The rumors are true. Dan Travis is leading a full slate of candidates for Independence Township Board.
‘You’ve elected me seven times as a trustee and I am here to tell you tonight, not again. No, I am going to run for township supervisor,? said Travis at a kickoff event Monday at Clarkston Caf?. ‘The need for change is too great.?
Joining Travis? team is incumbent Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen, and challengers Jeff McGee for treasurer, and Neil Wallace, Bart Clark, Terri Nallamouthu, and David Lohmeier for trustee.
One of their goals will be to hire a professional manager or superintendent to help run the township. This would mean reducing supervisor, clerk, and treasurer positions from full- to part-time, Travis said.
‘This will come at no additional cost to the community residents and the tax payers,? he said.
McGee said he can run the treasurer’s office as a part-time official.
‘We’re here to say ‘I don’t need to do this for the job.? I don’t think anybody who’s on this slate needs to do it for the job,? he said. ‘We’re here to do it because we care about the community. We’re willing to put our money where our mouth is.?
Nallamouthu said she is excited to be on the team.
‘We look to get Independence back on its feet and control growth here,? she said. ‘We’re happy to see things come to the township, we just want to keep a handle on it and what shows up in the township.?
Lohmeier said he did a lot of ‘soul searching? to see if was up for the challenge.
‘I feel that the challenges we’ve got here in Independence far outweigh the personal sacrifice,? he said. ‘We are a wonderful community to live in. We should never forget that everybody here and our neighbors have chosen to make this our home.?
VanderVeen also had doubts about joining the slate.
‘I looked at Neil and said ‘I really need to know who’s on this slate,? and I was thinking I would give it some thought, go home and sleep on it. When he told me who was on this slate, I said ‘I’m in.??
Wallace said he wants to get the township back on track through broad citizen particpation.
‘It is through that kind of participation that we can develop the leaders for the future of this community,? he said.