Commissioner candidates address county issues, jail needs

GAYLORD — All of the candidates for Otsego County commissioner in the Aug. 6 primary are Republicans. Voters in districts 2, 5, 6, 7 and 9 will select one of them to become the GOP nominee in the November election.

Since there are no Democratic Party candidates and unless there is a successful write-in campaign, the winners from the Aug. 6 election will likely take a seat on the Otsego County Board of Commissioners in January 2025.

The Gaylord Herald Times invited all of the candidates in competitive districts to respond to a series of questions selected by the paper, which reserved the right to edit the responses to account for space limitations, proper use of grammar and Associated Press style guidelines.

Some of the candidates responded and below are their responses to the questions:

District 2

Kevin Drummond

Q: Describe your background (educational achievements, work history, how long you lived in the area and if you are an incumbent).

A: I was born in Holland, Michigan, and I come from a family of 13. My father passed away at the age of 40 resulting in my mother raising all of us on her own. It taught me a lot about the importance of family, faith and dedication. I have worked for over 35 years in retail management.

My wife Jackie and I moved to Gaylord in 2000 with our growing family of six and now nine, counting grandchildren. We have raised our children in this wonderful community and are very proud to call this area home. I have been actively involved in the community, serving as a past board member for the chamber of commerce and United Way along with being a current board member for Otsego County Shop with a Cop and our EMS. I am a Rotarian and past recipient of the Daune Weiss Memorial Business Person of the Year award.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county today and what can county government do better?

A: Keeping taxes reasonable, managing the growth of our county, while keeping an economic environment where all can work for their own brighter future, and providing the services necessary for our community.

Q: Does the county need a new jail?

A: Absolutely. Our jail does not and has not met the needs for the county. The jail must be constructed in a way that is as cost effective as possible. Every taxpayer dollar is hard earned and must be respected, appreciated and spent wisely.

The incumbent commissioner in District 2, Henry Mason, did not respond.

Meanwhile in District 5, incumbent Jason Clement and challenger Timothy Miller also did not respond.

District 6

Michael Kamyszek

Q: Describe your background (educational achievements, work history, how long you lived in the area and if you are an incumbent).

A: I was born in Alpena and my parents had eight children. We were brought up to be frugal. My wife Tammy and I have been married for 44 years. We have three children and God has also blessed us with five granddaughters. My wife and I relocated to St. Ignace in 2002 so I could become manager of the Griffin Beverage Company. I held that position for over 20 years. One very important thing I learned in those years is how to not spend others' money. My wife and I moved to Gaylord in 2022 to be closer to our children and granddaughters.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county today and what can county government do better?

A: I would rate the condition of county roads as being one of the biggest challenges in Bagley Township. County and township governments must come together and work out a plan on what must happen to get the roads repaired.

Q: Does the county need a new jail?

A: Every county needs a jail. We must support the sheriff. Constituents must make a decision on the tax increase that will happen with a new building. As taxpayers we must prioritize what we want to spend and where to spend it.

Incumbent Trevor Burroughs, and challengers Cole Muzyl and Christi Sortor did not respond.

District 7

Neil Drzewiecki

Q: Describe your background (educational achievements, work history, how long you lived in the area and if you are an incumbent).

A: I am 45 and was raised in Gaylord. My family roots go back to the area on my paternal side to 1948 and my maternal side to the early 1900s. I am proud to call Gaylord and Otsego County home. I graduated from Gaylord Community Schools in 1997 and went to Alma College, pursuing a degree in Business Administration/Communications, graduating in 2001. I have worked in our family businesses from a young age and have been a local business owner since 2002. I have owned my own insurance agency in Gaylord since 2018. I have been married to Katie for 17 years and have two daughters attending Gaylord High School. I am lifelong parishioner at Gaylord St. Mary Cathedral.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county today and what can county government do better?

A: The biggest issues facing Otsego County are balancing growth, county services and keeping taxes at a reasonable level. It takes experience, leadership, time and education to make important decisions that affect the residents of the county. Part of what makes Otsego County a great and desirable place to live is all of the great services offered to our residents. One thing that the county can do better is communicate and be more transparent. Our county administrator, Matt Barresi, has done a great job of helping in both of these areas. I would welcome the opportunity to work with him and continue that work.

Q: Does the county need a new jail?

A: I am in support of a new jail for the county. Our current jail was built in the late 1960s when my dad was returning from Vietnam. Otsego County has obviously changed a lot since that time. Our current jail system is not able to meet the needs of the county and has not been able to for many years. I am a firm supporter of law and order as I have family in law enforcement. We need to explore options to build a jail that will take care of our needs now as well as in the future. Unfortunately the longer we wait to address the issue the more costly it will be to ultimately build.

In District 7, challengers Neal Gray and Frank Mazzella did not respond. The incumbent, Doug Johnson, decided not to seek another term.

District 9

Rob Weaver

Q: Describe your background (educational achievements, work history, how long you lived in the area and if you are an incumbent).

A: I was born in Tacoma when my father was in the military. I grew up in the Detroit suburb of Berkley. My parents moved up to Grayling right after I got out of high school. I also moved up here and got an associate degree from Kirtland Community College and then a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University.

I am married to Connie and all of our children grew up in Gaylord. I have worked in radio in Northern Michigan as an on-air personality, program director and station manager. I have been living full time in Gaylord since 1988.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the county today and what can county government do better?

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A: Gaylord and the county continue to grow as the area's central location off of I-75 makes it an appealing location. We also have a tourism bureau and chamber of commerce that highlights the natural beauty and other amenities that make the area an ideal vacation and residential destination.

We have quality schools, excellent law enforcement, fire and rescue services along with many health care options. We also offer a good airport, the Sportsplex, the county commission on aging, the library and good shopping.

All of this can produce challenges including outgrowing services, rebuilding county roads and the availability of affordable housing while trying to maintain and protect the area's natural resources. We must also be aware of decisions that affect the tax burden.

As far as what the county can do better, those of us who are put into a position to help make all of this work have to do two things: listen to all sides and respect opposing views and do our homework and ask questions and work with the other commissioners and administrator to make the best decisions we can. Everyone is not going to agree on everything so compromise is an important tool.

Q: Does the county need a new jail?

A: The current jail was built in 1967 and then a few more beds were added in the 1980s. With the county's continued growth the current jail is being pushed to its limits. It is constantly overcrowded and the structure is cramped and deteriorating. It's been a problem for years and it is not going away. So yes we need a new jail. Past proposals have been turned down because of size and expense. The problem is how big should a new jail be and how do we pay for it.

Incumbent Kyle Yohe did not respond.

— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.