17 competing for 4 offices in Elmwood Twp.

By Melissa Domsic
mdomsic@record-eagle.com

May 17, 2008 04:00 am

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GREILICKVILLE -- Elmwood Township voters will have their choice of candidates for each township office in the Aug. 5 primary.

Seventeen people filed for township offices, including Supervisor Derith Smith and three challengers for that post.

"I think it's wonderful that we have so much interest," Smith said. "That's how local government is supposed to work, lots of participation."

The deadline to file for candidacy was Tuesday.

Smith, a Republican, is running for her second term. She's up against Republicans Jack Kelly and John Naymick. Donald Barrows, who filed as a Republican precinct delegate, is running as a Democrat.

Smith said she'd like to continue working on projects such as the Greilickville harbor park, marina and DeYoung Natural Area improvements.

"It's an exciting time to be in local government I think because we're all working on putting our heads together to be more responsive to the public and be more cost-effective," Smith said.

Kelly is the zoning administrator and planner in Kalkaska County and formerly served as chairman of the Elmwood Township planning commission.

He's unhappy with current leadership and hopes to heal "deep divisions" that exist in the township.

"I want to restore trust in government and pride in being an Elmwood Township resident," Kelly said. "I will bring true transparency and accountability."

Naymick, who served as supervisor from 1984 to 2000, wants to restore the sense of community.

"We have a couple of groups trying to push their views through at the expense of everybody else," he said. "The everyday taxpaying residents of Elmwood Township basically are being left out of the equation ... and I'm trying to get them back in."

Naymick's wife, Kathleen Naymick, filed as a Republican for treasurer.

Barrows did not return calls for comment. His wife, Mary Barrows, is running as a Republican for trustee.

Donald Barrows is appealing a 2006 jury decision in a defamation suit filed by Smith. A jury ruled that he and two other township residents had to pay damages for an anti-Smith mailing sent during her 2004 run for office. Barrows was ordered to pay $45,000 in non-economic damages and $4,000 for Smith's 2008 campaign expenses, but his appeal is scheduled for July.

Elmwood Township August primary ballot

Supervisor (choose 1, four-year term):
Donald Barrows (D)
Jack Kelly (R)
John Naymick (R)
Derith Smith, incumbent (R)

Trustees (choose 4, four-year term):
Mary Barrows (R)
David Darga (R)
Nancy Doughty (R)
Donald Gallagher (D)
Terry Lautner, incumbent (R)
John Richards (R)
Erik Saxon (R)
Paul Walter, incumbent (R)

Clerk (choose 1, four-year term):
Diane Hubert (R)
Connie Preston, incumbent (R)

Treasurer (choose 1, four-year term):
Wendy Barker (R)
Kathleen Naymick (R)
Debbie Street, incumbent (R)