing the right thing for the people of America. I have to start locally, so that's what I am doing.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county in terms of the roads today? What could the county road commission do better?
A: Lack of money, high fuel prices and no labor.
Q: What are the county road commission’s greatest strengths? What are they doing well?
A: They are getting a lot of roads paved.
Q: What are your thoughts on the countywide road millage?
A: I'd like to make sure the funds we have now are not being mismanaged.
Q: What will be your top priorities, if elected?
A: Gravel seems to be a huge issue for most townships.
Contact Reporter Kortny Hahn at khahn1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @khahnCDT.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Election 2022 preview: Cheboygan County Road Commission
