McClary, Chockley Race for County Treasurer
In an affable session during which Republican Marlene Chockley repeatedly praised the incumbent Democrat Catherine McClary, the candidates for Washtenaw County treasurer responded to questions at an Oct. 8 forum moderated by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area.
From left, candidates for Washtenaw County treasurer: Republican Marlene Chockley and incumbent Democrat Catherine McClary. (Photos by the writer.)
Chockley – a former county commissioner and current chair of the Northfield Township planning commission who’s long been involved in the county Republican Party – said she’s running to highlight how tax increases are affecting the most vulnerable people in this county. She’s concerned that government is too large, and is worried about projections that show a growing population of senior citizens who’ll be more vulnerable to higher taxes.
McClary, who was first elected treasurer 16 years ago, pointed to her track record of managing the county’s investments and creating foreclosure prevention programs that she said serve as models for the state.
The candidates answered nine questions selected by a league committee from a pool of questions submitted by league members and the general public. Topics included goals for the office, perspectives on customer service, and suggestions for improving operations. The forum was moderated by Rosemary Austgen, a league officer.
Some issues affecting the treasurer’s office didn’t arise during the forum, including a recent move by the county board of commissioners to shift control over administering the county’s 5% accommodation tax from the county treasurer’s office to the finance director. An initial vote on that action took place at the board’s Oct. 3 meeting. The treasurer’s office will also be pivotal if the board decides to change the county’s approach to dog licensing. That issue has been raised this year during meetings of the board’s animal control policy task force. A recent task force report includes a proposal to adopt a civil infractions ordinance for unlicensed dogs, which McClary had previously recommended.
Information about both Chockley and McClary, including brief answers to four questions about their background and approach to the job, can be found on the League of Women Voters Vote 411 website. The county treasurer is elected to a four-year term and oversees an office that’s responsible for a range of services, including tax collection and dog licensing.
The Oct. 8 candidate forum was held at the studios of Community Television Network, and will be available online via CTN’s video-on-demand service. It was the second of three forums on Monday evening – others covered the races for water resources commissioner and county clerk/register of deeds. The full schedule of candidate forums this week is on the league’s website. The forums are broadcast live on CTN’s Channel 19 starting at 7 p.m.
Oct. 9 was the last day to register to vote for the Tuesday, Nov. 6 general election. Information on local elections can be found on the Washtenaw County clerk’s elections division website. To see a sample ballot for your precinct, visit the Secretary of State’s website. The league’s Vote411.org website also includes a range of information on national, state and local candidates and ballot issues, and a “build my ballot” feature. [Full Story]