HOUGHTON — Voters in Houghton County’s District 2 will have a choice of potential county commissioned on the November ballot.

Incumbent Joel Keranen is running against Democratic challenger Casey VerBerkmoes to represent the district, which consists of Franklin, Osceola, Schoolcraft and Torch Lake townships.

The other four incumbents — Chair Tom Tikkanen in District 1, Commissioner Glenn Anderson in District 3, Commissioner Gretchen Janssen in District 4 and Vice Chair Roy Britz in District 5 — are running unopposed.

Joel Keranen

Keranen is seeking his second term on the board. He said he is running because he enjoys the job and the people, and has experience in life, work and business that he can bring to his role with the county board.

He foresees replacing the county’s 61-year-old jail as the biggest challenge in the county’s future. The county has bought property on Sharon Avenue with the intent of pursuing a millage to fund a new complex with a jail and possibly other county functions.

Keranen said he would like to see the property house not just the jail, but the county departments currently located at the courthouse.

He called for a facility that will meet the basic needs both of employees and of inmates.

“It’s something we definitely need,” he said of the jail. “…Anybody in the county that has been in the jail, either willfully or unwillingly, (knows) it definitely needs some attention for the workers and the people.”

Voters have rejected several past attempts at passing a millage for a new jail, most recently a narrow defeat for a jail expansion behind the courthouse in 2018. Now that the Sharon Avenue property has been annexed into the city, Keranen is optimistic the next version will pass, provided “it’s simple and concise and we explained the need well.”

Keranen said the county should look at the most “basic, economical plan” it can provide for taxpayers, and also look at ways the county can contribute funds and reduce the size of the millage by evaluating which county properties could be better off being privately owned.

While saying he was not advocating for or against selling specific properties, and praising the performance of county functions like the medical care facility and marina, Keranen does not believe the government should be competing against the private sector. He cited an experience from his own professional life, where he owns a reception hall that competes with facilities such as the Calumet Colosseum, St. Anne’s and the Calumet Theatre.

“At the end of the day, it might be ‘Well, we need this property and we’re not going to sell it,'” he said. “Fine, but let’s talk about it. I’m not saying we should liquidate everything the county owns, because there is some valuable land that we own that we need to have for reasons, and there’s other things. But I think it doesn’t hurt (to examine that).”

For the current Houghton County Courthouse building, he said, the county could place deed restrictions on it to make sure it has a desirable use, whether that’s apartments or private business, he said. The county has made security upgrades and in some cases revamped the layout to try to make optimal use of the courthouse, which dates back to the 19th century.

“The courthouse is historic, but the functionality of the courthouse, and in the offices people occupy, it’s not the best environment, just because it’s a 125-year-old building,” Keranen said.

Part of the new jail complex should also have a mental health component to it, Keranen said. Mental health has been a pressing issue in the four-county area, Keranen said — compounded by underfunding at the state and federal level, and the lack of inpatient treatment options nearby. He hopes to see some collaboration between the county and local agencies such as Copper Shores and Copper Country Mental Health, who may be able to get grants for programs.

He compared it to the success of the county’s treatment court; seeing those graduates prosper, he said, “has been one of the highlights of my short career as a politician.” The mental health issue affects everyone, he said — if not directly, then likely through someone they know.

“We’re a bunch of Finlanders, and we don’t always tell people how we’re feeling, and we don’t always ask for help,” he said.

On housing, Keranen noted the rising prices and rents in the area, but said it could be part of a cyclical ebb and flow that he would rather let entrepreneurs in the area address than the county government. He pointed to promising developments such as the residential space in the former Jutila Center or the rentals at Keweenaw Waters.

“Government doesn’t have a great track record of being very efficient, getting things done under budget and getting things done quickly, so I think I’d rather keep that in the private sector,” he said.

Keranen said people should vote for him because he’s invested in the area as a lifelong resident, and his willingness to have honest and civil discussions with people on either side of an issue. As a relative newcomer to the board, he can also bring a different perspective, he said.

“I think it’s always good to have someone question you, whether it’s ‘Why are we spending money on this?’ or ‘What is this?’… I think people can appreciate that I’m approachable, that I’m reasonable,” he said.

Casey VerBerkmoes

VerBerkmoes grew up in the area before leaving for college, returning in 2013. He manages the Harbor Freight in Houghton. Over the past five years, he’s also gotten involved in local politics, running twice against State Rep. Greg Markkanen in the 110th District.

VerBerkmoes is running for county board for the same reason he got involved in politics to begin with, he said: Advancing mental health access, but also advancing political equity for residents of the district, which he sees as “probably the most important negotiating factor in quality of life.”

For mental health, he’d look at successful programs like Rural Outreach or Skill Training in Affective Regulation (STAIR), which work to destigmatize mental health and allow for early access, which has the most benefit financially.

At the county level, enhancing political equity to improve residents’ quality of life would take the form of improving residents’ access to resources and information. In other communities, that’s shown up in amenities such as improvements to wireless internet access.

He’d also look at anything that could reduce financial burdens on the community and provide for better economic opportunities. To help find answers, he’d also look at past models that have been successful at the community level.

“Finding out which models work here would involve understanding what variables are affecting the lack of access to mental health, lack of political equity, lack of economic development, and finding a model that fits best,” he said. “That’s my methodology with everything, and that’s how I’d approach representing people on the county board.”

If elected, VerBerkmoes would develop that understanding of what would work by reaching out to other board members, community members with political experience, and the local organizations with impact in those areas. Then, he said, it’s a matter of aggregating the information and scrutinizing it “until you can come up with a solution or recognize a model that will actually move the needle.”

While county voters would ultimately be the ones to approve a millage for the construction of a new jail, the board would first have to approve the proposal and placing it on a ballot. VerBerkmoes said he would judge the proposal on how well it solves the problems identified by the county, which have included overcrowding. A county task force has been formed to look at what should be included in the proposal, including what the capacity of the jail should be. He is generally supportive of the project.

“It’s going to be an upfront financial burden,” he said. “But obviously we’re in a position right now where building a new facility is the solution to the problems that they’re having.”

Housing has been a large issue, affected by both national factors and local issues such as college enrollment. VerBerkmoes said the same process of evaluating successful models could be used to find a local approach here. Access to affordable housing is a “huge issue” in determining quality of life, he said.

“How much of their own personal resources they have to expend on enhancing their quality of life goes a long way to how much they can participate in the political infrastructure,” he said.

As for why voters should choose him in November, VerBerkmoes said that isn’t necessarily his place to say. And he had no interest in devaluing Keranen. Instead, he said, his role is to explain to voters what he has to offer in the role, and they can decide who will do the best job.

At the county level, he said, candidates are living among the same community members that they’d serve on the board.

“They’ll be able to contact you at any moment in time, and you’re expected to be able to explain yourself to them, and that’s a different set of conditions than what you might consider a higher level of office,” he said. “And one thing I take very seriously is that I would expect to be able to discuss anything with any member of the community at any time.”