Monroe County election guide: Three running for Ida Twp. trustee

MONROE COUNTY — In the Aug. 6 primary election, voters in Monroe County have more than 30 contested races. The Monroe News sent questionnaires to the candidates in the contested races. Profiles of the candidates in contested primaries will be published over the next few days.

Republicans Chris Curry, Tim Mata and Carl Whitson are running for the position of Ida Township trustee. No Democrats filed.

Their responses are printed as provided, though they may have been edited for clarity or truncated if the answers exceeded the given word limits. Mata did not respond by the provided deadline.

In-person voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. Absentee ballots may be requested from township clerks.

Chris Curry

Age: 41

Occupation: Senior Budget and Planning Analyst - Consumers Energy

Spouse/kids: Holly Curry, wife of 18 years, and four children, Ella (13), Chase (12), Isabel (9), Asher (7)

Government experience: Four years as Ida Township Trustee and Zoning Board of Appeals

Volunteer/community service experience: Young Life Southeastern Michigan Committee member, coach for Ida club soccer and Ida club wrestling

Why are you running for this position? I'm running to continue upholding our small-town values, being fiscally responsible with the funding we receive and ensuring support for our Fire Department and all they serve.

What do you think is the main challenge facing Frenchtown Township, and what should be done about it? The state is taking away local control over wind and solar farms. We need representatives who prioritize the concerns of the people affected by their decisions and honor the people's wishes.

Why should people vote for you? I am grateful to currently serve as a Township Trustee. I will continue to utilize my financial background to spend money responsibly, ensuring it benefits the township while maintaining long-term fiscal responsibility. Additionally, I aim to support our fire department to ensure the safety of all those they serve. I am committed to preserving the small-town values that I was fortunate to grow up with here.

Carl Whitson

Age: 67

Occupation: I am a retired UAW worker and currently a real estate investor

Spouse/kids: Wife, Kristy Svatek-Whitson, three sons: Jason, Ethan and Aaron, and four daughters: Melissa, Jennifer, Heather and Amanda.

Government experience: I recently became a member of the Monroe County Republican party and am involved in several committees as well, including executive, events and fair. I started getting concerned for the country after our 2020 elections and felt the only way to make a change is to get involved. Previous government experience would include New Bedford Academy school board.

Volunteer/community service experience: I currently volunteer as an usher at Compelled Church and have for over 10 years. I taught Royal Rangers, which is a kids group, for a few years at our church as well as several mission trips.

Why are you running for this position? The reason I am running for the position of Ida Township trustee is for election proposals and revenue increase transparency. Ida Township voted for a school milage slush fund during the last election cycle. This was the only item on the ballot. The Township residents were never notified. Election turnout was very low, with proponents for the school millage winning by a landslide.

What do you think is the main challenge facing Ida Township, and what should be done about it? Why should people vote for you? This is why I am running for Ida trustee, just like why I got involved with politics, the only way to fix my current situation is to get involved. I would like to try to fix this issue and have transparency for our residents and taxpayers. Citizens need to have input into the proposals that affect their lives and their pocketbook. They should know when there is going to be a proposed increase on their tax bill and not have it revealed to them after it’s already been voted on. I am all about lower taxes. If I can fix this, I will, so please vote for me, Carl Whitson, during the primary election on August 6.

For more information about Monroe County’s primary election, visit co.monroe.mi.us/409/Elections.

— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Curry, Mata, Whitson for Ida Twp. trustee