Trending
HOUGHTON -- The race in Houghton County's District 5 pits Republican Vice Chairman Roy Britz against independent challenger Daniel Niemela.
The southern Houghton County district consists of Chassell, Duncan, Elm River, Laird, Portage and Stanton townships.
Roy Britz
Britz said he ran again to continue work on the county's business, including the progress toward a new county jail.
"I'm enjoying it, and I enjoy the people I work with," he said. "The county staff is a very good staff, and I just want to keep going."
As the longtime undersheriff for the county before his retirement, Britz said the new jail is a top priority. The board recently approved a purchase agreement for the First Apostolic Lutheran Church property on Sharon Avenue as a potential site for a jail.
When Britz was undersheriff, discussions about a new jail ranged from 75 to 100 beds. Jail populations at the 32-bed facility had reached emergency overcrowding levels prior to the pandemic, but have dropped several people below capacity in response to COVID-era guidelines changes that allowed more people charged with non-violent offenses to be released before trial. Based on today's guidelines, Britz would favor a jail of 50 or less.
It's possible that those changes will be reversed, Britz said.
"We're seeing on the national scene that it doesn't seem to be working too well," Britz said. "People are in jail for a reason, and I think we have to look at it. I've been saying this for years: We have to build for today, but plan for tomorrow."
The Sharon Avenue site has another five to seven acres that could house additional construction, including eventually a new courthouse. It is currently in Portage Township, with which the county is negotiating a Public Act 425 agreement that would transfer the land to Houghton for nine years, at which point it would revert back to the township if the county has not started construction on a jail.
Another priority is the county transfer station. Britz said he would work to keep the station affordable for residents, which will discourage illegal dumping that had previously been widespread.
The transfer station has cardboard recycling, which is proving popular. The county is also considering a dual-stream recycling system, which would require expansion and would add some cost to users.
"We'll see where the public wants to go with it," he said. "We have to either look at it or look at privatization of it, which I'm not for, because I think that just puts the cost way too high for the general public."
The board should also look more at child care needs in the community, Britz said. The county has a shortfall of about 650 slots during the school year. However, he didn't think support using county American Rescue Plan Act money toward a proposed child care center adjacent to Canal View that had been presented at a recent county board meeting. The county has about $1.7 million left of the ARPA money given to the county, with more than 10 times that amount in requests.
"We don't have money, but if we can get on board with resolutions or any way of helping, I think this board is willing to look at or consider anything," he said.
Britz also supports a second bridge crossing, which would provide another means of crossing if the lift bridge isn't working. Both Houghton County hospitals are on the Hancock side of the bridge.
"That's one of the biggest land masses in the country with one point of entry," he said.
Britz attracted ire from some constituents for two votes: one in 2020 against a resolution declaring Houghton County a "Second Amendment sanctuary" and another last year to withhold funding from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department to protest their role in enforcing state COVID mandates when Cafe Rosetta kept indoor dining open in violation of the state order.
"They're directed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and the state laws that govern us," he said. "We as a county board, we can pass resolutions asking for this and that or pushing for this and that ... but the health department was doing what they were mandated to do by the state. I support the health department."
Britz said while he supports the second amendment, he disagreed with a provision in the sanctuary county resolution that said the county would not dedicate resources or funds towards laws it judged to violate the Second Amendment. At the March 2020 meeting where Britz voted against it, he had said that was a backdoor means of saying what had been in an earlier resolution draft: "the power to direct the law enforcement and employees of Houghton County to not enforce any unconstitutional law."
"That's going against the constitutional responsibility of the sheriff and prosecutor," he said in the candidate interview. "They keep throwing the 'constitution' word out there, but then they want to go against the constitution. After that meeting there, I was told 'Wait for the election.' So I knew they were coming after me."
Britz said people should vote for him in November because of his 30-plus years of experience with the county as a law enforcement officer and commissioner. He's also not driven by a political agenda.
"I vote and carry myself in a way respectful to our community," he said. "You're not going to please both sides. I've been an official for 45, 46 years -- you've always got half the gym mad at you. So what are you going to do? You carry yourself the best you can and hopefully lead in the right direction."
Daniel Niemela
Niemela, who works in construction for U.P. Sheds, is running as an independent. He has had a longtime interest in civil issues, he said, and currently sits on the Chassell Township Planning Commission.
"If I'm just going to complain about what's happening in the world and I'm not going to do anything, well, then I might as well just not complain about it either and just forget about it ...So I want to get involved and just see where it goes from here," he said. "…I don't have plans for running for governor or president anytime soon. But we'll see where it goes."
Niemela had considered entering the Republican primary in August, but decided on a run just before the April filing deadline to run as a party. He described himself as a "Christian constitutional conversative," pro-life and a supporter of limited government and the First and Second amendments.
While those issues don't have much bearing on county government, he said, voters can use them as a tool to determine what his stances will be. In speaking with Rep. Greg Markkanen, he said, state legislators often listen to feedback from county boards, including in the form of resolutions, to get a sense of how their constituents are feeling.
"I like to tell people that I don't know what decisions I'm going to make if I'm elected a year from now, or two years," he said. "Things will come up that I probably wasn't expecting. My outlook is going to be, I want to keep it as a Christian constitutional conservative perspective. As decisions come up, you can probably tell which way I'm going to think about them."
"I can't name everything a year from now that's going to be happening, but that's my worldview," he said. "As I move forward, I want to keep those as my guiding principles and move in that direction. And obviously making the county run well ... I want to listen to people, talk to them and get them what they need."
He said he would like to get additional workers in the clerk's office to address staffing issues there.
On the issue of a new county jail, Niemela said he supports a new jail, and believes the Sharon Avenue site is a good place to build a new one. He toured the current one with Sheriff Josh Saaranen and saw numerous problems, including a non-linear layout and areas such as plumbing in need of repairs.
However, he said, he also sympathizes with people who are worried about the cost of inflation.
"I want to work with Sheriff Saaranen and get his opinion," he said. "And there's other people that know more than I do, so I want to work with people to hopefully make the best decision possible."
Niemela said he would like a new jail to be built as cost-effectively as possible, he said. He felt the county should save some amount towards a jail from any excess funds left over at the end of the year to minimize the cost to taxpayers when the county eventually asks for a millage.
"It might not have to look like something real fancy, but just a basic building that's dry and warm inside and meets code," he said.
A new courthouse could be a good idea, but that should come further down the line.
Niemela said he would also support a second bridge crossing across the Portage Canal. While he reserved final judgment for a potential feasibility study, he thought a crossing off of U.S. 41 east of Michigan Technological University would be a logical place that would help ease congestion..
"You've got M-26 coming from this way and (U.S.) 41 coming from this way, to just make two crossings like that," he said. "It'd be good to have this one here for these people, and good to have that one there for those people."
Niemela said he also disagreed with state and national directives during the pandemic. Had he been on the board, he said, he would have cast a third vote to withhold funding from the WUPHD, based on his belief that governments shouldn't be directing private businesses how to operate.
"If a restaurant decides to be open, that's their choice ... if the employees are willing to work there, that's their choice. And if a customer wants to go there, give them their business, I feel that's their choice," he said.
Other commissioners had pointed out the gesture would not impact the WUPHD's bottom line in the end, as state law would have the department make up the missing revenue by raising fees.
Niemela said if elected, he would do more research on the relationship between the county and the health department.
"I'd like to dig into it more, and just find out if there can be changes made for the better," he said.
Niemela also said he didn't see an issue with voting for the Second Amendment sanctuary county resolution.
"The commissioners, they take an oath to support the constitution, and I just feel that would have been a resolution to support what they've already taken," he said.
Niemela said people should vote for him because he'd be an "open, accessible representative."
"I want to get involved and stand for my country, stand for my people and start that right here at home," he said.
Daniel Niemela
Niemela, who works in construction for U.P. Sheds, is running as an independent. He has had a longtime interest in civil issues, he said, and currently sits on the Chassell Township Planning Commission.
"If I'm just going to complain about what's happening in the world and I'm not going to do anything, well, then I might as well just not complain about it either and just forget about it ...So I want to get involved and just see where it goes from here," he said. "…I don't have plans for running for governor or president anytime soon. But we'll see where it goes."
Niemela had considered entering the Republican primary in August, but decided on a run just before the April filing deadline to run as a party. He described himself as a "Christian constitutional conversative," pro-life and a supporter of limited government and the First and Second amendments.
While those issues don't have much bearing on county government, he said, voters can use them as a tool to determine what his stances will be. In speaking with Rep. Greg Markkanen, he said, state legislators often listen to feedback from county boards, including in the form of resolutions, to get a sense of how their constituents are feeling.
"I like to tell people that I don't know what decisions I'm going to make if I'm elected a year from now, or two years," he said. "Things will come up that I probably wasn't expecting. My outlook is going to be, I want to keep it as a Christian constitutional conservative perspective. As decisions come up, you can probably tell which way I'm going to think about them."
"I can't name everything a year from now that's going to be happening, but that's my worldview," he said. "As I move forward, I want to keep those as my guiding principles and move in that direction. And obviously making the county run well ... I want to listen to people, talk to them and get them what they need."
He said he would like to get additional workers in the clerk's office to address staffing issues there.
On the issue of a new county jail, Niemela said he supports a new jail, and believes the Sharon Avenue site is a good place to build a new one. He toured the current one with Sheriff Josh Saaranen and saw numerous problems, including a non-linear layout and areas such as plumbing in need of repairs.
However, he said, he also sympathizes with people who are worried about the cost of inflation.
"I want to work with Sheriff Saaranen and get his opinion," he said. "And there's other people that know more than I do, so I want to work with people to hopefully make the best decision possible."
Niemela said he would like a new jail to be built as cost-effectively as possible, he said. He felt the county should save some amount towards a jail from any excess funds left over at the end of the year to minimize the cost to taxpayers when the county eventually asks for a millage.
"It might not have to look like something real fancy, but just a basic building that's dry and warm inside and meets code," he said.
A new courthouse could be a good idea, but that should come further down the line.
Niemela said he would also support a second bridge crossing across the Portage Canal. While he reserved final judgment for a potential feasibility study, he thought a crossing off of U.S. 41 east of Michigan Technological University would be a logical place that would help ease congestion..
"You've got M-26 coming from this way and (U.S.) 41 coming from this way, to just make two crossings like that," he said. "It'd be good to have this one here for these people, and good to have that one there for those people."
Niemela said he also disagreed with state and national directives during the pandemic. Had he been on the board, he said, he would have cast a third vote to withhold funding from the WUPHD, based on his belief that governments shouldn't be directing private businesses how to operate.
"If a restaurant decides to be open, that's their choice ... if the employees are willing to work there, that's their choice. And if a customer wants to go there, give them their business, I feel that's their choice," he said.
Other commissioners had pointed out the gesture would not impact the WUPHD's bottom line in the end, as state law would have the department make up the missing revenue by raising fees.
Niemela said if elected, he would do more research on the relationship between the county and the health department.
"I'd like to dig into it more, and just find out if there can be changes made for the better," he said.
Niemela also said he didn't see an issue with voting for the Second Amendment sanctuary county resolution.
"The commissioners, they take an oath to support the constitution, and I just feel that would have been a resolution to support what they've already taken," he said.
Niemela said people should vote for him because he'd be an "open, accessible representative."
"I want to get involved and stand for my country, stand for my people and start that right here at home," he said.
Daniel Niemela