2008 Woodie Awards
Two vie for seats on Mount Pleasant City Commission
By: Frank Wisswell
Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Two seats are up for grabs on the Mount Pleasant City Commission next Tuesday's election.
The three-year terms of Commissioner James Moreno and Vice Mayor Steve Bissell are expiring.
Retired teacher Kathy Ling and lawyer Jeffrey Palmer are running for the two seats.
Ling has served on the Isabella County Commission, the Mount Pleasant Planning Commission and the Central Michigan Board of Health. She said local government is important to her because it allows residents to see immediate results.
"I'm kind of a government junkie," Ling said. "People can have a direct impact."
Ling said openness is important to the city commission.
Neighborhoods also are important to a community, she said.
"It's very important for a commission to have a balance of different interests," Ling said.
Palmer, a lawyer with Michdale Associates, 116 N. Kinney Ave., said cooperation is crucial to the city commission.
Palmer said the board should have open dialogues with Isabella County, Union Township, Central Michigan University and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
"I think we need to work in cooperation with other entities," he said. "If we have an open dialogue, we can cooperate for the good of everyone."
Although Palmer hasn't held a local government position, he has served on private boards for non-profit organizations.
He said his background as an attorney can help him provide a sense of vision and a strategy for the commission.
"Local government is a place where we can really know all our people, know our community, and see direct results," he said.
Bissel plans another run next year
Even though Bissell gathered up enough signatures to run for the city commission position, a miscommunication kept him out of this year's race.
Bissell said he forgot to sign the bottom of the required packet when he turned it in to City Clerk Robert Flynn. Bissell was out of town getting married and was unable to complete the packet before the official deadline.
"(Flynn) said I was fine, so I took off," Bissell said.
While Bissell considered a write-in campaign, he said he simply did not have the time to launch a campaign.
"Write-ins are very different," Bissell said. "They require an incredible amount of time and money."
Bissell said he wouldn't have time to go door-to-door talking to residents like a successful write-in candidate would have to do because he owns Blackstone Bar & Grill, 212 W. Michigan Ave.
Bissell said he planned to take a year off of politics and consider running for a city or county position next year.
news@cm-life.com
The three-year terms of Commissioner James Moreno and Vice Mayor Steve Bissell are expiring.
Retired teacher Kathy Ling and lawyer Jeffrey Palmer are running for the two seats.
Ling has served on the Isabella County Commission, the Mount Pleasant Planning Commission and the Central Michigan Board of Health. She said local government is important to her because it allows residents to see immediate results.
"I'm kind of a government junkie," Ling said. "People can have a direct impact."
Ling said openness is important to the city commission.
Neighborhoods also are important to a community, she said.
"It's very important for a commission to have a balance of different interests," Ling said.
Palmer, a lawyer with Michdale Associates, 116 N. Kinney Ave., said cooperation is crucial to the city commission.
Palmer said the board should have open dialogues with Isabella County, Union Township, Central Michigan University and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
"I think we need to work in cooperation with other entities," he said. "If we have an open dialogue, we can cooperate for the good of everyone."
Although Palmer hasn't held a local government position, he has served on private boards for non-profit organizations.
He said his background as an attorney can help him provide a sense of vision and a strategy for the commission.
"Local government is a place where we can really know all our people, know our community, and see direct results," he said.
Bissel plans another run next year
Even though Bissell gathered up enough signatures to run for the city commission position, a miscommunication kept him out of this year's race.
Bissell said he forgot to sign the bottom of the required packet when he turned it in to City Clerk Robert Flynn. Bissell was out of town getting married and was unable to complete the packet before the official deadline.
"(Flynn) said I was fine, so I took off," Bissell said.
While Bissell considered a write-in campaign, he said he simply did not have the time to launch a campaign.
"Write-ins are very different," Bissell said. "They require an incredible amount of time and money."
Bissell said he wouldn't have time to go door-to-door talking to residents like a successful write-in candidate would have to do because he owns Blackstone Bar & Grill, 212 W. Michigan Ave.
Bissell said he planned to take a year off of politics and consider running for a city or county position next year.
news@cm-life.com
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