Beaver Island -- One Island, One Community, One Township

[Angel Welke]

"Beaver Island Residents to Cast Historic Vote in May" is a recent headline in Michigan History Magazine (March / April 2018, page 10). Friday an article in the Petoskey News stated, “Voters on Beaver Island will participate in a historic vote on Tuesday, May 8, asking whether the island’s two townships should be consolidated into one.” This certainly is a historic, major, meaningful, and significant time for all of Beaver Island – voters, residents, summer home owners, visitors, and future generations. We have the opportunity on Tuesday May 8 to decide what direction the future of Beaver Island is taking.

How important is this for Beaver Island? Since January 2018 there have been at least 26 posts on the Beaver Island Forum on this topic with over 111,400 views. Yes, over one hundred thousand views! This is one of the most important undertakings in decades on Beaver Island. There has been discussion about consolidation on Beaver Island for generations. It is time for us now in 2018 to make a decision that will impact and improve our home for future generations.

I have heard one statement over and over these past few months, “We do not need to consolidate because we already act like one township.” If that is the case, if we are already acting as a unified, consolidated entity LET’S MAKE IT OFFICIAL! Let us become one BEAVER ISLAND! Where do you live? Beaver Island. Has anyone ever answered Peaine Township or St. James Township?! Not likely. We all call Beaver Island home!

In 2017 both Beaver Island township boards approved the "Beaver Island Master Plan" and according to this plan, "The 2017 Beaver Island Master Plan serves as the official policy guide for the Island's future development and growth..." (page 7). On page 130 of the Master Plan consolidation of the two townships into one township government is listed as a "top priority." The Master Plan is a very professional document that provides an excellent strategy for Beaver Island in the coming years. Referring to the statement “We (Beaver Island) are already working as a consolidated entity” my question is: In the five pages of “Action Plan Ideas for Government Action” as listed in the Master Plan, which items are the two townships working on in a consolidated manner? Working on before the vote for consolidation took place? Here are several examples of items with High or Top priority:

• Build a new public boat ramp / launch and new fishing pier
• Provide directional signs to welcome tourists
• Fund a seasonal position to maintain trails
• Look for ways to accommodate bicyclists
• Review regulations for surfaces permitted on waterfront lots to prevent water quality decline
• Provide affordable options for removing junk cars and large debris
• Enforce code violations for blight removal and strengthen code requirements
• Protect dunes
• Identify and fix culverts that are damaging fish migration and health
• Lower minimum building size to enable tiny home development
• Pilot clean energy projects in public buildings
• Improve communication infrastructure for EMS
• Two township should plan together for improvements with a Joint Capital Improvement Plan
• Consolidate the two townships into one township government

The Master Plan was approved unanimously by both township boards. What actions are occurring with both townships working together for the long-term improvement of Beaver Island? Which of these listed (just a few of the items listed in five pages of priorities) are currently in process in a CONSOLIDATED way with both townships? Are any of these?

We have discussed so many issues over the last few months. One comment that has stuck with me, “If we were to establish a settlement on Beaver Island in 2018, would we start with two townships?” Absolutely not. If we understand it is not a way to establish a new community, why not take this opportunity to rectify this? Consolidation is the future of Beaver Island.

Please feel free to contact me to discuss this issue further or if you have any questions: Home 231 448 2374; E-mail angel@islandairways.com; Mobile 231 675 7882

Beaver Island -- One Island, One Community, One Township
Vote Yes on Consolidation on Tuesday May 8, 2018

Angel Welke

[Andy's Grooming Barn]

Angel writes, "I have heard one statement over and over these past few months, “We do not need to consolidate because we already act like one township.” If that is the case, if we are already acting as a unified, consolidated entity LET’S MAKE IT OFFICIAL! Let us become one BEAVER ISLAND! Where do you live? Beaver Island. Has anyone ever answered Peaine Township or St. James Township?! Not likely. We all call Beaver Island home!"



So you want us to consolidate and cost us a bunch of money and have Peaine Township taxes go up just to make it official????? This doesn't make any sense to me.

I also say I live in Michigan but i wouldn't say we should combine all the townships, cities and counties - our government is set up this way for good reasons.

Before living here we lived in Ronald Twp but when asked we would say we lived in Ionia are as this was more reconizable to people, this is the same reason a say Beaver Island as people are more likely to know where that is - not like townships are listed on your mailing address...................

[Wkohls]

Vision for Peaine Township – A total township tax levy of 10 mills or less without reducing services. A levy of 10 mills represents a 14.6% decrease from the current levy of 11.71 mills and an 21.6% decrease from the levy of 12.25 mills that would likely be imposed by a consolidated township.

Be sure to ask proponents of consolidation how they would achieve a 10-mill levy – without slashing funding for services.


Among the many other reasons to VOTE NO . . .

Proponents of consolidation have not made a case for consolidation – Good decisions are rarely made without good information and the proponents of consolidation have not provided any credible information to support their vague claims that consolidation will somehow be good for the Island.

Cost savings will be nil – Consolidation will not automatically result in cost savings. Cost savings will only result from the careful implementation of a comprehensive and, well . . . there is no plan!

The financial benefits of consolidation – if any – will not be shared equitably and Peaine voters must ask themselves if they wish to impose a tax increase on themselves in order to fund a tax decrease for St. James taxpayers. Township property taxes will likely increase by nearly 9% from 11.71 mills to 12.25 mills and could increase by more than 21%. Witness the long list of spending priorities above.

Consolidation should pay for itself and we should not accept reductions in services to pay for consolidation – It seems obvious that consolidation should provide a combination of lower taxes and more services. Nonetheless, the proponents would slash funding for emergency medical services by 43% to help pay for consolidation.

Vote NO on Township Consolidation

[Gillespie]

If anything you two might have been the best advertisement for one township. You've done NOTHING but bash the idea from the start and have NEVER, EVER given one bit of commentary on any positive aspects. That is commonly known as a telling.

Obviously, Ron believes you have made significant contributions, where are they? I recall urgently contacting you when King's Highway was to be replaced to get a application in for bike path money late or not. You dismissed it out of hand that it was too late and so on. It's never too late to try. When the project for the highway was on the list for the coming year my "friends" on the county board asked me if we/they could put it off for 5 years I absolutely rejected the notion out of hand! If we had not had representation we'd still be driving on the same rockpile. Of course we try! Never give up. I learned a lesson there.

Plenty of dialogue has been shared, Angels budget was bashed from moment one. If you were such a great CFO why didn't you come forward and help polish the document instead of spitting on it from the start. Your wife sniffles about her kids buying land because they didn't want St. James property! Those are called subdivisions! In fact, a good many Port St. James lots exist in Peaine along with many many other subdivisions so that doesn't stack. Negativity, that's all you've brought to the table and with hope, the voters will see through it!

Neither of you have made ANY points on the great reasons to remain Peaine except selfishness and pig headedness. People have to reinvent themselves from time to time and do bold things, you've offered nothing. This isn't just about money. I've said to many friends and relatives over many years, "Would you spend 100 dollars for better governance, organization and more progress for Beaver Island?" There was never a no!

You changed the argument to saving Peaine, the debate was about saving Beaver Island. If you do save Peaine it's another nail in the coffin of the island as a whole but, again, it's all about Peaine. For what it's worth I'm pretty ashamed of my St. James relatives who were born and lived most of their lives there before moving outside that township. It's like they turn their backs on a birth right but alas, it is what it is.

We stand to gain ground with the mainland combined, divided we are ineffective and don't have a common thread to share when we might make a stand and "brag" about the size and need of our township with 8+ islands and an enormous amount of State land that needs management and support (money).

Plenty more to say but I'm sure the voters will do now what they will do and hopefully they will do the right thing and merge these townships. This could only be regarded as a failed experiment. I call it 100 years of the slowest progress I could name! We are losing our base, young people, we have nothing to give them, a future, and if we do we are taxing them and others to death! Why don't people care about this?

Instead of a willingness to join together to attempt a savings you painted a picture that nothing can be done. Your are right, "A house divided cannot stand". You just might get your way! The people FOR ONE TOWNSHIP did so because they saw and they knew and know that we are going nowhere! Beaver Island voters, do the right thing, vote for one government on Beaver Island, we have to try something else, the time has come.

The majority of all of us debating this question will be retired soon or are. Think about the future. We will all save money and have a better opportunity for the young and the islands future!

ONE ISLAND-ONE TOWNSHIP-VOTE YES ON CONSOLIDATION!

[Ron Wojan]

Mostly scar tactics Richie. Nothing substantive. If you're ashamed of me for trying to protect Peaine township then you're misguided. Together the two townships have accomplished much. Nothing to be gained by consolidation but a few dollars. Historically , Peaine township was established in 1847. St. James did not come into existence until nearly 50 years later. It begs the question, why did St. James feel that they needed to have their own township? Upon much investigation, no one seems to know the answer for sure but there is much speculation that because ST. James thought they were so different that they needed their own township. They did it. So I guess we can safely say that ST.James is responsible for two townships. As far as we know there was never a Galilie township. Just folklore but you have stated that as fact as you do with so many things. Just because you have been here for so long does not make you an expert on whether or not we should be one township. You are completely ignoring the cultural, human , personal pride, and other human aspects that have made Beaver Island what it is today and you disregard the pride of the residents of both townships Are we to ignore all of that for a little expediency? I think not. This consolidation will fail and then we need to get on with the real business of running this Island like the school, taxes, boat co issues, what relief can we give the non homesteaders, what can be done as a community to mitigate the damage done by this forum, etc. The forum tears away at the fabric of a community and people are already falling through the cracks. You profess that the Island is dying. That's not anywhere near the truth. The school kids have been leaving the Island for generations to find the jobs on the mainland that are just not possible here, They return after much success to make the Island prosper with their check books and their hard work. So please drop that argument. The Island is not dying. Far from that . You represent the townships at the county level and don't go to any township meetings. What's with that? There are many more serious issues of running the Island than consolidation or whether we have one township or two. For instance: How can we inform the taxpayers of the benefits of their taxes? People love Beaver Island for it's unspoiled beauty and the people that live here. What can we do to protect that. This forum is not the way forward. We should all agree that issues should be directly addressed to the proper boards. The forum is nothing more than an adult video game. It is non productive and only causes hard feeling. People should be judged on how much they have done to actually help the progress of the Island over the years. Not how long they have lived here. It's a lot of hard work to have a successful community. Most if it has nothing to do with whether we have one township or two. But I can assure you that you are doing more harm than good. Please consider the good of the Island as a whole and stop thinking you need to save Beaver Island from ourselves. That is not right.

[Gillespie]

Only two things in this ramble bear commenting on Ron. First you need a history lesson, maybe two. Secondly, when, as commissioner, I always let the townships know that I was available to come to a meeting if they requested. Typically that was handled by a question or comment forwarded to me without needing to attend. I attended plenty of meetings as it was. Gave up plenty of my own time to do this where typically mainland commissioners were home in a half hour I would spend the night or the whole day away from my business.

For what it's worth I accomplished many things, some as simple as the water wagon that keeps the dust down to the generator that protects the health center, oh and getting King's Highway paved on schedule (as I mentioned previously they would have held us up 5 years if not for someone being there to represent the island). I did get the transit bus operating on the island although we had paid taxes 15 years prior to that with no bus and gave plenty of aid to the COA and made sure the balance of services were kept up as they were on the mainland. I forgot to add; I got an appropriation vote for 1.5 million dollars for a county garage-transit garage-sheriffs office that was mortally wounded when I lost to Nancy Ferguson in the later primary. Way to protect your interests island friends!

By the way, the last three items mentioned here have been severely cut back. Our current representative on that front has not done an able job supporting the island. I DID file petitions to run for that position again but wanted to wait to announce it until after this election. Let's see how this goes and then how that goes and we'll see if people really do care about the island.