Two Incumbents, One Newcomer Running for Two City Seats
By Karen Gould

Dan Wightman

Two incumbents and one newcomer will vie for two city council seats Tuesday, May 8, while other city officials are running unopposed.

Aldermen Armand "Smi" Horn and Dan Wightman seek reelection to three-year posts and Sam Barnwell aims to unseat one of them.

Council members are paid $35 for each meeting and meet every other week. They are also appointed to several city committees.

Running unopposed for oneyear terms are Margaret Doud, who is running for her 32nd term as mayor, Karen Lennard, who seeks her fourth term as city clerk, Rick Linn, on the ballot for his third term as treasurer, Ron Dufina, running for the 25th year as supervisor, and Robert Benser, who is seeking his ninth year as assessor.

CITY COUNCIL Armand "Smi" Horn

Smi Horn, who is seeking his eighth term on the city council, began service to Mackinac Island at the age of 18, when he jointed the fire department in 1950. He was the fire chief for 11 years.

"If you're going to live in a community," said Mr. Horn, "you should try to support the community as best you can."

Armand 'Smi' Horn

He has also served on the school board, the police department, and the ambulance corps and is a member of the medical center board, the cemetery board, and the ad hoc Master Plan Committee. He is also mayor pro tempore and fills in for Mayor Margaret Doud when required.

His committee assignments include Public Safety, Ordinances, Finance, Buildings and Grounds, Housing, Streets and Sidewalks, Traffic, and Recreation.

"Volunteering in the community," he said, "is very important."

Mackinac Island depends on tourism, he said, and he is concerned about visitor traffic this year, afraid that it will decline because of the depressed state economy.

"Are we going to have enough guests to support the community?" he asks.

He said he remains hopeful.

Important to the city is the revision of its master plan, and once completed, he said, "we can look to the next phase of planning," such as ordinance review.

"The master plan revision is in progress and we are a bit behind schedule," he said, "but we are working very hard to get back on schedule."

Sam Barnwell

Mr. Horn was born on Mackinac Island and he and his wife, Shirley ("Mickey"), have six children, one living on the Island, three in St. Ignace, one in Harbor Springs, and one in Denver, Colorado. He has been employed by Mackinac Island Carriage Tours since 1947.

In the next five to 10 years, he said, Island growth will come from residential condominium development and employee housing. He also believes new condominiums and hotel development will put a strain on the sewer facility.

As the water and sewer treatment capacities approach their limits, the city restricts the number of homes and businesses that can be built each year. It is estimated that capacity could be reached in four more years.

One consideration under discussion by the master plan committee is whether the sewer facility should be enlarged. Islanders have voiced concerns with over development and the expense of expansion at two public hearings. Mr. Horn said more patience is required before making a decision.

"At this time," he said, "we should wait until [2011] to see where we are at with our capacity."

Margaret Doud Mayor

He said another concern with enlarging the facility is that there isn't much private land left for development on the Island.

Mr. Horn also looks to the completion of the master plan to begin revising city zoning ordinances.

"Right now we have some conflict's with zoning," he said, "and we should be able to correct them when the master plan is updated."

Already having served 21 years on the city council, Mr. Horn said he continues to enjoy the work and responsibility.

"We work together and solve problems," he said, "and make the city work the best it can for the entire community."

Dan Wightman

Dan Wightman considers himself the "mechanical member" of the city council. As a 27-year employee with Edison Sault Electric Company of Sault Ste. Marie, he works on a daily basis with the electric grid and with the telephone and cable television companies. If someone is digging somewhere, he's involved, and he has become a resource for the city.

Rick Linn Treasurer

Seeking his second term as an aldermen, Mr. Wightman finds council work interesting, a learning experience, and more involved than he thought. Maintaining the Island's $2.2 million budget by weighing taxes with needed expenses is a balancing act and a challenge, he said.

Whether a request for money is large or small, he said, to the person coming before Council, "the request is the most important thing in the community. We have to find an answer to all of them."

Having just approved a new budget for a fiscal year that began April 1, Mr. Wightman said the city's finances are in good shape owing to a lot of hard work, effort, and cooperation by all city employees.

"It's a pretty good place to live," he observes.

Mr. Wightman was born on Mackinac Island and he and his wife, Kathi, live in his grandfather's house. The couple has two daughters, Danielle and Jennifer.

He serves as the captain on the Mackinac Island Fire Department.

"Everybody has to do their part to give back to the community," he said, "I want to do my part."

Ron Dufina Supervisor

As an aldermen, Mr. Wightman serves on several committees, including Airport and Transportation, Public Health, Buildings and Grounds, Chamber of Commerce and Island Activities, and Solid Waste. He also sits in on other committees when a member is sick or out of town.

The major issues facing Mackinac Island in the next five or 10 years are anyone's guess, he said, but being fiscally responsible with taxpayers' money, while making the Island a place where people can afford to live and operate a business, Mr. Wightman said, is important.

Those who chose to live all year on the Island know it is more expensive than living on the mainland, he said, simply by having to ship groceries and supplies on a boat or plane, and then on a dray.

Affordable housing is a concern for year-around residents, he noted, and he believes the Edgewood affordable housing project in Harrisonville has helped ease some of the need.

Mr. Wightman is concerned that the state's poor economic climate could effect Island housing, property values, and taxes.

"A lot of homes on the Island are second homes," he said, and with the state's economic downturn, he wonders how many of those homes may soon end up on the market. If more homes are put up for sale, prices could drop, and so would tax revenue to the city.

Karen Lennard Clerk

Mr. Wightman serves on the Master Plan Committee and notes that while the group has not met over the winter, "a fair amount is going on behind the scenes," including work on maps that will show the potential for future development on the Island. With the maps in place, he said, the committee can address street traffic concerns and future utility needs.

Sewer capacity on the Island is limited and residents should be given the opportunity to vote if the facility should be increased in size, he said, because "they will be the ones to pay for it."

He said other utilities, including electric and cable, already have been designed to handle more capacity.

Once the master plan revisions are complete, the ordinance committee will be able to review ordinances to insure they reflect the desires expressed in the master plan. He said ordinances should be fair and enforceable.

"A master plan is never done," he said. "As soon as we get this one done, it probably will be time to start on the next revision."

Sam Barnwell

Finding a way to increase tourism, said Sam Barnwell, is one of the big issues the Island now faces. The Island has many attractive features, and finding a way to convey that message to tourists will translate into increased job opportunities for year-around residents and, ultimately, will enhance services the city provides to the community, he said.

The natural beauty of the area, hiking and riding trails, great golf courses, rich history, well designed attractions, great dining experiences, and a wide variety of sleeping accommodations can be found on the Island, he said. Communicating these characteristics along with the Island's emergency service capabilities, the quality of care at the medical center, and the low crime rate, he said, make the Island "a very attractive destination.

"We have to focus on ways to make it more welcoming for tourists," said Mr. Barnwell, "and, thereby, enhance our community by this support."

Mr. Barnwell holds a bachelor's degree in business, with an emphasis on tourism and hospitality, from the University of Denver. He is serving his second year on the board of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau. He recently completed requirements for a paramedic license and he has a culinary degree from Grand Rapids Community College.

He spent summers on the Island visiting his grandparents, Sam and Margaret McIntire, and his mother, Becki Barnwell, also spent her summers on the Island while growing up. Mr. Barnwell moved to the Island in 2003 and has worked as the night manager at his family's Iroquois Hotel.

He joined the Mackinac Island Ambulance Corps as an emergency medical technician in 2004, and organized a successful fund-raising dinner at which $92,000 was pledged to replace the Island's 20-year old ambulance.

More affordable, single-family housing remains a concern and is necessary to maintain a viable, year-around community, said Mr. Barnwell. While small steps have been taken in that direction, when compared to the number of condominium units and seasonal homes that have been built, he said, it is "barely a drop in the bucket."

Employee housing, said Mr. Barnwell, is a sensitive issue in the community. Seasonal employee housing is intermixed with single-family homes. He suggests that employers remind staff that the Island also is a community of families.

"It is important the employers uphold their responsibility to the community by insisting that their employees behave properly and respect their neighbors' property and quality of life," he said. "Most employers try. It's an ongoing process."

Housing development, whether single-family homes, employee housing, or condominium development, has an impact on the Island's sewer plant capacity, he said. If property owners who now have a septic system convert to the Island's sewer system, the current facility would not be sufficient to meet the needs of the community, he said.

Island residents, and not just city council, should decide through a vote if the sewer facility should be expanded, Mr. Barnwell said.

Decisions made on community growth and development, he said, are guided by the master plan. Once completed, the revised master plan will address the impact of development on future tourism, high-density housing, and harbor development. Good communication between the city, business community, state park, and residents is essential in providing a master plan that reflects the direction that Island residents intend for the future of the Island, said Mr. Barnwell.

OTHER CITY OFFICES Margaret Doud, mayor

Margaret Doud was reared on the Island and, until the ninth grade, she attended Thomas Ferry School before transferring to St. Mary's Academy in Monroe. Following graduation, she attended Central Michigan University, where she earned a degree in education. She taught kindergarten at the school here and was appointed to city council in 1974. A year later she was elected mayor.

She helped organize the Mackinac Island Community Foundation and continues to serve on the board of directors.

She and her mother, Jeannette Doud, operate the Windermere Hotel and the Dog House snack bar.

"It is an honor to serve all residents of the Island," she said, "and I will listen to their wishes."

Karen Lennard, city clerk

As the city clerk, Karen Lennard is responsible for processing payroll and paying bills. She also prepares the agenda for City Council, records Council meeting minutes, and handles correspondence on Council's behalf. Other duties include preparing temporary motor vehicle permits, trailer permits, and business license applications for Council's consideration, and running city, school, state, and national elections.

"We can have as few as one election per year, or, as in my first year, there were five elections in nine months," she said.

"It is an honor to be the clerk," said Mrs. Lennard, who finds working with Island business owners, the mayor, Council members, and city staff a positive experience.

"There is always someone able and willing to help, if help is warranted," she said.

Mrs. Lennard and her husband, Gary, have been Island residents since the fall of 2000. Before moving here, they owned businesses in Monroe, where she ran a travel agency and he practiced law.

When she first arrived on the Island, Mrs. Lennard worked part-time at the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau as an assistant to then director Len Trankina.

"I feel like I'm being an asset to the community," said Mrs. Lennard, "because I help every single person I can."

Rick Linn, treasurer

Rick Linn has a degree in accounting and is one term paper away from a Master of Business Administration degree. He also is the Island's only paramedic.

Mr. Linn has lived on the Island since 1993 and, before that, he worked summers here for 15 years. He grew up in St. Louis, Michigan, and earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Central Michigan University. His graduate work also is at CMU.

"I never thought I'd use my accounting degree on Mackinac Island," said Mr. Linn.

He first was elected in 2005 to a position that is responsible for collecting taxes and maintaining city accounts.

While basic accounting requirements remain unchanged, he said the way accounts are now reported and advances in computer programs add a challenge to the position. Auditors seek more consistency in information, said Mr. Linn, and they are encouraging more standardized reports, regardless of the size of the community.

With new software that improves accounting capabilities, he is moving the various city accounts to the same program. This will allow the city to do more of its own accounting work, he said, and will shorten the auditing process. Having up-to-date and easily accessible and understandable reports also will help give the city a good credit rating, he said.

He also is working to improve the flow of data between the city clerk, the mayor's assistant, and the finance committee, which will improve communications and ensure everyone has the latest financial information.

"I love my job," he said. "I enjoy number crunching and the theories about why you have to do something a specific way."

Over the last year, employing his philosophy that "no one should be indispensable," Mr. Linn has been writing a job manual detailing the duties of the treasurer. The project is almost done, he said. In the manual, he explains how to do everything related to the treasurer's position, including forms to fill out and contact information. The manual will also serve as a reference for auditors.

Mr. Linn said he didn't need his accounting degree when he decided to be a paramedic, but being the city treasurer "has been the perfect opportunity to use it."

Ron Dufina, supervisor

The only remaining function of the city supervisor, said Ron Dufina, is to sit on the Board of Review.

"You have to understand taxation," he said, noting the requirements of the position.

The board is responsible for reviewing complaints filed by property owners about the assessment of their property. Sitting on the Board of Review with Mr. Dufina are Mayor Margaret Doud and the elected city assessor, Robert Benser.

This year, the taxable value on Island property, like other taxing units in Michigan, rose 3.7 percent, he said, which is the highest increase since 1994 and represents the rate of inflation. Because of the increase, he expected residents to complain, although they did not.

In Michigan, homestead property assessments are capped at no more than the rate of inflation, a move passed by voters as part of Proposal Athat prevents people on limited or fixed incomes from being taxed off of their property because of escalating values. So there are two figures taxpayers see on their tax bills: Taxable Value, which is the capped assessment on which they pay taxes, and State Equalized Value (SEV), which is the actual assessment and should be half of what the property would actually sell for on the open market. The SEV increases as property values on the Island increase, but the Taxable Value can only be increased by the rate of inflation, which this year was 3.7 percent.

As long as a homesteader owns the property, he will pay taxes based on the Taxable Value, but once the property is sold, the Taxable Value cap is lifted and it will be the same as the SEV. The new owner will then have his assessment capped, but at the new, higher value.

This, Mr. Dufina says, poses a problem for families, because when parents convey their property to their children, the children have to pay taxes based on the uncapped assessment, and they may not be able to afford that.

"If you live in the house the rest of your life," he said, "the tax rate is good."

But inherited property may come with a high tax bill.

Mr. Dufina said all property information used to be kept on index cards, but the data is now computerized and both residential and commercial reassessments are an on-going process.

Like his father and grandfather, Mr. Dufina was born and reared on the Island. He and his wife, Mary, own the Village Inn Restaurant, Pontiac Lodge, and the Balsam Shop, plus businesses in St. Ignace, Mackinaw City, and Pellston.

He has also served on the Mackinac Island Board of Public Works for 15 years.

Through his businesses, Mr. Dufina has been involved in the tourist industry since 1972. The decline in tourism impacts the future of businesses on the Island and reduces sales tax revenue to the state. The drop in tourism, he said, can lead to decline in commercial property values on the Island as businesses close.

"I believe it has already affected the values," he said.

The state needs to promote tourism and it needs to invest more money in that promotion, said Mr. Dufina, who has promoted such efforts in Lansing. Since 2002, he has collected $31,000 less in sales taxes for the state then in the previous five-year period, a result of the decline in tourism.

For every dollar spent in tourism promotion, $3.43 comes back to the state treasury, said Mr. Dufina. Last year, the state spent $13.2 million to promote tourism.

"We need $40 million to promote the state," he said. "Michigan is not a drivethrough state, it is a destination state."

Robert Benser, assessor

As the elected assessor, Robert Benser sits on the Board of Review. The assessing, or appraisal of residential and commercial property on Mackinac Island, is done by Joseph Stakoe of Petoskey, under contract with the City of Mackinac Island.