Mayor challenged by former commissioner
By Barb Pert Templeton
Nominating petitions for candidates seeking seats on the Marine City Commission had a filing deadline of Tuesday, April 23 and it seems there won’t actually be any new names on the ballot in 2024.
City Clerk Jason Bell said current Mayor Jennifer Vandenbossche is seeking another two-year term in the city’s top spot and will be challenged by former commissioner Michael Hilferink.
In addition, the November ballot will include three commissioners with expiring terms including current Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Hendrick and Commissioners Brian Ross and William Klaassen. All three have filed to return to their spots for new four-year terms ending in 2028.
Since no one else filed to run, they will be the only commission candidates on the ballot. The exception would be if a write-in candidate surfaced by the filing deadline this summer.
The Marine City Charter states that petitions for each commission candidate need to be signed by not less than twenty-five nor more than fifty registered electors of the city.
The charter also states that candidates for office must be a resident of the city for at least two years and must not be in default to the city for any financial matters such as taxes or water bills.
Two seek mayor’s seat
Marine City Mayor Jennifer Vandenbossche is seeking a second two-year term as mayor.
Vandenbossche, who ran unopposed in 2022, is seeking a second term as mayor. Hilferink filed to run looking to return to the board table as mayor.
Hilferink, who was elected to a four-year term in Nov. 2022, with 816 votes – the most votes of the three commission candidates on the ballot – was removed from office at a special hearing in October 2023.
At that time fellow commissioners accused him of misconduct in office. He was cited for five charges, three being misconduct in office for his behavior during three city commission meetings. Two other charges alleged he approached an East China School District official about the possible purchase of land by the city and that he was the administrator for a Facebook page that released privileged city documents from an anonymous source. Hilferink denied the allegations against him.
Sean O’Brien was appointed to fill Hilferink’s seat at the commission table on Nov. 16, 2023.
The Marine City charter states that the mayor is elected to a two-year term and is the executive head of the city, as required by statute, and for all ceremonial purposes. For voting purposes, the mayor is considered a commissioner and has no veto power. Other roles include working with the city manager to set commission meeting agendas, serving as the presiding officer at city commission meetings, serving as the ceremonial head of the government, acting as the official head of the city for civil purposes, and is responsible for the execution of the city’s legal documents
Three veteran commissioners
All three incumbents for commission seats have been serving the city for a number of years. Hendrick’s time on the commission began in 2011, Klaassen was elected in 2016 and Ross in 2020, according to the city clerk.
The city’s website at cityofmarinecity.org, has detailed biographies for all six commissioners. Here’s a condensed version for each of the current candidates.
Former Marine City Commissioner Michael Hilferink is running for mayor in the city’s General Election slated for November.
Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Hendrick – is a lifelong resident of the area and has lived in Marine City for more than 30 years. She’s the daughter of the late Rita Roehrig, who also served on the city commission. They used to attend meetings together as citizens where Hendrick began videotaping the sessions and having them posted on the local cable channel to keep residents informed. She also boasts a 35-year career as a Senior Specifications Analyst at General Motors. Hendrick is a member of the Marine City Area Fire Authority Board, the Old Newsboys/girls, and Marine City Lions.
Commissioner William Klaassen – has lived in Marine City for more than 30 years and was hired as a building inspector for the city in 1986, a post he retained until his retirement. Today he enjoys employment with several neighboring municipalities serving as a building inspector and code official. He’s been a member of the Maritime Days Committee and is an active member and past President of the Marine City Rotary.
Commissioner Brian Ross – moved to Marine City in 2012, his wife grew up in nearby China Township. Ross is an engine and power train engineer at Ford Motor Company. He served three years on the Marine City Planning Commission before being elected a commissioner. A major fan of all things relating to history, including that which is so prevalent in Marine City, Ross was appointed to serve on the Historical Commission.
The Marine City Commission meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.
