Community sounds off about mayoral election
Betsy Woodruff
Issue date: 10/22/09 Section: News
Lee Raymond has worked part-time at Volume One Books in downtown Hillsdale on and off since 1993. He has long, coarse brown hair, a few letters tattooed across his knuckles, and three earrings dangling from his left earlobe. He is 36, he lives in Jonesville, and said he does not care at all about the mayoral election.
"A lot of people feel it's not going to make a difference," he said. "I just try to get by."
He doesn't know who's running.
Raymond's attitude is not unusual.
Small turnouts have disappointed Park Hayes, the city clerk, for years.
"We just want to somehow increase participation among registered voters, because our turnouts have not been that good," he said.
In the last election, two years ago, eleven percent of registered voters participated.
"If we would have even a 25 percent turnout, that would be wonderful, comparatively," he said.
He then pointed out that even 25 percent would be disappointingly small.
"We'd really like people to make the effort," he said. "They have thirteen hours to vote."
He worries that bad weather may keep some voters away, as the election will be on Nov. 3.
"It could be snowing or icy or Lord knows what all," he said.
Hayes also speculated that apathy might play a role in the small turnouts.
"They might believe that their vote doesn't matter," he said.
Not everyone in Hillsdale is apathetic, though.
At Gelzer's Hardware Store, Keith Spence, a 51-year-old longtime Hillsdale resident, told The Collegian he plans to vote for Doug Moon, a member of the city council who is running for mayor. Their daughters go to school together, and he didn't know who the other candidate is.
Kathy Newell, 57, an employee at the Blossom Shop and a lifelong Hillsdale resident, supports Tony Vear, a member of the planning commission.
"Just from knowing Tony, I think he'll do a good job," she said.
He works at Mains Importing on Industrial Drive, and their businesses interact.
Mayor Michael Sessions also supports Tony Vear.
In an e-mail to his supporters, Sessions described Vear as a "dedicated public servant." He also emphasized that since Vear works in the city of Hillsdale, while Moon works half an hour away in Coldwater, he is better equipped to respond quickly to city issues.
Even though Vear is not on the city council, as a member of the planning commission he has played an important role in policy formation, according to Sessions.
"Vear has been on the frontlines of policymaking," he said.
Sessions was also puzzled by one of Moon's votes on a zoning issue. When the city council voted to rezone the hospital property as a hospital zone instead of a residential zone, Moon was one of two council members who opposed the change.
"You can't have a hospital zoned as a residence in a city and expect the hospital to not have problems expanding," he said.
Vear supported the rezoning of the hospital.
"A lot of people feel it's not going to make a difference," he said. "I just try to get by."
He doesn't know who's running.
Raymond's attitude is not unusual.
Small turnouts have disappointed Park Hayes, the city clerk, for years.
"We just want to somehow increase participation among registered voters, because our turnouts have not been that good," he said.
In the last election, two years ago, eleven percent of registered voters participated.
"If we would have even a 25 percent turnout, that would be wonderful, comparatively," he said.
He then pointed out that even 25 percent would be disappointingly small.
"We'd really like people to make the effort," he said. "They have thirteen hours to vote."
He worries that bad weather may keep some voters away, as the election will be on Nov. 3.
"It could be snowing or icy or Lord knows what all," he said.
Hayes also speculated that apathy might play a role in the small turnouts.
"They might believe that their vote doesn't matter," he said.
Not everyone in Hillsdale is apathetic, though.
At Gelzer's Hardware Store, Keith Spence, a 51-year-old longtime Hillsdale resident, told The Collegian he plans to vote for Doug Moon, a member of the city council who is running for mayor. Their daughters go to school together, and he didn't know who the other candidate is.
Kathy Newell, 57, an employee at the Blossom Shop and a lifelong Hillsdale resident, supports Tony Vear, a member of the planning commission.
"Just from knowing Tony, I think he'll do a good job," she said.
He works at Mains Importing on Industrial Drive, and their businesses interact.
Mayor Michael Sessions also supports Tony Vear.
In an e-mail to his supporters, Sessions described Vear as a "dedicated public servant." He also emphasized that since Vear works in the city of Hillsdale, while Moon works half an hour away in Coldwater, he is better equipped to respond quickly to city issues.
Even though Vear is not on the city council, as a member of the planning commission he has played an important role in policy formation, according to Sessions.
"Vear has been on the frontlines of policymaking," he said.
Sessions was also puzzled by one of Moon's votes on a zoning issue. When the city council voted to rezone the hospital property as a hospital zone instead of a residential zone, Moon was one of two council members who opposed the change.
"You can't have a hospital zoned as a residence in a city and expect the hospital to not have problems expanding," he said.
Vear supported the rezoning of the hospital.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Joy Pavelski
posted 10/23/09 @ 10:39 AM EST
The story, overall, would have benefited from a graf or two explaining/contrasting the main contenders for mayor directly, rather than through scattered anecdotal facts. (Continued…)
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