The makeup of the Traverse City commission could remain the same for at least two more years if voters support the election bids of four incumbent commissioners planning to defend their seats this fall.

Four commission seats – representing a board majority – are up for grabs in the November 7 election, including those of Mayor Jim Carruthers and Commissioners Gary Howe, Tim Werner and Michele Howard. Mayoral terms last two years in Traverse City, while commission terms last four. Commissioners Amy Shamroe, Brian Haas and Richard Lewis are not up for reelection until 2019.

All four commission incumbents facing the end of their terms this fall will run for office again, they confirmed to The Ticker.

“I’ve thought about it for a long time, and a large number of people have come to me encouraging me to do so,” says Carruthers. “I think the current commission and myself have changed the tone of the commission. Under past leadership, it was more adversarial toward the public. Currently I feel meetings are run a bit better; they’re more mindful of the public and are more friendly to public input.”

Before winning his first mayoral term in 2015, Carruthers served on the city commission for eight years and was previously a parks and recreation commissioner for eight years. He says his first term “has gone reasonably well” and that he hopes to continue working to find “consensus on issues that affect our residents and neighbors so we can grow Traverse City into a great town for everybody.”

“It’s great being the mayor of a town that has all the right problems,” says Carruthers. “It’s a very successful and desirable community. I want to encourage more public comment and more discourse between our residents. I’m out in the city every day; no matter what the issue is, I’m willing to talk to someone about it and to continue to be challenged.”

Carruthers nearly faced opposition for his seat this year from a fellow commissioner. Howe says he considered a mayoral bid, but decided “for a variety of reasons” to seek a second term as a commissioner instead.

“A lot of it’s personal,” Howe says. “People forget this isn’t a full-time job. But I think the current city commission is doing really well. We have our differences of opinion at times, but we’re moving on a proactive path forward and I’d like to continue to be a part of that. It takes time to get to know each other as decision-makers, so I think we can only get better in terms of how we’re functioning.”

In an email to supporters announcing his reelection campaign, Howe wrote he was honored during his first term to have played “a leading role on issues like sidewalk expansion and connectivity, West Front and Eighth streets vitalization, housing opportunities, improvements to city parks, and economic development.” He added: “We've weathered storms, both natural and otherwise, during my term, and each time we've been able to navigate through the noise and continue on a path to making a Traverse City a better place for everyone.”

Werner similarly expresses pride in his and the commission’s accomplishments during his first term. “The city’s very productive; there are lots of great things going on,” he says. “I’m proud to say I was part of it and helping to shepherd things through, whether it’s more sidewalks or pedestrian awareness or our stormwater infrastructure. I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to be part of it, and I’d like to continue to be part of it for another term.”

Werner acknowledges the level of public scrutiny tied to serving on the commission “goes into the thought process” of deciding whether to seek reelection. “That may be the biggest thing in terms of a learning curve (the first term),” he says. “We have a very engaged public. But while it’s a learning experience, it’s better to have a public that’s so engaged than a public that’s disengaged and doesn’t care what’s going on with their city.”

Howard says she also found public scrutiny and feedback “overwhelming at first” when she was unanimously appointed by the board last December to serve out the remainder of Commissioner Ross Richardson’s term following his resignation. But the public input “encouraged me to work harder to make sure I was making good decisions,” Howard says. “I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of it. There’s a pretty steep learning curve, but I really enjoy it. I enjoy talking to people and hearing their concerns and making decisions that can positively affect our community.”

Howard says that if she’s elected to a full term, she hopes to “keep some common sense infused in the city” by working to “balance the needs of citizens and the public good and private companies and tourism." She adds: “They come into conflict sometimes, so trying to be creative to balance those needs is a challenge I like to do.”

Whether the four commission incumbents will face outside challengers in this fall’s election race still remains to be seen. Five residents have picked up nominating packets from the city clerk’s office, the first step in pursuing a potential run. But when contacted by The Ticker, two of those residents stated they have decided not to seek office this year; the other three did not respond to requests for comment on whether they actually plan to run for a commission seat.

In order to appear on the fall ballot, city commission candidates must collect supporting signatures and submit a completed nominating packet to the city’s clerk office by July 25 at 4pm. Candidates must be over the age of 18 and a resident and registered voter of Traverse City. For more information, click here.

Pictured (clockwise from top-left): Jim Carruthers, Gary Howe, Michele Howard, Tim Werner