TRAVERSE CITY -- A flood of candidates for Garfield Township's Board of Trustees signals an abrupt change to a 30-year election tradition of lean ballots with few choices.
Every elected office in Grand Traverse County's most populous municipality is contested in the Aug. 5 Republican Primary, with 16 candidates vying to fill seven board seats.
"I've lived in the township since 1970 and I don't ever remember this many people running for township office," said supervisor candidate Chuck Korn. "I think there have been too many issues lately that have people up in arms."
Korn will face incumbent Supervisor Lee Wilson in the Republican primary. Wilson said openings on the board always draw candidates, but in his 31 years as supervisor he's never seen a case in which all of the board members faced opposition.
Wilson said he has "no idea" why so many people are running. If the public's unhappy with the board "I haven't heard it," Wilson said.
Several of the challengers, however, said Garfield residents are concerned about township officials' handling of a number of issues.
Residents cite rising taxes, the hiring of board trustee Joe McManus as deputy supervisor -- McManus was hired for a newly created position without the job being posted or other potential candidates interviewed -- and the messy handling of former Treasurer Judy McManus' extended leaves of absence and eventual resignation.
"I think we need a change. Some of the trustees have been on the board 30-plus years," said trustee candidate Denise Schmuckal.
Korn said he's troubled by how almost all township board votes are unanimous and made with little open debate.
"I think all the discussion is taking place outside of the meetings and the vote is just for protocol," he said.
Trustee candidate Kathryn Wilson, Lee Wilson's ex-wife, said the large number of candidates "speaks volumes" about the public's displeasure with the current board.
Her candidacy, and how the campaign plays out with the two Wilsons' involvement, adds to the election intrigue.
Lee and Kathryn Wilson went through a bitter, public divorce that included a sheriff's department probe of Lee Wilson, based on Kathryn Wilson's alleged discovery of child pornography on his home computer and adult pornography that was found on his township computer.
Lee Wilson was not charged with a crime. He blamed the pornographic images on e-mail spam.
Both Wilsons said they would treat each other professionally during the campaign if they end up serving on the board together, though each prefers the other lose their race.
For complete coverage of the Aug. 5 primary and November general election, including national election news, see record-eagle.com/2008election.
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