Mike Trout said he knocked on some 4,500 doors in his quest for the Springfield Township supervisor’s office.
Laura Moreau knocked on about 1,000 township doors as she campaigned for the clerk’s position.
The efforts of both candidates apparently paid off in the Tues. Aug 5 primary election; Trout reeled in 1,454’or 58.82 percent’of votes cast among three supervisor candidates, while Moreau netted 1,120’or 46.43 percent’of votes among five candidates for clerk.
Incumbent Treasurer Jamie Dubre was returned to office with 1,487?71.52 percent’of votes cast in that race. She was challenged by Renee Ann Oszust, who received 589 votes.
Trout said he received ‘a lot of good feedback? prior to the election and felt confident he’d done what he could to get his message to voters.
Still, he was somewhat surprised by the wide margin of his win.
‘Danny (O’Neill) and Bill (Leddy) both ran good clean campaigns,? he said. ‘They were both a challenge I took seriously. Going in, it was hard to tell what was going to happen.?
In the end, Trout said he thinks his qualifications gave him the necessary edge.
‘People looked at my experience,? he said. ‘It seemed like that mattered.?
Most along the campaign trail, Trout said, were friendly and interested in his message, and were also ready to share concerns of their own.
‘For the most part everybody was receptive,? he said. ‘It was wonderful to meet so many people I wouldn’t have normally met. People spent time with me, invited me into their homes and sat me down to talk. It was amazing, the reception I got.?
Trout said he plans to spend the next several months reviewing contracts, agreements, ordinances and other township documents.
‘Becoming familiar with the budget will be my primary concern,? he said. ‘Anything I can get my hands on to absorb as much of that information as possible.?
After a long campaign season, Moreau said she plans to take it easy during August’she and husband Pete will celebrate their anniversary, as well as both kids? birthdays during the month.
Once the kids are back in school, however, she plans to learn as much as she can, as well as help out during the Nov. 4 general election so she’ll be prepared to take over the reins in the clerk’s office.
Although she had the backing of retiring four-term Clerk Nancy Strole, Moreau also said suggestions by some who said she has no voice of her own were baseless and unfair.
‘I don’t deserve that,? Moreau said. ‘It’s an insult to Nancy’she wouldn’t have respect for me if I allowed that’and it’s an insult to me. Yes, we have a lot of the same values, but in a lot of ways we’re different.?
Moreau, who said her approach, while fresh, green and new, will definitely be her own, acknowledged she didn’t expect to win by such a wide margin.
‘I wanted to feel like I won decidedly, I didn’t want to just squeak in,? she said. ‘But I didn’t think it was possible with so many candidates. Everyone was making an effort to campaign as much as they could, so I was surprised with the results, and very pleased.?
Like many other candidates, Moreau and her supporters spent all day Tuesday in blazing hot polling-place parking lots, but only had the opportunity to talk with three voters. ‘Everyone else already made up their minds,? she said. ‘They knew who they were voting for going in.?
Still, talking with so many residents before the primary left her feeling confident about the community.
‘I was encouraged by how kind and receptive people were,? she said. ‘Many people thanked me for giving up my Sunday afternoon. People had comments, great questions and a willingness to be open. Makes you feel like this is really worth it.?
Retiring Supervisor Collin Walls, who plans an informal lunch with Trout and Moreau later this week, said he’ll offer ‘assistance in any way the newcomers might want or need,? as well as involve the supervisor and clerk-elect in the 2008-2009 budget process.
‘It makes no sense to try to put together a new budget without the input of those who will be implementing it,? said Walls, who first took his seat behind the supervisor’s desk in 1976. ‘I will still prepare the budget, but I would very much like to know what their goals are, and what kinds of things they would like to see.?
Scheduling of a budget workshop takes place at the Thurs., Aug 14 township board meeting; once the numbers are hashed out, the board will plan a public hearing. By law, the budget must be adopted by year’s end.
Walls also said he hopes the new supervisor and clerk will sit down with the treasurer and, between them, develop a system for what he calls ‘non-departmental operational efficiency.?
‘I hope they will look at the township operation holistically to determine what the needs of each department are at any given time,? he said, noting he’d like to see more cooperation occurring consistently between departments.
While Walls isn’t sure what, exactly, he’ll do with his time once Trout takes over as supervisor, he feels confident voters placed the township in good hands.
‘We had an excellent pool of people running for office,? he said. ‘They all did a good job. If there was any negativity, I didn’t hear about it.?
In the trustee’s race, two-term incumbent Dave Hopper came out on top with 1,383?20.95 percent’of votes, while newcomer Judy Hensler netted 1,251?18.95 percent? of votes and veteran incumbent Denny Vallad received 1,209?18.32 percent. Incumbent Roger Lamont also retained his seat with 1,077?16.32 percent’of votes in the trustee’s race.
As a newcomer, Hensler said she was ‘pleased, delighted and surprised? to come in as the second highest vote-getter.
‘I felt the three incumbent trustees were very strong adversaries, and had a lot of experience,? she said. ‘To come in amongst them, I consider it quite an accomplishment.?
Like Trout and Moreau, Hensler said she knocked on quite a few doors and found Springfield Township residents interested in what she had to say, why she was running what she thought I could accomplish as a trustee.
Hensler said she puts the corner of Davisburg Road and Dixie Highway at the top of her own list of important issues to tackle.
‘It’s impossible to cross on foot, and the Kroger bottleneck is a mess,? she said. ‘That one area is related to many things’the development of Dixie Highway and making Springfield Township access to residents, other than by car.?
Hensler, who called herself a genealogy and history buff, said she’d also like to see improvements to downtown Davisburg.
‘I think there’s great potential and I think there’s money out there, considering it’s a historic place, not just a 7-eleven on some corner,? she said.
For her, Hensler said, the election process had a big learning curve.
‘The job will be even bigger learning curve,? she said.
‘It’s going to be huge, but I’m up for it. The incumbents will bring their knowledge and experience and the newcomers will add new ideas and new energy; the combination makes for a wonderful board.?

Record turnout
in Springfield?

Primary election voters showed up at Springfield Township polls in larger-than-usual numbers Tues. Aug. 5.
‘Voter turn out was up, up, up over the primary election four years ago when we also had contested races,? said Clerk Nancy Strole. ‘I’m really pleased with the turn out. In my 16 years as clerk, we’ve never had a primary turnout that large, if ever.?
Overall turnout averaged 31.14 percent; in 2004, about 25.5 percent of registered voters showed up at the polls.
The township saw significant increase in five of the township’s seven precincts, while the other two’Precinct 1 and Precinct 7’matched 2004 numbers.
Strole said she attributes the increase to the local races, and all the attention generated by candidates ‘out beating the bushes? as they campaigned across the township.
‘That always tends to bump up the turnout,? she said. ‘But this election certainly took it to another level. The voters were really paying attention and took this election very seriously.
Absentee votes were up as well, said Strole. About 400 ballots were requested and issued in 2004. This year, 602 went out, and 549’about 91 percent’came back.
Strole said she was also expecting a big numbers at the general election Nov. 4.
‘It’ll be huge,? she said. ‘Probably pushing 80 percent.?
Of Oakland County’s 891,953 registered voters, 198,620’or 22.27 percent’turned out to vote during last week’s primary election.