11-04-2024 3:00pm

EDITORIAL: Balance, Representation and Transparency Key Factors in Local Votes

Here’s how I’m voting in Tuesday’s general election.

First, I’ll be voting on election day, at my precinct. The more we get away from in-person voting, the less faith I have in the results.

For the Saline Area Schools Board of Education, I’m voting for balance and good community respresentation. I’ll vote for incumbents Brad Gerbe and Jennifer Steben, both “liberal” even if Steben didn’t seek a Democratic Party endorsement, and Jason Tizedes and Shari Barnett, from the “conservative side.” Gerbe and Steben have already proven themselves to be capable board members. I’ve seen nothing from Barnett or Tizides that raises red flags. Adding two conservatives to the board will give the liberal wing a 4-3 advantage - which feels right considering the makeup of the entire community. The 6-1 makeup of the board obviously doesn’t reflect the community. Having a school board that can run roughshod over the conservative viewpoint has led to out-of-touch policies that chase families from the district into private schools.

It’s time for balance. It’s time for compromise.

For the City of Saline vote, I’ll write in Marcus Salisbury for Mayor. No, he’s not running. But at the end of Busch's self-checkout, he told me he would one day.

For council, I am voting for Dean Girbach, who provided what seemed like open and thoughtful answers to my questions. I am also voting for Brian Cassise just to have one conservative voice on the council.

The controversy from the Saline Area Fire Board and apparent attempts to fire Chief Sperle deserved answers - and our representatives, Mayor Brian Marl and Councillor Janet Dillon, just haven’t answered these questions. Marl wouldn’t answer any of The Saline Post’s questions unless it was by a live Facebook interview. Dillon graciously answered our questions, but when it came to the fire department issue, the words didn’t shed any light on the situation. Councillor Rice did not answer the questions for our 5,531 email subscribers or for our social media followers.

There are two questions before City of Saline voters this November. Both are charter amendments. Proposal B formalizes a process that's already in place - it allows the Local Officers Compensation Commission to recommend compensation for the mayor and council. Approval would lie with the council.

I see no reason to deny proposal B.

Proposal A extends terms from 2 to 4 years and modernizes some language. Proponents of Prop A haven’t put forth a single good reason to make the change - except the cost. About $20,000 a year. Some council members just don’t want to be hassled by elections every two years - and that’s the real genesis for this proposal. Not good enough. Elections are about voters’ opinions, not politicians' opinions. A vote is power for the citizens. Never vote to give your power away.

In terms of other county, state and federal races, the only ones I want to mention here are the county races for clerk and treasurer.

It’s hard to see the county electing a Republican, but if you’ve followed the financial scandals at the county level this year, you know it’s time for a new direction, so I’ll be voting for Robert Zimmerman. I think Lawrence Kestenbaum runs a great clerk’s department and he’ll get my vote.