WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Five Democratic candidates are vying for four open seats on Dexter Township’s Board of Trustees in the Aug. 6 primary election. Incumbent trustees Karen Nolte, Laura Sanders and Maris Metz; current supervisor Karen Sikkenga and challenger Alica Abbott all seek to move on to the November general election.
The top four vote-getters in August will face Republicans Tara Guenther and Regina Hamlett in November. Sikkenga has served as township supervisor since May 2023. Abbott serves on the township’s planning commission and local roads committee.
MLive/The Ann Arbor News has partnered with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Michigan Education Fund to provide the Vote411.org voter guide. In responses to the voter guide questionnaire, the candidates discussed their experience and qualifications, top goals and more.
Metz did not respond to the questionnaire. Note: All responses in the voter guide were submitted directly by the candidate and have not been edited by the League of Women Voters, except for necessary cuts if a reply exceeded character limitations. Spelling and grammar were not corrected.
Publication of candidate statements and opinions is solely in the interest of public service and should NOT be considered as an endorsement. The League never supports or opposes any candidates or political parties. What in your education and experience make you the best qualified candidate for this position? Abbott: I have been an entrepreneur since 1990.
I have worked in a variety of fields allowing me to learn and take those lessons to my next adventure. Currently, I am vice president of a national contracting firm in the construction industry. All of my experiences have taught me how to be a good fiduciary.
Thus an important part of being a trustee. I am also serving on the Planning Commission and Local Roads Committee, which has allowed me to have insight into how our township operates. Guenther: MBA - Executive leadership; BS - Business Management; Lean Six Signa Green Belt Certification.
I am an enthusiastic leader with over 15 years combined military and operational leadership experience. I possess strong critical, analytical, and lean problem-solving skills, with proven ability to reduce waste, simplify processes, and identify barriers to success. Strong ability to build trust with co-workers, direct and indirect reports, to improve engagement and empowerment, resulting in a motivated team and increased productivity.
Hamlett: My expertise/experience primarily lie in Early Childhood Development, Education, and Leadership Development. I have dedicated 30 years to a fulfilling career in education, relishing the opportunity to assist children and families in uncovering their incredible potential! Recently, my focus has shifted towards lavender farming, nurturing a small business, and actively participating in my community. I have taken on roles in different boards, committees, and groups that contribute to the betterment of the community, our state, and the broader region.
Being a farmer/small business owner has given me valuable insights into how our government collaborates with these sectors. I have gained a deeper understanding of the state and local laws that regulate farming/small businesses. I am grateful for the learning opportunities along the way, and I believe that my budding expertise in these domains will enhance my role as a Trustee dedicated to supporting local businesses/farmers.
Nolte: My experience as a private business owner, gives me a background in budgets, operating within said budget and providing leadership to complete projects. I have been serving as a Trustee since 2020 and have spearheaded and created many new community engagement activities. From our printed newsletter, our monthly email updates, Fall clean-up days, the Hudson Mills Metropark pass offer, addressing our waster water plant updates and environmental protections - all creations from viewing, listening and engaging with our residents.
I am a worker and an implementor to build on our strategic plans four pillars: good governance, communication, environmental stewardship and community engagement. Sanders: I earned a BA in Women’s Studies and a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Michigan. This prepared me to be an instructor of Social Work at U of M, a clinical therapist, and to integrate social justice, community and environmental well-being, and the values of economic equality into all of my professional, political and volunteer activities.
I am a community organizer and love to engage our local communiy in township decision-making, for example, my efforts to co- organize a committee to explore farmland and natural areas land preservation, eventually resulting in winning a bi-partisan millage to support an official land protection program and board in my first term in office. I am particularly interested in our continued work toward good environmental stewardship, including conservation of our waterways, thoughtful development, and diversity and inclusion efforts. I would like to continue serving and learning with our township residents.
Sikkenga: I have served as a Trustee for Dexter Township for one term, culminating with service as the Supervisor since May 2023. My background is in operations, policy, and budget as a consultant for local government entities and public gardens. I have a master’s degree in public administration with a focus on local government, policy, and budget.
I am passionate about good government, especially local government. I believe local governments have the power to implement programs and policy that directly benefit the health, safety, and quality of life for residents - including Dexter Township! What are your goals should you be elected and how will you work to accomplish them with limited resources? Abbott: My goals would start with continuing to improve the roads in my township. I currently serve on our Local Roads Committee.
I believe there is much work to do here. Another goal is emergency preparedness. I would like to work with neighboring Emergency Management Directors to enhance notifications to our residents when weather emergencies are present.
While we have weather notification sirens through out the township, there have been instances where an area of the township was not notified during a weather emergency. This means the sirens do not have the notification reach we should expect. Guenther: I’ve always believed in leaving things better than they were found.
Putting new eyes on issues brings in new ideas and perspectives to build on what a team has already built. My first goal is to get a good understanding of what has been accomplished over the last few years and evaluate what can be done to build on what the team has started. I have extensive experience doing more with less.
Lean Six Sigma is a managerial approach that improves performance by eliminating resource waste and defects. With my experience and knowledge in this area I will be able to help the team see what is value added and what is not, helping the entire team to accomplish more. Hamlett: My aim is to listen to the pulse of Dexter and understand its residents’ needs and desires.
Collaborating with fellow board members, we will strive for a cohesive Dexter that prioritizes residents’ interests. I envision an active board engaging with the community to communicate with residents. It’s essential to create an environment where people can openly discuss their wishes.
I firmly believe in the incredible community we live in, nestled in one of the most stunning regions. My dream is to witness a flourishing and united community that values both its people and the environment. Nolte: Should I win another term, I would like to finalize the Single Hauler Trash service within the township.
This project can create savings for each household utilizing trash services, improve our recycling capabilities and help reduce wear & tear on our roads. Added projects to complete: restoration of our cemeteries through volunteer assistance: creating a Waterways Committee to start address the health of our lakes and rivers and working together for best practice education. I would like to finish assisting the underserved homes for broadband access, offering the Hudson Mills Metropark pass program for 2025, improving our technology to enhance our communications are just a couple additional topics.
Sanders: My goals include: -Maintaining excellent fiscal management and wise spending for residents needs -Increasing community engagement - Caring for natural areas and waterways through enhanced environmental stewardship - Single-hauler trash to preserve our roads and environment - Promoting agritourism in commercial development - Ensuring broadband access for all In the first four years, we engaged our community in the creation of a new Master Plan that highlights Dexter Township resident’s priorities. With wise and thoughtful management of our limited resources we have accomplished so much toward these goals in the last four years. I will continue to promote spending that meets the needs of our residents using our Master Plan as a guide and promote wise financial management.
Sikkenga Local Roads: I have been working on bringing all our local roads to “good” condition after many years of neglect. With the support of our Board of Trustees, I spearheaded a multi-year program that will culminate next year with the restoration of Madden and Quigley roads. Every single other local connector road in Dexter Township has already been restored under my leadership, and the local roads citizen committee I established has become a model for other townships.
Our board prioritizes public safety & infrastructure, and I will continue this effort next term including bringing our warning siren system into alignment with the County Sheriff’s Department. Environmental stewardship is top priority for me personally and for our board. This term, we focused on land preservation.
Next term, we hope to take actions to preserve our precious waterways: the Huron River and its watershed. What are the most serious problems facing the township and how will you work to solve them? Abbott: The flow of information is an issue in this township. The current board has made terrific strides in improving the transparency and flow of information to the public.
However, we need to do more. I believe we need to place a synopsis of all BOT meetings in the local newspaper for the residents to see. Many local townships do this.
I would advocate to have money set aside in the budget to cover this cost. Guenther: Dexter Township is an amazing place to live. Looking at the big picture, there are very few if any earth shattering issues with the township.
With that being said, there is a significant lack of trust between many of the residence and the township. To be successful in any endeavor there has to be trust, not only between the Township members, but also with the residence. To fill this gap I intend to be very transparent with the residence.
Over communicating what is being done and why will be the first step in reconciling what has been lost over the last few years. If teams know they have each others best interest at heart, there is very little that can’t be accomplished. Understanding what our tax dollars are being spent on and making sure the residence are in agreement with a direction, and understand the direction is the process I will use for any of the problems we face.
Hamlett: I believe the primary issue lies in the inadequate communication between the board and the public. The lack of willingness to find solutions to problems worsens the situation. Establishing transparency and open dialogue is essential for creating trust and a sense of community.
When individuals feel acknowledged and valued, they are more inclined to participate and assist in communal endeavors. Encouraging open communication can lead to collaborative problem-solving and a cohesive community. I believe that investing in unnecessary projects and excessive consultations from external sources like lawyers is unjustified.
Our focus should be on directing resources towards initiatives that directly support our community and promote growth. Let’s make thoughtful choices that align with our values and goals, ensuring that each dollar spent contributes to a brighter future. Nolte: Road infrastructure and traffic is a large long term concern with the growth patterns of our surrounding communities.
In my opinion, we need an interlocal group to start planning and addressing how to improve traffic patterns for our residents. Sanders: My goals include: -Maintaining excellent fiscal management and wise spending for residents needs -Increasing community engagement - Caring for natural areas and waterways through enhanced environmental stewardship - Single-hauler trash to preserve our roads and environment - Promoting agritourism in commercial development - Ensuring broadband access for all In the first four years, we engaged our community in the creation of a new Master Plan that highlights Dexter Township resident’s priorities. With wise and thoughtful management of our limited resources we have accomplished so much toward these goals in the last four years.
I will continue to promote spending that meets the needs of our residents using our Master Plan as a guide and promote wise financial management. Sikkenga: We are under threat from increasingly severe weather events. To ensure that we are prepared to meet any future weather disasters head on, I initiated a $200K investment in Dexter Township’s warning sirens.
I am now working on an emergency preparedness plan for approval by the Board. Threat of development is another challenge. We are addressing threat of development with master plan priorities around thoughtful development and controlling our traffic.
Local roads are a major challenge. Dexter Township has 25 miles of unpaved local connector roads (ie, non-neighborhood roads). Almost all the funding to maintain these roads must come from Township resources.
To ensure that our roads remain in good condition in perpetuity, I created a “Capital Fund” and developed a 25-year capital maintenance plan. With these tools, the current BOT is setting aside funds every year to ensure that our roads and other infrastructure remain in good condition in perpetuity. What are the township’s greatest assets and how can they be used to help the community thrive? Abbott: Our greatest asset is the incredible rural character of this community.
Between farms, lakes and recreational open spaces, Dexter Township is a crown jewel. As the new Master Plan was developed, there are plans to increase Agritourism. The planning commission, on which I serve, has been working with local businesses to break down barriers that will help with increased economic developments.
Guenther: The township’s greatest assets are the people. There are life long residence who have seen how much this area has changed and there are new residence who bring a new perspective. Our residence are currently an untapped resource.
Leveraging their knowledge from their experiences, either living here forever, or newly settling down is what will allow our community to continue to thrive. Hamlett: Our small town charm, rural beauty, stunning lakes, and family farms all mirror the care and generosity shown by the people in our community. My aim is to be accessible for open dialogues, conduct research on how the Board can provide assistance, and continuously learn to stay updated on matters that can benefit our community.
Our public transit system, WAVE Bus, offers door-to-door services for homes and businesses across Western Washtenaw County. As the Treasurer of the WAVE board, I have insights on how to enhance our community through this service.Our efforts include reducing fares for all riders, expanding service hours and coverage to neighboring counties, increasing the number of buses and staff, and improving our internal systems for user convenience.
While we already reside in a remarkable area, ensuring access to transportation for all residents can further enhance our community. Nolte: First, our residents. When we are able to communicate our needs, we do have talented and knowledgeable residents in our community that have stepped into roles to assist.
Building community is a key component to success. Second, our waterways are a great asset to our community. They provide relaxation, tourism, and give reason to work on our environmental stewardship and protect our natural resources.
Sanders: Dexter Township is at least partial home to the Pinkney Recreation area, Hudson Mills Metro Park, several nature preserves, fourteen lakes, the Huron River and many amazing hiking and biking trails. With our rolling hills and waterways, it is a naturally beautiful area for vacationing and recreation. With all this natural beauty comes our deep responsibility to protect our land and waterways from pollution and other environmental threats.
I intend to promote policies of good environmental stewardship. We also have a strong farming history and community in Dexter Township, so I support efforts that enhance choices for farmer’s use and sale of their land through land preservation, encourage sustainable farming innovations, and ventures in agritourism that feature locally sourced food and farms. Sikkenga: Our greatest asset is our wonderful community of committed residents, over 100 of whom are now volunteering for Dexter Township - serving on committees, helping maintain our historic cemeteries, collecting film plastic recycling, working on clean-up days and other events, and so much more.
The beautiful landscapes and waterways in Dexter Township, and the thousands of acres of parklands within our boundaries, are truly exceptional assets. We are preserving these assets now through our Farmland & Open Space Preservation program. Both our strategic plan and our master plan prioritize preservation of these assets.
And, to ensure that our residents can all get out and enjoy these lands, the BOT initiatived a Metro Park pass program, providing residents free passes to Hudson Mills. If elected, we will continue to provide this great benefit to help our community thrive. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free “ 3@3 Ann Arbor ” daily newsletter.
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