Family
My wife NiChol and I have 4 children, one graduated and 3 still attending Alcona High School. I am a 4th generation resident of Alcona County on both sides of my family. We operate a family farm growing black turtle beans, white kidney beans, hay, and corn. Apart from college and some time working on the East coast, our county has been where I have lived all my life.
Future
Alcona County comes from a combination of native American and Greek words meaning a “fine or excellent plain”.
As a farmer I can appreciate those early settlers looking forward to the great opportunity they saw in this fertile undeveloped land. The challenges were real, transitioning from a timber and fishing economy to agriculture and other commerce was a daunting task. But they did it, roads and bridges replaced steamships and railroads as a means of travel and commerce to and from our County. Tourism has become a major boost to our economy and broadband accessibility is as necessary as those old steamships were to a growing community.
As county commissioner I was and will continue to be committed to maintaining and enhancing public safety services that allow a safe environment for residents and students to thrive.
As Chairman I created and will continue to support an EDC committee that has attacked the broadband disparity head on and is now on the verge of one of its original goals of bringing effective broadband access to the entire county. Our challenges remain, not in the form of taming a wild frontier, but in identifying new potential in this “fine, excellent plain” we call Alcona county.
Finances
The ability for the County budget to provide the services necessary to help create this future will be a challenge for the County. State revenue sharing, grants, and payments will undoubtedly be reduced in the coming years, which will put more of the responsibility on our local sources of revenue. I will continue to work hard to get the most bang for your buck.