List of 2024

Tuscola County Races

& Open Positions

Tuscola County August & November 2024 Election Seats

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Consider Running for Office in 2024

We need patriots running for office and we are here to help conservatives get elected in Tuscola County.  Below are resources to help you understand the available positions and how to become a candidate and win your election.  If you want to know more about being a Precinct Delegate, click here. 

TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR, TREASURER, CLERK OR TRUSTEE - Filing Deadline April 23, 2024

To qualify for either township supervisor, treasurer, clerk or trustee, a person must be a township elector, but property ownership is not required. An elector is defined as someone 18 years of age, who is a U.S. citizen and has lived at least 30 days in the township for which they will serve.

Township officers are elected every 4 years. To view township officers elected in 2020, click here.   

For a list and map of Tuscola County Townships and their websites, click here

For township officer job descriptions, click on the tabs below. 

Ready to put your name in the hat?  Click on “Get Started as a Candidate” button for complete information to file your paperwork and set up your accounts.  Don’t miss your filing deadline of April 23 in order to get your name on the ballot.  Don’t feel like you have to know everything now. Anyone who gets in office starts with a desire to make a difference and learns as they go. We are here to help you. Get your paperwork filed on time, and then put one foot in front of the other and let’s make our county a better place together. 

Township Supervisors are often looked to as a community leader. In many cases, the Supervisors are asked by township residents to help them with their complaints, ideas, suggestions, and problems. Supervisors are not employees. They do not clock in at 8 a.m. and clock out at 4 p.m. A Supervisor is always available to residents through email, phone and at public meetings. 

  • Moderates board and annual meetings
  • Chief assessing officer (if certified)
  • Secretary to board of review
  • Township’s legal agent
  • Must maintain records of supervisor’s office
  • Responsible for tax allocation board budget (if applicable)
  • Develops township budget
  • Appoints some commission members
  • May call special meetings
  • May appoint a deputy
 
To view the official power and duties of townships, the election and duties of township officers and the division of townships by the Michigan Legislature, click here
 
 

The township treasurer shall receive and take charge of money belonging to the township, or that is by law required to be paid into the township treasury, and shall pay over and account for the money, according to the order of the township board, or the authorized officers of the township.

  • Collects real and personal property taxes
  • Keeps an account of township receipts (revenues) and expenditures
  • Issues township checks
  • Deposits township revenues in approved depositories
  • Invests township funds in approved investment vehicles
  • Collects delinquent personal property tax
  • Responsible for jeopardy assessments in collecting property tax
  • Collects mobile home specific tax
  • Must appoint a deputy
  • Must post a surety bond
  • Maintains custody of all township records
  • Maintains general ledger
  • Prepares warrants for township checks
  • Records and maintains township meeting minutes
  • Keeps the township book of oaths
  • Responsible for special meeting notices
  • Publishes board meeting minutes (if taxable value is $85 million in 2018, annually indexed, or a charter township)
  • Keeps voter registration file and conducts elections
  • Keeps township ordinance book
  • Prepares financial statements
  • Delivers tax certificates to supervisor and county clerk by September 30
  • Must appoint a deputy
  • Must post a surety bond
  • Township legislators, required to vote on all issues
  • Responsible for township’s fiduciary health
  • Other duties as assigned by board
  • Demonstrate knowledge about township law (general law or charter) government responsibilities, functions and powers
  • Identify the major functions of each branch of government—local, state and federal—along with their relationship to one another
  • Communicate and listen effectively
  • Utilize consensus-building techniques and motivate others to achieve desired outcomes
  • Manage adversity and hostility
  • Demonstrate ethical behavior
  • Possess vision, especially relative to the township’s needs or potential, and utilize public relations skills to positively represent the township
  • Understand the roles and responsibilities of other elected and appointed offices
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the various committees, boards and commissions serving the township, including their roles and responsibilities
  • Understand how township policies and procedures are set
  • Be aware of what constitutes lawful township expenditures
  • Utilize strategic planning to attain objectives
  • Demonstrate knowledge of how ordinances are lawfully adopted and legally enforced

 

For a full list of core competencies for elected township officials, click here.

OTHER 2024 TUSCOLA COUNTY POSITIONS

All county seats in addition to township boards, including elected officials, county commissioners, county sheriff, circuit judge, city, village and library boards will be up for re-election in 2024 as all county terms expire.  

A County Commissioner is a member of the county governing body and major policy setting center for county government. In this role the Commissioner critically evaluates proposals for change from citizens, department administrators, state government and other boards and commissions.

Commissioners develop and adopt county laws on a wide variety of topics such as public health, parks, solid waste management, roads and highways, zoning and land use. One of the central roles commissioners perform in county management is overseeing the personnel system.

According to Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL)

46.411 Candidate for office of county commissioner; qualifications; nomination; nonrefundable filing fee; eligibility.
Sec. 11. A candidate for the office of county commissioner must be a resident and registered voter of the district that he or she seeks to represent and must remain a resident and registered voter to hold his or her office, if elected. Nominations and elections for commissioners must be by partisan elections. In order for the name of a candidate for nomination for the office of county commissioner to appear on the official primary ballot, a nominating petition or a nonrefundable filing fee of $100.00 must be filed with the county clerk. The nominating petition must have been signed by a number of qualified and registered electors residing within the district as determined under section 544f of the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.544f. The deadline for filing nomination petitions or filing fees is the same as for a candidate for state representative. An individual who has been convicted of a violation of section 12a(1) of 1941 PA 370, MCL 38.412a, is not eligible to be a county commissioner for 20 years after the conviction.

Tuscola County has 5 District Commissioners. Click here for Tuscola County’s manual that explains the role of a commissioner in providing efficient county government services and improving the quality of life for county residents.  

Tuscola County has ten libraries. Library Board positions will be open to run for in 2024.  Following are the libraries and their info.  Our libraries have been the center of much debate as sexual and racial materials are being promoted or made easily available to children. If you want to have input on these decisions, then please consider running for a board position at your library.  

Bullard Sanford Memorial Library, 520 West Huron Street, Vassar, MI  (989)823‐2171 www.vassarlib.org

Caro Area District Library, 840 West Frank Street Caro, MI 48723 (989)673‐4329 www.carolibrary.org 

Columbia Township Library, 6643 Merry Street, Unionville, Mi 48767 (989)674‐2651  www.columbiatwplib@airadvantage.net

Fairgrove District Library 1959 Main Street Fairgrove, MI 48733  989‐693‐6050

Jacepuelin E. Opperman Library  5790 State Street Kingston High School (989)683‐2500 www.kingston.k12.mi.us

Mayville District Public Library 6090 Fulton Street Mayville, Mi 48744 (989)843‐6522 www.mayvillelibrary.org

Millington Township Library 8530 Depot Street Millington, Mi 48746  (989)871‐2003 www.millingtonlibrary.net

Rawson Memorial Library 6495 Pine Street  Cass City, MI 48726  (989)872‐2856 www.rawsonlib.mi.us

Reese Unity District Library 2065 Gates Street  Reese, MI 48757 (989)868‐4120 www.reeseunitylibrary.org

Waterford Township Library 9405 Foster Street  Fostoria, MI 48435  (989)795‐2794 

Three Republican candidates have filed for County Sheriff:  Ryan Robinson, Brian Harris and Brandon Putman.  

Robinson is the current 8-9 officer in Tuscola County. His website is ryanrobinsonforsheriff.com

Harris is the current jail lieutenant in Tuscola County. (website to come) 

Putman is entering the race as a Constitutional Sheriff. His website is brandonputmanforsheriff.com  

There has been discussion on the role of a county sheriff in protecting the constitutional rights of their residents. This is something important for all of us to understand. A constitutional sheriff’s goal is ensuring public safety, protecting civil rights and liberties, and upholding the United States Constitution. 

The City Council is the City’s legislative body. It sets policies, approves budgets, determines tax rates and adopts ordinances and resolutions to govern the City. The Council appoints and supervises the city manager. The City Council also appoints citizen volunteers to advisory boards and commissions.

The basic difference between a city and a village is that whenever and wherever an area is incorporated as a village, it stays within the township. The villagers participate in township affairs and pay township taxes in addition to having their own village government. Incorporation as a city, however, removes an area from township government. City dwellers participate in county elections and pay county taxes as do villagers but are removed from township units.

A city, being withdrawn from the township, must perform the basic, state-required duties as well as its own services. In addition to being responsible for assessing property and collecting taxes for county and school purposes, the city also becomes solely responsible for registration of voters and conduct of all elections within its boundaries.

Tuscola County has two incorporated cities:  Caro and Vassar; and nine villages: Akron, Cass City, Fairgrove, Gagetown, Kingston, Mayville, Millington, Reese and Unionville.  Click here for more information on the Sturcture of Local Government in Michigan. 

The Michigan General law Village Act states the following officers shall be elected: a president, 6 trustees, 1 clerk, and 1 treasurer. The president and trustees constitute the council.  

Michigan is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions.

The judges of the Michigan Circuit Court are chosen in nonpartisan elections and must face re-election if they wish to remain on the court. Unlike the supreme court, candidates are placed on the ballot via nonpartisan primaries or by nominating petitions. Judges on the circuit court serve six-year terms. 

Tuscola County is encompassed by the 54th Circuit Court who’s current judge is Amy Grace Gierhart, who was appointed by Gov. Whitmer as Chief judge. 

Qualifications

To be elected to the circuit court, a judge must:

  • be a qualified elector of his or her district;
  • be licensed to practice law in the state;
  • have at least five years of law practice experience;
  • be under the age of 70.
 
Hugh Woodrow (R) has filed his paperwork to run for the Circuit Court Judge in Tuscola County. (website coming soon) 

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