Q&A with candidates in Emmet County's 5th district commissioner race
In the upcoming Aug. 2 primary election, there is one contested race for Emmet County commissioner. The race is in the 5th district between two Republican candidates, Donna Lively and Brian Gutowski.
District 5 consists of Bear Creek Township's precinct two and precinct three.
The Petoskey News-Review reached out to both candidates to learn more about who they are and what they plan to do as commissioner if elected.
Donna Lively
Q: Introduce yourself
A: I am Donna Lively, campaigning for Emmet County Commissioner District 5. I am co-owner and an associate broker with RE/MAX Lighthouse in Bear Creek Township/Petoskey. Prior to opening our RE/MAX office in 2015, I worked as a freelance writer and assisted my husband, Craig Lively, with his construction business, Lively Construction. My writing primarily involved writing history and marketing pieces for the Mackinac Area Visitors Bureau.
Q: How long have you lived in the community?
A: I have lived in Bear Creek Township for 23 years. Our businesses have also operated from Bear Creek Township for that same time period. We raised our children here and our young grandchild enjoys visiting.
Q: Have you ever run for public office before?
A: I have not run for political office before.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: I am looking to win the seat of Emmet County Commissioner District 5 as this is a good time to give back to the community that has treated me and my family so well for the past 23 years. I am familiar with the people and with the responsibilities that the county has to the residents — my neighbors. I will work to keep the county focused on managing our hard-earned tax dollars well. I believe that good stewardship of county assets will save money and misery in the long term.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county today? What could the county government do better?
A: The biggest challenges that the county faces today are housing for our working population and maintenance of the current facilities, programs, and infrastructure. I look to keep the government accountable to the taxpayers and not diminish the voice of residents by allowing the authority granted to the commission to be handed over to others who would not answer to the voters for decisions made.
Q: What are the county’s greatest strengths? What is the county doing well?
A: Emmet County is a wonderful and diverse place. It is a fine balance to keep all of the various ideas, lifestyles, and dreams in harmony. The county makes great strides in this. I am proud of Emmet County and will work to protect the heritage and future of my neighbors.
Brian Gutowski
Q: Introduce yourself
A: My name is Brian Gutowski. For the past 27 years, I have been the engineer-manager of the Emmet County Road Commission. I am a professional engineer in the State of Michigan and am 57 years old.
Q: How long have you lived in the community?
A: After growing up in Manistee, I went to college at Michigan Technological University in Houghton. My trip involved traveling through Emmet County on our way to the U.P. I remember seeing the old concrete plant where Bay Harbor now resides and the historic Bay View area. I moved to the Petoskey area with my wife Nancy in 1995. We raised our two children where they attended Petoskey schools.
Q: Have you ever run for public office before?
A: This is the first public office I have run for, though I have worked with elected and appointed officials throughout my career at the road commission. I am currently serving on the board of directors for the statewide liability self-insurance pool for road commissions in which my peers elected me for the position.
Q: Why are you running for office?
A: After serving the road commission for 27 years, I am retiring in August. I have gained support from so many people throughout Emmet County, I feel it is time to give my time serving the residents as county commissioner.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county today? What could the county government do better?
A: Being involved with hiring workers, Emmet County has a definite need for affordable housing. Working people have a difficult time finding an affordable place to live. Emmet County is a beautiful place to live. People from all over the state and surrounding states want to own a piece of property in Emmet County. That drives up the price for the everyday worker. There are programs available that can help in attracting developments that offer housing that a working person can afford. I hope to be part of that solution to help our local businesses attract workers.
Q: What are the county’s greatest strengths? What is the county doing well?
A: Although the road commission is separate from the direct oversight of Emmet County, I have had the opportunity to work with most of the departments of the county. I know there are very professional people in all departments that have the best interest of the public as their core value.
Q: What will be your top priorities, if elected?
A: The duties of a commissioner is not to run the day-to-day operations of the county. A commissioner is elected to represent the constituents of the district they represent. I understand the duties include helping to set policy, general oversight of the budget, hiring the administrator to oversee day-to-day operations and to appoint members to various committees among other duties. I plan on using my background to get on committees to assist the county and other agencies in keeping Emmet County a desirable place to live. I feel my experience dealing with all areas of the county makes me uniquely qualified to be commissioner. I would appreciate the support of the voters in District 5.
The primary election takes place on Aug. 2. More information on Emmet County's election can be found at www.emmetcounty.org/officials-departments/county-clerk/elections.
Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Emmet County commissioner 5th district candidate Q&A
