Recreation Millage Renewal on Ballot in Moran Township; Incumbents Run Unopposed for Seats
By Paul Gingras

Lonnie Heuer

Moran Township Supervisor Jim Durm, Clerk Kristine Vallier, Treasurer Susan Dionne, and Trustees Lonnie Heuer and Mark Spencer are running unopposed for reelection in Moran Township. Mr. Spencer is a Republican, and all other candidates are Democrats. All terms are four years.

Residents will cast their votes at the Tuesday, August 5, primary, at which time they will consider a proposal to levy a renewal millage of 0.25 mills. The millage is to support and develop recreation opportunities in the township. It enables township residents to continue using city and township recreation facilities. The tax is 25¢ per $1,000 of all taxable property in the township for 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. The millage is expected to generate approximately $20,100 in 2008.

The following candidates responded to questionnaires sent by The St. Ignace News; photographs are printed if available.

Jim Durm

Mr. Durm, 54, is a Democrat seeking reelection as township supervisor. He is a 1979 graduate of Lake Superior State University. Mr. Durm has worked as an electrical engineer and nuclear plant start-up engineer. He has been the owner of Sunset Motel on US-2 since 1986. He and his wife, Annette, have been married 26 years and have a 23-year-old son, David, who is serving his second military tour in Iraq.

Kris Vallier

Mr. Durm said he seeks the position of supervisor because he has always bee interested in public policy and wants to continue playing a part in its development.

One of the major issues facing Moran Township is maintaining zoning enforcement, which is necessary to ensure stable and desirable development in the municipality, he told The St. Ignace News.

To improve employment opportunities and expand the local tax base, Moran Township must encourage commercial development in appropriate areas, he added.

Susan Dionne

Ms. Dionne, a Democrat, is seeking reelection as township treasurer. She is a bookkeeper for Mackinac County. Her family includes one married daughter, Jamie K. Mills.

Ms. Dionne is running for a second term, in part, because she has enjoyed serving as township treasurer.

"I have enjoyed learning about the area and what it means to be a township official, and I work with great people," she said.

The board has is composed of "outstanding officials" who are outspoken and "work well together for the good of our township and its citizens," she said.

Ms. Dionne believes the changes she made in 2004 have worked well for area residents.

"My Saturday hours make it easy for the taxpayers to pay in person, and if I am not available, my deputy fills in for me," she said. Ms. Dionne said she will continue to mail all tax bills to property owners and provide the tax information to banks and mortgage companies. At the suggestion of a taxpayer earlier this year, she will mail unpaid summer tax notices for the first time this fall.

"I am always looking for ways to improve my office," she told The St. Ignace News.

The condition of the economy continues to be a major issue facing Michigan and Moran Township, she said. The township board is seeking new ways to draw people to the area and improve municipal services.

"Providing better services with fewer funds continues to be an issue," she said. "Although it will be a long process, I agree with the Michigan Townships Association that those of us at the local level can help restore prosperity to Michigan."

Lonnie Heuer Mr. Heuer, 68, is a Democrat seeking reelection as a trustee on the township board. He is retired, married, and has four children and six grandchildren.

After graduation from high school, Mr. Heuer spent one year at Ferris State University. He worked 25 years as a front line supervisor at Michigan Carton and Paperboard, a paper mill. He also spent 15 years working on municipal zoning and planning issues and has attended many planning an zoning workshops.

"I feel that I can continue to provide the citizens of Moran Township fair and honest representation," he said.

The costs incurred by township governments to continue providing necessary services is a major issue facing the municipality, he said. A second important issue facing the area is the need for more positive input from the general public, he added.

Kris Vallier

Mrs. Vallier, 60, is a Democrat seeking reelection as township clerk. She is office manager at Ernie Vallier Trucking, has been married to Ernie Vallier for 39 years, and has three children and four grandchildren. Mrs. Vallier has an associate's degree in office management.

Mrs. Vallier said she seeks reelection because she enjoys serving as township clerk and seeks to help area residents in any way she can.

A primary issues facing the township is the need to create jobs and lower unemployment. Another major issue for the municipality is the loss of revenue from state and federal sources, she said.

Mark Spencer

Mr. Spencer, 50, is a Republican seeking reelection as a township trustee. He is retired from the Navy and now owns Wildwood Pastie Shop in Brevort with his wife, Brenda. He also works part time for Moran Township as zoning administrator.

Mr. Spencer has a daughter, Shawn Renee; a son-in-law, Scott Miller; and two grandchildren, Richard Mark and Alysen Renee. They live in Atwater, Ohio. Mr. Spencer has a son and daughterin law, Mark Scott and Terra Spencer, who live in Redford.

A 1975 graduate of LaSalle High School, Mr. Spencer went directly into the Navy, where he was graduated in nuclear power training. He went on to serve on submarines and taught on the subject of nuclear power in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Later, he worked as a ship superintendent and nuclear quality control officer at the Trident Refit Facility, a naval submarine base in Bangor, Washington. He retired in 1976 and returned to Michigan.

Mr. Spencer seeks a third term on the township board, in part, because his experience as "been very rewarding and enjoyable," he said.

Ongoing road maintenance and providing safe, affordable water for area residents are ongoing projects that Mr. Spencer would take part in completing.

A major issue facing the township is the lack of a strong infrastructure, Mr. Spencer said. He advocates better high speed Internet capacity, and road, water, and sewer projects. Better infrastructure would allow for growth that would bring jobs and encourage area youth to stay in the Upper Peninsula.

In particular, the roads need improvement, he said. Road maintenance needs to be addressed in the current climate of decreasing funding from the state in several areas, he said.