ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – In just one month, three Delta County Commissioners face a recall election.
Since his recall election was confirmed in October, District 4 Commissioner David Moyle says it has been business as usual for the County Board.
“It’s been calmer and less chaotic on this board before, but we’re very focused on making sure that the business of the county is attended to,” he said. “I’ve got a job to do, and I’ll be doing my job that the people elected me to do.”
Moyle has already faced opponent Kelli Van Ginhoven once before, in November of 2022. Van Ginhoven says she is running now for the same reasons she did then.
“I’m running for the seat because I love my community and I felt like I could do a better job,” she said. “I want to be a calm voice. I feel that our county deserves better representation than what they’re getting right now because the commissioners have been stuck in right versus left politics, where it really needs to be about everyone. I don’t see right or left; I just see a path forward for our county.”
Moyle says his focus—now and if he wins the vote—is the budget. He says his goal is keeping the county in the black.
“You’ll never hear me say, ‘raise taxes,'” Moyle said. “There’ll be ice skating in hell before that happens. We’ve always had a balanced budget. You increase county revenue streams thinking outside of the box, you don’t turn to the taxpayer. When the jail was an issue, the taxpayers made the choice. We didn’t. Moving forward with the Veterans Service Officers, the taxpayers will make the choice. We continue to provide excellent services for the citizens of Delta County.”
Van Ginhoven says her priority would be creating more opportunities for public participation in County Commission meetings. She wants to provide Zoom access for those who cannot attend the meetings in person and adjust the meeting format.
“The number one issue that I would like resolved is switching back to committee of the whole meetings versus our commissioner workshop at the first meeting of the month,” said Van Ginhoven. “With committee of the whole, the public is allotted time to discuss the topics that are on the agenda. The commissioner workshop, which they switched to when the new board came in, does not. I really, really want that community involvement. I think that’s key.”
Van Ginhoven and Moyle say Delta County residents are at the forefront of their platforms. Both candidates believe voters will make the right decision at the polls on May 7.
“Right now, I think that there’s a great disconnect between the public and their commissioners,” Van Ginhoven said. “While I know that everybody’s not going to like me or be happy that I’m in my seat, I want them to know that even though they don’t support me, I support them. I am there for them.”
“I just want to let the people know that I have been here doing the job they elected me to do in 2022 and moving the county forward,” said Moyle. “That’s something I’m very serious about. Get out and vote, because the only way the democratic process works is if people get involved.”
Click here for WZMQ 19’s story on the race between Commissioner Bob Barron and challenger Myra Croasdell in District 3.
