PRESQUE ISLE — Incumbent Republican Presque Isle County Sheriff Joe Brewbaker will face Democratic challenger James Gibson in the upcoming election, as six candidates vie for positions on the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners representing Districts 1, 2, and 3.

Election Day happens on Nov. 5, but many voters are already casting ballots by mail.

Brewbaker, who has worked for the county for 25 years, said he still loves the job and serving the people of Presque Isle County.

He said he’d like to see through several projects in the works and on the drawing board, including the addition of a juvenile facility to house local youth offenders, as he said it is vital for the area.

Brewbaker also said he’d like to see his department continue to provide great service through 911, create more programs for people dealing with addiction, and have additional training opportunities for deputies to further their education and services.

He said the current budget, through the help of the county board, is “looking pretty good as of now” and allows the department to continue patrols and avoid any layoffs that would prevent such services.

Both candidates running for sheriff emphasized that political parties shouldn’t play a role in how the community is treated and protected.

“I’m always going to fight 100% for people’s constitutional rights,” Brewbaker said. “I want people to know that I’m here for them, no matter their political party. I want to do my best for them and for their safety.”

Gibson, who has 30 years of experience in law enforcement, including 14 years as police chief in Onaway and 16 years of military experience, echoed Brewbaker.

“My goal is to continue what I did for 30 years: providing law enforcement services across the board to everybody,” he said. “Law enforcement should be nonpartisan. Everything should be administered equally, with no political ideology.”

Gibson, who also seeks a seat on the Onaway school board, stressed that he’d first want to hear from the people for input on what might need adjusting. He also said he wants to ensure he hears staff’s suggestions, as well.

Gibson said knowing where county funds need to go is crucial, whether it’s for the Sheriff’s Office, programs, or anything else.

“You have to start there and figure things out through grants and other things,” he said.

Sheriffs serve four-year terms that begin Jan. 1.

COUNTY BOARD, DISTRICT 1

Voters in Allis, Bearinger, and North Allis townships and in Onaway will decide between incumbent Republican county Commissioner Clifford Tollini and Democrat Wayne Vermilya for a four-year term on the county board that begins Jan. 1.

Vermilya, who has had 19 years of elected service, including eight on the county board, said he hopes to be voted onto the board to assist in the decision-making process.

“Our county board has made, over the last several years, a lot of bad decisions,” he said. “I believe decisions need to be made with facts on the table, and, too often, at all levels of government, decisions are made without adequate information and facts. It’s disappointing, quite frankly.”

Vermilya also said the county shouldn’t try to achieve big goals alone, like a materials management plan. He thinks working with others, such as the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy or Alpena’s recycling group, would benefit the county.

He said a lack of oversight has affected the county, the board, and the budget.

“The county Board of Commissioners needs to have oversight responsibility of county elected officials without crossing into their territory,” he said. “It’s a tricky balance, but it has to be done.”

Tollini did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.

COUNTY BOARD, DISTRICT 2

Voters in Belknap, Ocqueoc, and Rogers townships and in a portion of Rogers City — all population west of the U.S.-23 corridor — will decide between Republican Robert Brietzke and independent incumbent county Commissioner Mary Ann Heidemann.

Heidemann emphasized that her interest in local government and being an active member of the community help her feel like she can represent the community well as a commissioner.

“I’m running unaffiliated,” she said. “And that’s based on a concern that there’s been a lot of partisan bickering and divides. I feel it’s helpful to have an unaffiliated person on the board to help keep things calm.”

Heidemann said she wants to continue using the county’s budget to be fair to its employees as inflation rates rise and continue projects in the works.

“There are a lot of projects in the making, and I’d hate to leave things half-done,” she said. “We’re working on a state-mandated materials management plan to handle solid waste … That’s an important process that’s really just getting started.”

Heidemann also highlighted improvements to the jail being made to house youth offenders locally instead of sending them out of the county and occasionally out of state.

Brietzke did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.

COUNTY BOARD, DISTRICT 3

Voters in Rogers City — less the population west of the U.S.-23 corridor — will decide between independent newcomers Tony Ford and Robin Hughes for a seat on the county board.

Ford said he’s thought about running for office since he was in the Marine Corps, where he served for 20 years, and he saw the county board race as an opportunity to get more involved in the community.

“I’ve been on the Board of Directors for the senior community center here in town for three years now, and this seemed like a natural progression to get more involved,” he said.

Ford said he has seen how county issues affect the community through his work at the senior center.

“There are a few issues that I believe need attention within the county,” he said. “But I mostly want to listen to the citizens. The citizens need to have more of a direct connection with their county commissioners, so I want to make myself transparent and available to them.”

Ford believes that a new set of eyes on the board can see things that others might not see.

Hughes, who’s lived in the community for more than 50 years, said she’d like to see Rogers City maintained, become stronger, and be the best that it can be.

Hughes has 40 years of finance experience and is the business manager for Rogers City Area Schools, which is why she believes she can find new places where the monies can come from to help the budget in the county. She believes that bringing in money from the state and through grants would help the area grow.

“I’d like to see more on what we’ve already done and figure out what we can do from here to keep going forward,” she said. “We need to bring more people to Rogers City not just to visit but to stay.”

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@thealpenanews.com.