ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – In one month, three Delta County Commissioners face a recall election.
District 3 Commissioner Bob Barron is currently in his second term on the board. Since the recall effort began last year, he says the board hasn’t missed a beat when it comes to taking care of county business.
“This board has been doing an excellent job,” said Barron. “It’s been functioning very well. It’s just that we’ve been taking a lot of attacks from the recall group, and we’re still—in spite of all that attack—getting work done.”
Barron describes the accusations against the board as “a lot of hot air,” saying the board has proven its dedication to important issues.
“Our focus has been on the day-to-day business that we have in the county,” he said. “We’ve had the situation with the airport that came up. Last year, we had to hire a new administrator. The County’s completely taken over the parks and the county forest from the Soil and Conservation District. We’re working on security in the courthouse. It’s a very, very busy time.”
Opposing candidate Myra Croasdell has served on several community boards. She says she chose to run over concerns about the way certain commissioners conduct county business.
“They choose to do what is best for them,” she said. “I’ve seen a few things that are not properly done, especially when you are following Robert’s Rules [of Order]. Let’s say, they put something really quick on the agenda. Yes, you can do that, but you need to make sure that all of our board members are aware of what you are putting on that agenda. Two commissioners are left out of a lot of the decisions. If they have questions, they’re not answered. It’s not an equal playing field.”
If elected to Barron’s seat, Croasdell has a list of priorities she would address.
“One is the housing for low-income, middle-income,” she said. “There’s been a stalemate on that. I was at the Airport Advisory Board meeting, and I can see that Mr. Ranstadler has a lot on his plate that needs to get fixed or prioritized. Then it would be the veterans. I’m hoping that they will get the millage on the November ballot.”
Both candidates encourage Delta County District 3 voters to carefully decide which of them is best for the board and to get out and cast their ballots.
“Do you want your county to move forward as it is moving forward, or do you want a different direction?” Barron said. “They did an excellent job choosing the board in November of 2022, and if they do have a change of mind, do it in a regular election cycle.”
“Delta County is down the wrong path,” said Croasdell. “I would like to think that I would bring honesty, integrity, and be an ethical leader to hold people accountable for their actions.”
The recall election will take place on Tuesday, May 7.
