DELTA COUNTY, Mich. (WZMQ) – Several Delta County commissioners will face challengers in the August 6 primary election, where voters will decide which names appear on the November ballot.
District 2 Commissioner Steven Viau is currently in his second year on the board.
“Instead of being part of the problem—going to complain about different things as a business owner to cities and townships and counties—I thought I would become part of the solution,” he said. “I have a lot to offer, and I have grown a lot in my life from being a complainer to being a doer.”
Viau says he is passionate about the committees he sits on and working with them on new ideas.
“I like working on some changes that I’m thinking of, like a railroad system for transporting different things in the county that are very expensive, like solid waste, up to Marquette,” he said. “I’ve got some connections down in Wisconsin. I also enjoy the Opioid Taskforce. I can’t wait til we can get input from the public to see how we can spend the little bit of money for the next 18 years on helping out our community.”
At the polls, Viau will face chiropractor Patrick Johnson, who previously served as a Delta County Commissioner for eight years and acted as board chair for three of those years. He says he decided to run again due to recent “turmoil” on the board.
“I don’t like to see our county in the news a whole lot unless it’s for something good,” said Johnson. “It seemed like there was a little bit more negative spin on things. I thought that if I got back involved we could make meetings boring again.”
There are several accomplishments Johnson is proud of from his time on the board.
“We were able to get ordinances in place for wind and solar,” he said. “While they weren’t the best for both parties, I thought they were decent compromises and we moved forward that way. We were also able to get the jail built. The jail was a huge project. I and another commissioner were able to go down to Washington, D.C., cut some red tape, and we were able to save the county $2 million.”
In pursuing another term, Viau hopes to continue the work he has been doing on the board.
“On the commission, we do the high-level policies of stuff that our administrator can’t handle other department heads have a hard time figuring out, it will come to us,” he said. “That’s where we do our magic, I would like to say. I also want to make sure we continue with the veterans program, that we fund them. It’s an obligation of the county. I know we have a tax coming through for the people to vote on. I believe that it will go through, and that’ll make me happy to see that we now serve our vets that have served us.”
Johnson says he has a few goals in mind that he would work toward if elected.
“The priorities are keeping a balanced budget and make policy for the board,” he said. “When we’re doing those two things, everything runs smoothly. Interest rates are up, so economic growth is going to be a real key to keeping people with their jobs.”
Both candidates say they are also focused on county employees.
“We are losing employees all the time,” Viau said. “There’s been a lot said about we’re not paying them enough, they don’t have enough benefits. I would like to start looking at how we can retain and gain the best and the most talented to serve our people.”
“We still have a pension stability fund with the county,” said Johnson. “We still need to build that up in order to keep our employees well-employed and not have to lay anybody off in the future.”
Viau and Johnson both cite their experience and knowledge of county issues as reasons why they are the right choice for District 2 voters in the Republican primary.
“I know how to get things done,” said Viau. “I listen to them, never promising anyone anything, doing my research, and be very diligent in making the right decisions because I’m the voice of the people and I represent the people.”
“I have more experience,” Johnson said. “I’ve been there, so I know the history. I know where there’s speed bumps so we can easily work through any problems we might have. In my years, I’ve been able to get more accomplished as far as contacts go. I can still reach out and talk to a number of people, ask questions, and still get good answers.”
Click here to hear from District 1 Republican primary candidates John Malnar and Sandra Skiba.
