The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners approved some dramatic salary increases this month, with their yearly salaries going up by 60% and their per diems — one-time payments for attending meetings — going up by over 70%.
On the one hand, a pay increase may have been long overdue, as the salaries have remained static since 1999 while the U.S. dollar inflated over 25 years. However, it would be easier for the board of commissioners to justify these increases if they had met with more success in recent months.
At the beginning of the year, board Chairman Ty Wessell identified the board’s most immediate goals as the full transition of financial responsibilities for the county to the troubled finance department and addressing the underlying issues that have caused all departments to lose personnel. Although there is plenty of time before November, the board has not yet arrived at a solution to either problem.
The departure of county Administrator Deb Allen, opening the way for a new administrator/chief financial officer, was a lateral move. The county still needs to find a permanent replacement for Allen, and it remains to be seen whether her successor will be able to implement the necessary changes.
According to some commissioners, these salary increases were designed to attract some younger people to run for office. As the youngest county commissioner, Jamie Kramer, noted, the existing salaries and hours weren’t exactly accommodating to people who still work full-time jobs for a living, unless they are self-employed.
The commissioners approved this resolution at their April 16 regular session, just a week before the filing deadline for the August primary elections. And it could have had the desired effect, as many more people declared their candidacy for county commission seats in the last seven days.
If the commissioners were expecting young faces among the candidates, however, they may be disappointed. Former commissioners like Lois Bahle, Will Bunek, and Rick Robbins — experienced in both governance and years — are running again, while Kramer herself is opting to not run again.
However, some office holders are still running for reelection unopposed. County Sheriff Mike Borkovich and Clerk Michelle Crocker may have faced some vocal criticism over early 2024 but they seem to have retained a secure hold on their positions, with no challengers coming forward to face them.
While it’s not exactly surprising for the likes of Borkovich and Crocker to run again with no opposition, it’s unusual to see just one name each on the ballot for the positions of county prosecutor and probate court judge, despite these being among the best compensated elected positions in the county.
Nonetheless, for the first time in over 15 years, county Prosecutor Joe Hubbell is running unopposed. Hubbell was first elected in 2004.
Circumstances have also conspired to allow new candidate Steve Paciorka, the current juvenile and domestic circuit court referee, easy passage to the probate judge position. The current judge, Marian Kromkowski, could not run again this year because she is above the legal age per the state constitution.
