Sumpter Township races include trustee, with write-ins for clerk, treasurer

There will be three names on the ballot for trustee in Sumpter Township on the Nov. 6 ballot, with terms for the originally appointed position to run through 2020.
Jennifer Price was on the August Primary contest and so is the Democrat candidate on the ballot. Two others, who did not have to compete in the primary election, also are on the ballot: Tim Rush, a Republican, and Andrew Slovik, a candidate with no party.
Sheena Barnes, who had been appointed to that seat and now serves, did not file for election to that post.
The Independent sent out candidate questionnaires to introduce the candidates to the voters and below are the results.
Jennifer Price
Jennifer Price, 45, of 21000 Martinsville Rd., did not campaign during the August Primary, saying she didn’t wish to be elected and had missed the deadline to withdraw her name.
Since she won the Democratic primary anyway against three others, her name was put on the General Election Ballot. She still says she doesn’t want to win. She did not fill out an Independent questionnaire for either the Primary or General election.
But when she ran an unsuccessful campaign for trustee in 2016, her first bid for elective office, she did fill out a questionnaire.
Bringing it up to date by adding two years, Price has been married to Brent Price for 22 years and their daughter Taylor is 21. Taylor is a 2015 graduate of Huron High School in New Boston and in 2016 was attending Michigan State University.
The Prices have lived in Sumpter Township for five years. Jennifer has lived in the 48111 zip code for her entire life. She is a 1991 graduate of Belleville High School and is celebrating 22 years of employment as an account clerk for the Charter Township of Van Buren.
In 2016 she belonged to Wayne County 4-H; AFSCME Local 236, serving in several leadership roles; Wayne County Fair Association, 100 Club, Eastern Michigan Arabian Association, League of Women Voters of Northwest Wayne County, and a family member with the National Rifle Association.
Her hobbies are gardening, remodeling their home, enjoying their property, and most important, family time. She said she enjoyed the rural atmosphere of Sumpter Township and the friendliness.
As far as her goals in 2016: “I would like to see that we have more detailed conversation at our work study and board meetings of the items that are on the board agenda so the public is familiar with what exactly is being voted on.
“As a township board, it is our duty to serve our residents. I will make sure that if something is on the board agenda and it affects certain areas of our township, that those residents within a generous distance are notified to be able to come to our meetings and share concerns and/or receive detailed information about the project.
“As a township trustee, I will strive to be involved at the highest level to make sure communication with our residents is at its highest. I will also aim high to make sure that communication is also at its highest within the board of trustees.
“As a township trustee, every item that I vote on will be researched, questions asked and answered before I will vote. I am an independent thinker and will vote in favor of what is best for our entire community.
“As a township trustee, I would like to address the blight in our community. I will aim to make sure that we put our ordinances to work for us. If that means altering the ordinances, then we must take action to achieve that goal. Through campaigning I have learned this has been a concern with a lot of our residents.”
Price was unsure if she would serve if she is elected in the November election, despite her request for voters not to elect her.
Timothy Rush
Timothy Rush, 61, of 28941 Martinsville Rd., with New Boston zip code, is running for trustee on the Republican ticket.
Rush has lived in Sumpter for 30 years and previously was elected trustee and served in 2004.
He is a graduate of the National Institute of Technology 1986, class valedictorian. He is a licensed Federal Communications Commission engineer. His career for the last 25 years has been working as a corporate/private Security Consultant. For the last 28 years he also has been working with Washtenaw County Emergency Management. He is on the director’s “On Call” staff. His duties include maintaining/design of critical emergency communications systems and Emergency Management Planning. Besides serving as trustee, he also served on the township Zoning Board of Appeals. He recently was appointed to the planning commission.
He has belonged to the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) since 1982 and is a Sumpter Township Parks Recreation Commission volunteer.
Why are you running for this office?
Rush replies: “Pressure from citizens of the township to run again! I was elected as trustee in 2004 and served my term. Sumpter Township is a diamond in the rough. It needs qualified, professional and experienced people in elected office to assure that the township is run like a business and elected officials that understand the law and abide by it.”
Do you have any goals once you are elected?
He replied: “A Trustee is elected and placed in a position of public TRUST with fiduciary responsibilities to manage the affairs of the township for the best interest of the public. The health of the township is by far the most pressing issue. The township currently enjoys a beneficial revenue stream from the Carleton Farms land fill. This revenue will not continue forever. The township needs to have long range plans for when this revenue ends. We need to make sure that we have alternate income by enticing small business and light industry to increase our tax base while at the same time maintaining the rural atmosphere that we all value so much.”
Rush said: “Use my knowledge as a Security Consultant and Emergency Management Planner to help educate the board and citizens of the township about manmade and natural disasters that could affect Sumpter Township.
“I can promote positive change in Sumpter Township by utilizing my problem-solving abilities that I have acquired through years of education and experience.
“For Sumpter Township to overcome the challenges of the future it should not be the officials that make critical decisions alone. The people of the community need to get involved. I can work with anyone’s ideas on the board or from the community as long as the ideas are backed up with sound foresight and planning for Sumpter Township’s future.
“We ALL have a vested interest in our future. Sumpter is our home and together we can make it the finest township in Wayne County! God Bless Sumpter Township!”
Andrew Slovik
Andrew Slovik, no age given, of 21900 Carleton West Road, is running for trustee with no party affiliation. He is a Realtor.
He has lived in Sumpter for one year and in the Belleville area for more than 25 years. He graduated from Belleville High School in 1997 and earned a bachelor of science in Plastics Engineering from Ferris State University.
This is his first bid for elective office.
He enjoys fishing, camping, riding ATVs and just being outdoors.
Why are you running for this office?
“I am running for office because I feel that I can do the job well and I have a no-nonsense mind set. I think the board of trustees’ main job is to keep the budget in check and maintain the standard of living we have in Sumpter Township. 1) I do not waste money! I try to spend my money wisely. I have never purchased a new car, I have never had a Gucci anything. I buy store-brand raisin bran. I’m sure most Sumpter residents can relate. I do understand you get what you pay for (I’ll never buy another Harbor Freight Sawzall). Spend wise, not big. For instance: Why is the township spending money to fix cable equipment and train people how to use it, just to put city meetings on cable TV? Can’t we just post the meetings on You Tube … FREE?
2) I feel marijuana is here to stay, embrace it. I understand no one wants to live in the middle of a weed jungle, but banning a legal substance because of old, disproven prejudices is a bad call. If the goal is to protect the citizens, then we should zone it, regulate it, control it. There is a good chance recreational marijuana will be in our future. We will have another shot to right the ship and generate tax dollars.
“People ask why I am running as an Independent and I have to laugh. Have you been paying attention to our major political parties? The political discourse is depressing. I feel if I were to run in a political party I would be beholden to them. I am not willing to do that. I have my own set of ideas, and being independent gives me the freedom to do what’s right and in the best interest of Sumpter Township residents.
“I’m not going to bemoan the current regime saying, ‘We need to bring back honesty’ or ‘It’s chaos up there.’ Truth is I have spoken to most of the current officials and I think they do a respectable job. I would just do a few things different.”
Do you have any goals once you are elected?
“Yes, I’ll keep it simple. 1) Use our tax dollars wisely. 2) Lower our debt. 3) Search out cost-effective, simple solutions to meet the needs of the residents.”
Clerk position
Esther Hurst, 63, 46323 Arkona Rd., won the Democratic primary for the clerk’s position and is on the November ballot unopposed for the position to which she was originally appointed. She had worked for the township for 30 years before being appointed to office.
Hurst is being challenged by Sheena Barnes, 28321 Sumpter Rd., New Boston, who failed in her primary campaign for the clerk post and then filed as a write-in candidate. She is not on the ballot but is an official write-in candidate.
Barnes currently serves on the board after being appointed as a trustee. But she is not running to be elected to that post, but to unseat the current clerk.
Treasurer position
Ken Bednark, 62, 18295 Savage Rd., is running unopposed on the November ballot for treasurer, after beating two other Democrat contenders in the primary election. This is his first bid for elective office.
He is being challenged by Peggy Morgan, 59, 46330 Claxton Dr., who was unsuccessful in the primary in seeking election to the office to which she was appointed. Morgan currently serves as treasurer after serving more than a dozen years on the board as trustee.
Morgan’s name is not on the ballot, but she is an official write-in candidate.