Selection of Hamburg clerk does not pass the smell test

Long-time Speaker of the U.S. House Tip O'Neill coined the phrase “All politics is local,” and it has been my experience as a former community journalist that the more local the office, the more petty and quarrelsome it can be. Hamburg Township is a perfect example.

The most populace township in Livingston County has been a target rich environment for the reporter assigned to that beat, and the latest controversy is that the all-Republican board just appointed the Republican candidate for township clerk as the interim clerk, thereby making him the incumbent. Incumbents usually have a leg up in any election because people will often choose the status quo when they are unsure of the candidates.

Clearly the fix is in, and it’s not hard to understand why there is so much strife and controversy surrounding this board.

But to understand this situation you have to go back to the 2008 election. In township government there are three officers – the clerk, the supervisor and treated and four trustees. All of the incumbent officers were unseated in the August primary. Apparently, long-time clerk Joanna Hardesty was simply not going to accept that decision by voters, and she launched an unsuccessful write in campaign for the November General election.

New Clerk Matt Skiba had just taken office when a recall was launched against him by the very people running Hardesty’s campaign. It seems like he was not given much of a chance, and they even refused to allow him to appoint his own deputy and when he did the township board refused to pay him a salary.

After gaining enough signatures to get it on the ballot, voters recalled Skiba in the election earlier this month. An attempted recall of the new treasurer failed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot.

The township board then voted to hire retired auto executive Allen Carlson as the interim clerk on Nov. 6. Carlson said he had no desire to run for the clerk position when the special election is held on Feb. 23 to fill the remaining almost three years of Skiba’s term. Why not let him serve the less than three months before the election?

At the same time, because this is a special election because of a recall, there is no primary election to fill the partisan office, and the two political parties came up with their candidate in their own way before the Nov. 19 deadline. Independents had until today to file to run. The Democrats chose long-time resident Annette Koeble and the Republicans chose Jim Neilson, who is – get this – the treasurer of the campaign to recall Skiba.

However, on Nov. 20 at a special meeting held in the daytime, the board interviewed Koeble, Neilson and Patricia Hughes. The all Republican board then unanimously chose Neilson, the Republican nominee. It actually appears the GOP nomination came after the township board chose him.

But today brought more news. Neilson chose Hughes, also a Republican, as his deputy clerk, and she has already been sworn in.

This situation simply does not pass the smell test. Koeble is clearly more qualified.

Koeble has been attending township board members for the last couple of years, and she is very familiar with the issues. She served as a member of the Hamburg Township 2009 Focus group which put together the successful police and recreation millage proposals approved by voters in November.

"Throughout my career, I have tried to focus on being a member of a team. I consider myself to be a good listener, someone who is able to trouble shoot problems, and most importantly, to get the job done in a timely manner. I possess excellent organizational skills and I know how to prioritize and manage multiple tasks," she said on the Livingston County Democratic Party’s blog, Living Blue.

Koeble has been office administrator with Turner Electric Service Inc. of Dexter since 1985, where she has been responsible for accounting, payroll, personnel files, billing, liaison with banks and bonding companies, insurance matters and financial analysis.

From 1976 to 1985, Koeble held positions as office manager, estimator, and billing clerk for companies in the construction field. She also taught secondary school in the Jackson area from 1972-1974.

Koeble has a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Michigan University. She has been married to her husband, Bob Koeble, for 24 years and has lived in Hamburg Township since 1982.

But here’s the qualification that apparently disqualified Koeble despite her excellent record: She has served as treasurer of the Livingston County Democratic Party since 2007.

Looking for candidates for Hamburg Township Clerk

Now that voters have recalled Hamburg Township Clerk Matt Skiba, a special election to fill the almost three years remaining of his term is set for Feb. 23.

Because it’s a special election because of a recall, there is no primary election to fill the partisan office, and the Livingston County Democratic Party is looking for a qualified candidate. The deadline for informing the Livingston County Clerk's office of the party’s candidate is 4 p.m. Nov. 19.

The party will form a five-member committee of Livingston County Democratic Party members from Hamburg Township to choose the candidate, and that committee will select the candidate at a regular meeting of the party set for 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at party headquarters, 10321 E. Grand River, Suite 600, in Brighton.

If you are interested in serving on the committee or running for the office, contact the party at (810) 229-4212 or Email: contact@livcodemocrats.org.

Clerk write in candidate puts out false flyer less than a week before election

If you want an example of a politician that will say and do anything to get elected and keep their job, you just need to look at Joanna Hardesty and the race for Hamburg Township clerk.

Hardesty lost the Republican primary, and she is running as a write in candidate. She is holding fundraisers, spending money, buying advertising going door to door in the quest to keep her job. Basically, she’s doing the things she should have done before the primary instead of trying to coast on her incumbency.

Just five days before the election, the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus is reporting Hardesty put out a false flier falsely claiming that Democratic opponent, Debby Buckland, has been unemployed since 2006. The fact is that since Buckland left real estate in 2006, she has been a political campaign field director for several candidates, including the presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in two states, including all important Iowa.

Buckland says Hardesty knew the accusation was not true, and the facts bear that out. Buckland put that information out at the forums and debates held, her activities were even published in the local newspaper and it was even on her campaign web site. That makes Hardesty a liar or not capable of doing the most basic of fact checking.

Infighting on the all-Republican board has been a staple of the township recently, and it may have contributed to all but one of the seven incumbents losing in the primary, as well as the trustee who won the supervisor primary.

Many have put the blame on ousted supervisor Cindy Pine, but I find that very hard to believe. I dealt with Pine when I was a reporter and she was the chair of the Livingston County Republican Party, as well as the time I spent covering the township. I know her to be an intelligent reasoned person. She was far more truthful and civil than the current chair, and just as successful by treating people with respect and not wasting money on ridiculous billboard and commercials.

The good news is a write in candidate rarely, if ever wins, and Hardesty and the Republican challenger will split the GOP vote, and the township voters may have a different voice that is a team player, an experienced administrator, has a positive outlook and can work with a diverse group of people on the board in Buckland.

Newspaper editorial board wants to throw out the primary election vote

The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus is apparently trying to undo the primary election for Hamburg Township Clerk.

Challenger Matt Skiba beat long-time incumbent Joanna Hardesty in the August Republican primary in Livingston County's most populous township. Voters were apparently unhappy with how the township is being run; only one incumbent will be coming back to the seven-person board next month; two if you count the trustee who unseated the supervisor in the GOP primary.

Apparently not happy with the primary loss, Hardesty filed to run as a write in, and after apparently taking the primary election campaign off and hoping to cruise on her incumbency, she is now campaigning and raising money. Why didn’t she do that in June, July or August? Hardesty is now claiming Skiba ran a "false and malicious" campaign designed to mislead voters.

In a stunning development, the paper is actually endorsing Hardesty in the General Election. Can someone please tell me the last time a write-in candidate won an election, especially in a municipality with some 22,000 people?

The paper said "voters made an error in August." So what the paper is saying is you dumb Republicans who took your civic responsibility seriously in August and took the time to cast your vote it should just be thrown out.

It goes on to attack Skiba, saying "running up $9,000 in credit card debt just before declaring individual bankruptcy in 2006 — should give voters pause when they are filling a job that handles taxpayer dollars."

What's' really amazing is they don't even bother to mention the name of the Democratic candidate that earned the right to run against the Republican until the last sentence (. Democratic challenger Debby Buckland is the most qualified candidate in the race, and it's amazing that the GOP-leaning editorial board not only failed to mention her, it backed a candidate that will not win.

Buckland has the work experience to do the job and the personal attributes to be successful. Her campaign has been clean, and she is a team player, an experienced administrator, has a positive outlook and can work with a diverse group of people. This board dearly needs another voice and a non-rubber stamp.

Hamburg Township candidate debate features some interesting races

Just 15 days before an historic election, the Pinckney, Hamburg, Lakeland and Hell Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Candidate Debate at 6 p.m. Monday at the Hamburg Township Hall, 10405 Merrill Road.

The ambitious debate will feature all party candidates, or their representatives, from the U.S. Senate down to township candidates and District Court Judicial candidates. The debate will be moderated by local realtor Rick Beaudin, and the debate will be divided in half hour blocks by races all the way until 10:30 p.m. It will also be broadcast live over Channel 18, Hamburg Township Television. It will be re-broadcasts over Channel 18 periodically beginning October 27 and running November 3. DVD copies can be purchased at the township hall for $15 after completing a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request.

The debate will feature candidates or surrogates for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House races. It will also feature the race for the state House in the open 47th District; the County Commission seat for the 8th District featureing Democrat Dave Buckland and Republican Dennis Dolan; the 53rd District Judicial race featuring Judge Theresa Brennan and Jay Drick; and Hamburg and Putnam Township Boards.

One of the more interesting races is the race for the Hamburg Township Clerk. That seat features Democrat Debby Buckland and Republican Matt Skiba. Skiba unseated long-time Clerk Joanna Hardesty in the August GOP primary in a contentious race. Hardesty is running as a write in campaign, and she will be part of the debate.

Hardesty claims Skiba ran a "false and malicious" campaign designed to mislead voters. There is a massive effort underway from her volunteers, and they have raised a decent amount of money. I have never heard of a write in candidate winning a race, especially after losing to the same person when both of their names were on the ballot. The best thing that could happen for the township would be if Hardesty and Skiba split the vote and Buckland wins the office. They could use some diversity on the board. I have seen Buckland's ability up close, and she is more than qualified to do a good job.

In other debates, the Livingston County Press and Argus is sponsoring a candidate’s debate at 6 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Brighton Center for the Performing Arts at Brighton High School, 7878 Brighton Rd.

Shortsighted Township Board refuses to pitch in fair share for mass transit rail line project

The Hamburg Township Board followed the shortsighted example of the Livingston County Board of Commissioners and turned down a request to kick in $1,0000 last week for an environmental review of the proposed site of a train depot for the Washtenaw Livingston Line (WALLY) commuter rail line from Howell to Brighton.

The all-Republican Board of Commissioners voted last month not to contribute any funds, and to also not be a part of the coalition that wants to form a taxing authority. The all-GOP Township Board was asked to pitch in a mere $1,000 for the station proposed for the Featherly Road extension east of Hamburg Road, and the reaming $6,488 would be picked up by the other entities in the project. The answer was apparently, thanks but no thanks to the $6,488.

Partners in the project include the City of Howell, the Greater Brighton Chamber of Commerce, Washtenaw County and the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority.

Before any of the $500,000 in federal funds for station design and improvements can be spent, environmental clearance is required. It would consist of, according to an October 8 memo from Hamburg Township Supervisor Cindy pine, a review of historical documents and a limited field survey or dig to rule out any archeological remains.

A move to establish a mass transit hub in Howell and Livingston County has been ongoing since the mid 1990's, but there was hope this latest effort would succeed because of the strong commitment of the coalition members, high gas prices and the backups experienced along U.S. 23, the north/south highway to Ann Arbor where many Livingston County residents work.

Plans for a rail line between Ann Arbor and Detroit are steaming along, and the Ann Arbor to Detroit Regional Rail Project could see its first train hit the rails in just over a year. The effort in Livingston County remains derailed by shortsighted government officials, and a link all the way to Detroit remains a dream. With these two boards we see the danger of having just one party on the board for so long, and another voice would be a breath of fresh air.