Joshua Vissers/Daily Mining Gazette William Menge in 2018 before his last reelection.

William Menge will be leaving his seat as Baraga County Commissioner in November after 14 years.

“I’m going to be 81 years old in November,” he said. “I just figure somebody else really needs to take that job, especially a younger person.”

During his time on the board, the county achieved several things Menge is proud to have been part of. One was the establishment of 911 service to the county. The ongoing improvements to Point Abbaye Park is another. Moving the county offices to the former drugstore in downtown L’Anse from the former jail, which was condemned and full of asbestos, was important, too.

“It was a dangerous building, we had to get those people into a safe environment,” Menge said. “And it’s very convenient for the people of the county right now, too.”

Menge thinks the people running to replace him as commissioner are good candidates, but there are a couple qualifications he thinks are especially important.

“First of all, if you’re going to put somebody on the board, I feel that they should be a volunteer,” Menge said.

He said to look at where the candidates volunteer and who their work benefits to help decide which candidate has the county’s best interests in mind.

He also said that being a commissioner takes time, not only to attend the regular meetings, but also the sub-committees and other boards that a commissioner gets appointed to.

“I hope the best person wins, the county has an awful lot of needs with the lack of tax dollars coming in and the lack of business,” Menge said.

While he is retiring from the board of commissioners, Menge doesn’t plan on leaving public life altogether. He’d like to continue working with the Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress (UPCAP) in a non-elected position.

“And I’d like to stay on the Economic Development Board,” he said. “I plan to stay busy, but just not as a commissioner.”

Whoever wins, Menge wishes them luck, and appreciates the chance to lead the county that he was given.

“I want to thank the people of my district and of Baraga County for 14 good years,” he said.