Six candidates have filed to run for four available seats on the Traverse City commission this fall.

Traverse City Mayor Jim Carruthers is running unopposed to defend his mayoral seat, while three incumbent city commissioners will face two new challengers for three commission seats on the board.

Carruthers and Commissioners Gary Howe, Tim Werner, and Michele Howard all filed to seek another term by Tuesday’s 4pm deadline. All four incumbents – representing a board majority – previously told The Ticker they planned to run again for office. Should the candidates be reelected, the city commission’s makeup could remain the same for at least two more years, or when the terms of Commissioners Amy Shamroe, Richard Lewis and Brian Haas expire in 2019.

But commissioners will have to defend their seats against two newcomers running for office – both of whom have extensive Traverse City careers and express similar desires to represent resident voices they believe have been overlooked in the political process.

“Citizen input is important, and the people who live here and pay the bills matter most,” says 59-year-old Jeff Leonhardt, a social studies teacher at TC East Middle School. “The pace of development and scope is just moving too fast for people. I would say that the scale of development was the final nudge for me (to run).”

Leonhardt, a Michigan native who’s been a teacher for 30 years – including 17 with Traverse City Area Public Schools – says his community advocacy work to date has primarily focused on public education. He is a former president of the Traverse City Education Association and sits on the Michigan Education Association board of directors. But concerns over Traverse City’s changing character and the impact of large-scale projects on the community – including the ongoing debate over building heights – prompted Leonhardt to run for public office.

“I believe preserving the character of our downtown and neighborhoods is paramount,” he says. “I think people don’t only come to Traverse City for the water. They come here for the character of the place."

Leonhardt says challenges like addressing infrastructure, determining how and where development should happen, and protecting neighborhoods from “turning into hotel rentals” aren’t easily solvable. “But I’d certainly like to work on them,” he says. “And I’m willing to do my homework.” As an educator, Leonhardt says he tries to follow current events closely and works hard to educate himself and others on important issues – strengths he says he would bring to office if elected.

“I’m a pretty thoughtful, introspective person,” he says. “I really like helping people. I like to listen to what people say and digest it. I get a lot of satisfaction out of knowing things and trying to help other people understand things. That’s core to who I am.”

As a journalist for more than two decades before his recent retirement from the Traverse City Record-Eagle, 55-year-old Brian McGillivary says he’s seen “the good, the bad and the ugly” of how governments work. “I’ve covered local governments from East Lansing to Petoskey…I’ve seen things that work really well, and I’ve watched boards and commissions implode,” he says. “I’ve seen best practices and could help apply those to the city. One of the most important things about being a public servant is to listen to people with an open mind, instead of judging them. I’ve been a professional listener for more than 20 years.”

McGillivary has served on the Traverse City planning commission since January and says he sees running for city commission as a “public service” akin to working as a journalist. He wants to see city officials take a more “innovative” approach to solving community challenges. “We need to expand our paradigm and look at broader options,” he says. “Take the lack of affordable housing: The city has property it doesn’t use. One of the biggest problems with private developers is property costs…the city needs to look at its property and evaluate it and push for some (housing) development.”

McGillivary gives Traverse City a “C” grade in terms of addressing neighborhood and character concerns raised by residents. “The part of the city I live in, on the east side of the city, people feel totally neglected,” he says. “Even people in Boardman and Central neighborhoods are worried about encroachment, about the commercialization of the neighborhoods and short-term rentals, tourist homes, ADUs.”

If elected, McGillivary says he will bring a “fair-minded” approach to serving on the commission. “I have an ability to work with people whether I disagree or agree (with them),” he says. “I don’t take it personally. I don’t believe in personal attacks. I’m able to emphasize with people and their points of view without condemning them…I believe in transparency and openness.”

City Clerk Benjamin Marentette tells The Ticker he’s verified the validity of all of the candidates’ filing packets except Werner’s, who filed shortly before the deadline Tuesday. The withdrawal deadline for candidates is this Friday (July 28) at 4pm. After that point, all candidates whose filings are determined sufficient and eligible by Marentette will be officially certified for placement on the November 7 ballot.

The four candidates who win seats in the fall election will be sworn into office November 13.