ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – In the August 6 primary election, a new Delta County commissioner will face the individual he unseated in May’s recall election.
Since the recall, former Wells Township Supervisor and current District 5 Commissioner Matt Jensen says he has worked to bring more transparency to the County Board.
“Previously, the public’s general comments quite frequently would get cut off, and you can’t do that,” he said. “That’s their time to be able to speak, and they have a right to be heard. Another thing, there is nothing that isn’t out there for the public. There is no perceived—like in the previous board—discussions going on behind closed doors. Those discussions are right here for the public, live.”
Jensen says ongoing airport security improvements and local park developments are integral to growing Delta County’s economy and making it a destination.
“We have the longest coastline of any county in Michigan,” said Jensen. “We have the ability to showcase that. Having people come here, that’s great. You need to give them a reason to come here. Then they want to stay, then they want to develop their businesses here.”
Jensen is also proud of the board’s recent vote to create a Veteran Affairs Committee.
“I said this was something I was going to do right away when being elected,” he said “In conjunction, there’s now a millage being placed on the ballot that will form a county Veteran Affairs department. That would actually increase the overall available services to the veteran demographic that we have here.”
Prior to the May recall election, Robert Petersen served as District 5 commissioner for 18 months. During that time, he says he was a hands-on commissioner.
“I’m very proud of the projects that we’ve done at the parks in helping expand on the parks and their use,” Petersen said. “I was one of the leaders in getting the picnic area at Fuller Park. I’ve done a lot of work helping the fairgrounds. I felt I had a very good relationship with the county and its employees, and it made it easier for me to get a good grasp on what this county needs.”
If elected to his former position, Petersen says he has some unfinished business he wants to get back to.
“I was very involved in trying to increase housing opportunity in Delta County,” he said. “I was also on the EDA and on the Hannahville Task Force, improving the economy and helping attract jobs into this county.”
As far as how the board has operated since the recall, Petersen says one thing he takes issue with is the removal of former Delta Conservation District manager Rory Mattson and Alan Ettenhofer from the County Parks and Recreation Commission.
“Getting rid of Mr. Mattson and Mr. Ettenhofer was a huge mistake,” he said. “There’s nobody in this county that knows more about these county parks and forests as those two. I just think that their experience, their knowledge is lost and is very necessary for the future of these parks and forests.”
Although Jensen ran in May as a no-party candidate, he and Petersen are both running as Republicans. With no one running in the district as a Democrat, that candidate who wins the primary will be headed for the District 5 seat after the November election. They both believe they are the right person for the job.
“I think in the short time that we’ve been on the board, we’ve actually accomplished more positive things for the community without all the distractions and chaos that was going on in the previous administration,” Jensen said. “I think it puts the county back in a lot more positive light with our surrounding counties and within the state as a whole.”
“I am not afraid to get dirty, as far as my hands, and help where it is needed,” said Petersen. “I’ve got a lot of background in my 63 years of different occupations, different hobbies, different life experiences that I can share to help increase the ability for Delta County to move ahead.”
On Tuesday, WZMQ 19 will air interviews with the candidates running in the District 3 Republican primary.
