Lenawee County's next drain commissioner likely will be selected in the Aug. 6 primary election .
Current drain commissioner Jenny Escott is not seeking reelection after serving about nine years in the position. She was appointed in September 2015 after having served as deputy drain commissioner since 1997.
Running to succeed Escott are deputy drain commissioner Ed Scheffler of Macon Township and Jeff Ludlum of Ridgeway Township. Both are running for the Republican Party nomination. No Democrats filed for the position, which means whoever receives the Republican nomination is likely to be elected in November.
The Daily Telegram provided questionnaires to the candidates, and the responses are printed as provided, though they may have been edited for clarity or truncated if the answers exceeded the given word limits. Ludlum did not return his questionnaire, which was dropped off at his home instead of being emailed at his request.
The drain commissioner's office is responsible for the maintenance of 709 drainage districts within the county, according to the office's website. The office also administers and maintains nine sewer systems and four water systems, issues and enforces soil erosion permits, inspects preliminary plats, and maintains the court-ordered lake levels on eight lakes in the county.
In-person voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. Early voting will run from July 27 to Aug. 4, including weekends. All precincts except Fairfield Township can vote early from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Human Services Building, 1040 S. Winter St. in Adrian. Fairfield Township's early voting will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the township office, 1023 Pine St. in Jasper. Absentee ballots are available from township and city clerk's offices.
Edwin Scheffler
Age: 53
Occupation: Deputy drain commissioner/drain superintendent.
Spouse/kids: Wife, Wendy; kids, Faith and Austin.
Government experience: Over 24 years in the drain commissioner’s office; over eight years as deputy drain commissioner.
Volunteer/community service experience: Board of directors for Lenawee County Farm Bureau, Macon Township delegate for River Raisin Watershed Council, representative on the farmer-led group for water quality, advisory committee for the natural resource program at the Lenawee Intermediate School District.
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Why are you running for this position? The drain commissioner is responsible for over 1,500 miles of drains, nine sewer systems and four water systems. It is very important to have a leader with experience to effectively run the office. I have experience in both field operations and office administration and am ready to lead the department into the future.
What do you think is the main challenge facing the drain commissioner's office, and what should be done about it? Providing effective and affordable drain infrastructure while also working to improve water quality. More frequent, intensive weather events as well as the cost of labor and materials are challenges that we need to work around. Through the use of new technology in equipment, surveying and mapping as well as staff training, we can make the department as efficient as possible. We also need to build water quality best management practices into our everyday operations.
Why should people vote for you? I have worked my way through the ranks over the last 24 years, worked on field crew, in the engineering department, drain superintendent since 2008, deputy since 2016. I have the experience, education and licenses necessary to be effective in the position. You can be confident that I am dedicated to providing our constituents the service they deserve and will always strive to improve.
— Contact reporter David Panian at dpanian@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @lenaweepanian .
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Ed Scheffler, Jeff Ludlum on ballot for Lenawee County drain commissioner
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