Editor’s Note: Earlier this month, The Citizen e-mailed questions to candidates in Atlas, Brandon and Groveland Townships. The partisan primary election is Aug. 6.
Candidates were limited to 35-word responses. Key: (D) Democrat, (R) Republican and (I) Incumbent.

Brandon Township Supervisor
Name & years in the district: Edward Charles Darbyshire. 35 years in Brandon Township. 64 in

Oakland County. 1989 bought 21.5 Acres of land in Brandon Township. Bought house on Connell Road in 1991. Bought 7.5 Acres 1135 Baldwin Road 2023.
Occupation & government experience: Engineer: BSME degree from Lawrence Institute of Technology 1984, farmer. The decision to run is based the challenges faced when dealing with issues associated with SAD, zoning, tax assessments and township expenditures.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? Would consider a township sewer district for businesses and lakeside property owners. Residents that benefit will need to fund them. Residents have not been willing to pay $20,000 plus with a working septic field.

Name & years in the district: Jayson W. Rumball – I have been in Brandon Township since 1981 (43 years).
Occupation & government experience: Brandon Township Supervisor for the past 4 years, and trustee for 6 years prior to that, 10 years of government experience. I also have a political science concentration on my bachelor’s degree.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? Active in seeking project funding. So far myself, and 3 other local community leaders have received $11 million toward project. Working with Congresswoman McClain, county, state and federal governments seeking any and all funding sources.

Name & years in the district: Kathy Thurman, 37 years in the district

Occupation & government experience: Supervisor for 12 years.  Currently serving as Trustee and give riding lessons a couple hours/week which would allow me to dedicate my time and focus to the job of Supervisor.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? Sewer infrastructure needs to be affordable in the district and should not be paid for by those outside the district. I would research current federal and state funding sources to pursue them for future funding.

Brandon Township Clerk
Name & years in the district: Roselyn Blair, I have lived in Brandon Township for 16 years

Occupation & government experience: Brandon Township Clerk since 2020 to present; Michigan Professional Municipal Clerk 2024; Clerk’s Office 2016 to 2020.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? To collaborate with surrounding jurisdictions. Utilize funding options that are available such as ARPA Funds, EGLE, Department of Agriculture and Water Resource Commission, hoping to relieve as much of a burden as possible to taxpayers.

Name & years in the district: My name is Vicki (LeGendre) Hale and I have

lived in Brandon Township for 39 years.
Occupation & government experience: I have been a personal assistant for 10 years and an active member of the Democratic National Committee since 2007.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? I plan to talk to all necessary departments at the county, state, and national levels to help alleviate the burden of the installment of sewers in Brandon Township.

Brandon Township Treasurer
Name & years in the district: Dana DePalma. I have lived in Brandon Township for 21 years. I moved here in 2003.

Occupation & government experience: I am a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). I have served as a Brandon Township Trustee since April 2011.  I have previously worked in Governmental Accounting and Auditing while working at various CPA firms.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? I support sewers in the designated districts. To ensure the residents and businesses can afford the costs we have been working on using ARPA funds for infrastructure and will continue to work on acquiring funding.

Brandon Township Trustee (Vote for 4)
Name & years in the district: Tony Candiloro. My parents moved to Ortonville in 1972, brought my

home in 1977. My wife Melany and I are BHS graduates, we moved back eight years ago with our two children.
Occupation & government experience:  I’ve been with the company I went to work for after graduating college 25 years ago. I sell additives for concrete, and I am familiar with all aspects of the construction process. No government experience.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses?  I intend to support the work our current supervisor has already done with representatives at the federal level to secure funding from recently passed legislation, and bring hometown roots as we grow into the future.

Name & years in the district: Bob Marshall. I have lived in Brandon Township since 1997.
Occupation & government experience: Two terms as township trustee.  Former Public Safety

Professional (combination police and fire department) for 32 years. I retired with the rank of Detective/Lieutenant. Professor of Criminal Justice for 28 years.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? Currently on the Township Sewer Subcommittee investigating the viability of bringing sewers to the township.  It’s important for residents to understand that the financial burden would not fall to all township residents.

Name & years in the district: Deborah Ross, I have lived in Brandon Township a little over 30 years

Occupation & government experience: My career is in accounting.  I have also been active inside

the Republican Party as a Precinct Delegate since 2020 and currently as the Chair for the 9th Congressional District.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? Whatever funding cannot be secured through county, state or federal grants needs to be approved by the voters. Some type of community forum should be offered to educate voters before they are asked to vote.

Name & years in the district: Scott Strangeland, I’ve lived in Ortonville since 2015 and Brandon

Township since 2020.
Occupation & government experience: Co-owner of Stillwater Stays, a horse and hospitality business on Granger Road, on the Michigan Virtual Charter Academy Board of Directors and the White House, then Governor Engler here in Michigan.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? I will assist my fellow township officials to identify and secure infrastructure and environmental funding at the county, state and federal levels of government.

Name & years in the district: Steven Unruh. I have been a resident of Brandon Township for 21 years.

Occupation & government experience: Real Estate Investor/Agent, Michigan State Police (Ret) U. S. Army Veteran.
A sewer infrastructure is on the horizon for Brandon Township. What is your plan to assure funding options for residents and businesses? To finance the sewer project involves securing grants from both federal and state government sources. Expecting residents to shoulder the financial burden of this initiative would be impractical and unsustainable.

Groveland Township Supervisor
Name & years in the district: Kevin Scramlin, 54 years in Groveland Township.

Occupation & government experience: Township farmer, small business owner.
Attended Farm Bureau advocacy days in Lansing and Washington, D.C. to lobby for my livelihood on numerous occasions. Scramlin Farms hosted Congresswoman Lisa McClain in May 2022. No elected office.
Groveland Township currently utilizes the Michigan State Police for public safety. Would you support a ballot initiative for the Oakland County Sheriff Office to provide public safety? Yes, but, it’s not a choice I can make alone. The board needs to vote to put it on the ballot. Then the final decision making power is in the resident’s hands.

Name & years in the district: Christopher Yuchasz. We moved from Brandon to Groveland 26 years ago this December.

Occupation & government experience: I’m a retired Oakland County Sergeant.
I was a member of the Brandon School board 13 years.
Groveland Township currently utilizes the Michigan State Police for public safety. Would you support a ballot initiative for the Oakland County Sheriff Office to provide public safety?   Of course, if that’s what residents want. I’d prefer to keep our taxes low by not adding large millages. We have pressing matters, BESS, Renaissance Festival, “Mines of Oakland” and controlling growth.

Groveland Township Clerk
Name & years in the district: Jenell Keller, 16 Years in Groveland Township

Occupation & government experience: Clerk, four-plus years in government.

Groveland Township currently utilizes the Michigan State Police for public safety. Would you support a ballot initiative for the Oakland County Sheriff Office to provide public safety? If residents desired to pay for a new public safety provider, and after examining various options and comparing costs OCS was determined to be the best alternative, I would support the initiative.

Groveland Township Treasurer
Name & years in the district: Theresa Bills, 26 years in Groveland
Occupation & government experience: Currently I am the elected Treasurer of Groveland.   I started at the township in 2016 and was elected in 2020.  Prior to that I taught secondary math and science for 28 years.
Groveland Township currently utilizes the Michigan State Police for public safety. Would you support a ballot initiative for the Oakland County Sheriff Office to provide public safety? Assuming the need for a ballot initiative was clearly established, I would support a vote of the people rather than an imposed tax increase in the form of a special assessment with no voter input.

Name & years in the district: Shelly Kidd aka Michelle. I have resided in Groveland for 48 years. I met my husband and raised our children here and our grandson makes up five generations of the Kidd

family in Groveland Twp.
Occupation & government experience: Served Groveland as deputy treasurer and as treasurer, from Mar 2015 – Nov 2020. During the Audit of 2020, it was stated that it was one of the best Audits that Groveland has had.
Groveland Township currently utilizes the Michigan State Police for public safety. Would you support a ballot initiative for the Oakland County Sheriff Office to provide public safety? Yes, if the residents were presented with all the facts of what the true cost of providing this service to our township would be, not someone’s estimation. Absolutely, put it on the ballot for vote.

Groveland Township Trustee (Vote for 2)
Name & years in the district: Jim Christopher, 23 years

Occupation & government experience: Director, Technical Facilities Services Group for the PEA Group, Auburn Hills.
Board of Review; Zoning Board of Appeals; Planning Commissioner; Trustee – Groveland Township
Numerous presentations to Planning Commissions and Building Officials – Various Municipalities
Groveland Township currently utilizes the Michigan State Police for public safety. Would you support a ballot initiative for the Oakland County Sheriff Office to provide public safety? Support the initiative — with an objective and published analysis. Public safety has multiple definitions, in this context my answer is focused on law enforcement leaving the GTFD under Township direction.

Name & years in the district: Gina Muzzarelli, 25 years in Groveland Township.

Occupation & government experience: Retired. Brandon School Board, Groveland township trustee, Zoning Board of Appeals

Groveland Township currently utilizes the Michigan State Police for public safety. Would you support a ballot initiative for the Oakland County Sheriff Office to provide public safety? MSP has served us well. Not spending thousands of dollars on 10 day election process without 50% or more twp household request for service. More interested in contracting with oak.gov for GTFD service at Parks.