Barry County Board Campaign Countdown

We’ve got a little more than a month until we reach the deadline for filing for political offices, and there are interesting rumors making the rounds regarding the Barry County Board of Commissioners. It is entirely possible there will be some changes on the board seated next January. And right now, Board Chairwoman Clare Tripp might have a sense of dread creeping into her mind. If enough seats change hands she could find herself demoted... or worse.

First, and that stands for First District, Donald Tubbs mysteriously and suddenly stopped attending County Board meetings right around the time I commented on it. At one time it appeared that Tubbs had designs on Commissioner Donald Nevins’ seat. However, the inside word has him bowing out quietly for undisclosed reasons.

Second District, along with the Eighth, appear to have very little action at this point. Incumbents James French and Wayne Adams, respectively, seem to be the safest bets to be returned to office without much of a tussle, unless there’s somebody out there flying in under the radar screen.

The Third District, where Sandy James has turned back many a challenge and served for 14 years, there is a rumor and a virtual certainty. The latter is that she’ll have a challenger again, this time a potential troublesome one in Ken DeMott, who is retired from the Barry County Sheriff’s Department and a popular figure around Hope and Rutland townships. Sandy did win last time over Marlin Walters, but she didn’t carry Rutland Township. The rumor is that Sandy will hang it up at the end of the year, not seek re-election to an eighth two-year term and go out with the band playing. It’s not far fetched. Newly remarried, she may not really need the job and health care and retirement benefits any more. And who has served on the County Board longer than Sandy? Damn few.

The Fourth and Fifth Districts, where the turnover occurred in the August primary in 2004, has interesting prospects with the possibility of revenge factors. “Hoot” Gibson has filed for his second term and we’ll see if former incumbent Ken Neil, who was upset by just 10 votes two years ago, is interested in a grudge match. The same is less likely for former Board Chairman Jeff MacKenzie, who was soundly thrashed by Michael Callton in 2004 and picked up only 32% of the vote. That's not a great scenario to suggest a rematch. The smart money is on MacKenzie continuing his farming and lawyering. Callton seems ready to coast to another term.

The Sixth District thus far has been filled with plenty of speculation. Sources suggest that some within the Republican Party have been asking Gun Lake area citizens if they’re interested in giving it a go for the August primary. There has been talk that some are upset with some of Miss Tripp's actions and are ready for a change. We'll keep you posted if any reports come our way...

The Seventh District, other than the Third, could become Tripp’s other headache. Jeff VanNortwick is the candidate who won’t go away, much like Tim Burd finally overcame Orvin Moore about a dozen years ago. Van Nortwick beat incumbent Tom Wing in both Johnstown and Baltimore townships, but lost big in Assyria, where Wing enjoyed a lot of Farm Bureau support. Wing appears to be even more vulnerable now, in the wake of reports in the Banner of his spotty attendance record at County Board meetings. It was said he had either missed or had been tardy for a whopping 32% of meetings until last fall. Van Nortwick will surely make hay of that fact even if Wing's attendance has improved of late.

Surveying the scene of a basketball game, Detroit Pistons scout Will Robinson once said, “It ain’t very good, but it sure is interesting.”