Jim Daly, Martin Marshall run to represent Adrian's east side on Lenawee County board

ADRIAN — Adrian's east-side county commissioner district has the only Democratic Party primary election among the county races on the Aug. 6 ballot.

Attorney Jim Daly and retired county administrator Martin Marshall are running for the District 5 seat on the Lenawee County Board of Commissioners that has been held by Karol "K.Z." Bolton for 22 years. She is not seeking reelection.

No Republicans filed for the position.

The Daily Telegram sent questionnaires to the candidates in the contested races. Below are the responses from Daly and Marshall. Their answers are printed as provided, though they may have been edited for clarity or truncated if the answers exceeded the given word limits.

District 5 covers precincts 1, 2 and 3 in the city of Adrian. It stretches from the northern city limits to U.S. 223 and includes properties east of Main Street along with a section south of West Beecher Street and west of South Main Street, the blocks between Winter and Main streets between Hunt and Nelson streets, and an area around Riverside Park and Crystal Springs Drive.

The District 5 primary is one of six contested primary elections for board of commissioner positions this year. Profiles of the candidates in District 2 , District 3 , and District 4 have been published. The other candidates in contested primaries will be profiled over the next few days.

In-person voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. For all precincts in District 5, early voting will run from July 27 to Aug. 4, including weekends, at the Human Services Building, 1040 S. Winter St. in Adrian. Those hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Absentee ballots may be requested from the Adrian city clerk's office .

County commissioners elected in November will serve four-year terms. That is a statewide change with this year's election. The terms begin Jan. 1.

James Daly

Age: 77

Occupation: Attorney.

Spouse/kids: Wife: Anne Daly; 3 children: Mark Daly, Robert Daly, Joshua Daly.

Government experience: Former United States Army military police, former chairman of the Lenawee County Democratic Party for 12 years, head of reapportion committee for Lenawee County Democratic Party.

Volunteer/community service experience: NAACP’s Leadership Award, Lenawee County Democratic Party Citizen of the Year, pro bono legal services, owned and operated transitional housing in Lenawee County for 20 years with outpatient treatment.

Why are you running for this position? I am running for county commissioner because I believe that I can make a positive change in my community. I have been involved with Lenawee County government for 50 years as a lawyer and advocate. I am well versed in politics and I have lived on the east side of Adrian for over 20 years. (Editor's note: answer truncated.)

What do you think is the main challenge facing the county, and what should be done about it? Homelessness and mental illness are main challenges. By reducing the homelessness and providing treatment for mental illness, our county will have more productive members of society. With my transitional housing program I helped over 1,000 Lenawee County residents with housing and outpatient treatment. The county needs to put resources toward providing people with treatment, and in turn this will reduce crime. We have a potential of 15,000 acres of farmland that will be converted into space for solar energy. In my opinion, we need to protect our agricultural land in this county.

Why should people vote for you? I have lived in Lenawee County for 50 years. I have a broad understanding of how Lenawee County Government works and how it should work. I have had extensive experience with helping people who are homeless and struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues which are significant priorities for Lenawee County to resolve. I have been, and always will be, a voice and an advocate for the people I represent.

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Martin Marshall

Age: 69

Occupation: Retired from employment at Lenawee County.

Spouse/kids: I am married to Tina and we have six children and 17 grandchildren.

Government experience: I worked for Lenawee County for 37 years, the last 12 years as county administrator. I have extensive experience in government administration and finance and understand the obligations and benefits of county government.

Volunteer/community service experience: Throughout my career I participated in professional organizations and associations. I contributed to those organizations by service as an advocate, instructor, board member and officer. I traveled throughout the United States and made international trips to represent the groups. I fully understand the commitment necessary to be a public servant.

Why are you running for this position? I am running for county commissioner because I would like to contribute my experience in administration and finance to my community by serving on the board of commissioners.  I have experience working with other local governments and the many county agencies and would like to continue that service.

What do you think is the main challenge facing the county, and what should be done about it? There are challenges faced by county government and there are challenges faced by our county community as a whole, but I think those challenges intersect with mental health and substance abuse problems. Effectively addressing mental health and substance abuse problems improves the lives of those affected and the overall health of our community.

Effective treatment reduces homelessness, interactions with law enforcement and demand for other county services.  Coordinating action between various agencies delivering services and responding to concerns will improve both efforts. The county commission can assist and support that coordination.

Why should people vote for you ? County services impact the lives of county residents every day. From senior services and veteran assistance to public safety and public health, county programs deliver to meet the needs of our community. I am fully aware of the scope of these services, experienced in their funding and staffing needs, and committed to ensuring these services and many more continue for Lenawee County citizens.

I have and will continue to work with other local governments and agencies in the county to coordinate services, so programs are both effective and cost effective. I will advocate for the needs of District 5.

— Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian .

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Jim Daly, Martin Marshall run to represent Adrian's east side on Lenawee County board