Ontonagon Village Council fills two seats

The Ontonagon Village Council met on Feb. 22 and the headline of the meeting was to fill two vacancies on the council. It is a story unto itself how the vacancies occurred. Prior to the November 2020 election, Trustee Michael G. Mogan announced plans to leave the community and resigned his seat as of the end of the year. This left a partial term available and Jessica Huntzinger filed for election. After the deadline for filing Robert “Skip” Schulz filed as a write-in candidate for the same seat. Huntzinger was elected by a landslide with Schulz receiving fewer than 40 votes, however Huntzinger had a change in employment plans (she is a traveling nurse) and though she was sworn in to serve, she resigned her new seat. Schulz almost immediately started a campaign to be appointed to the vacant seat as the only other candidate who had run. The village council, however, has a policy to advertise the vacancy and then appoint whomever fills the qualifications and is recommended by the personnel committee. 

Schulz applied, and in his letter of application stated and charged, “While I highly doubt I will be appointed as I agree with many citizens in our Community that the resignation of Ms. Huntzinger was known BEFORE the election in a way for the Council to appoint one of their friends....”.   Schulz had unsuccessfully run for council on two previous occasions. Schulz is a reporter for the Daily Mining Gazette.

There were two other applicants, Mike Rebholz and Michael G; Mogan, who had changed his plans to leave the area and applied for his old seat.

Also to be filled was the unexpired term of Maureen Guzek, publisher and editor of the Ontonagon Herald, who passed away unexpectedly in January following heart surgery.

The council appointed Rebholz and Mogan to the two vacancies, based on the recommendation of the personnel committee.

 Other council business included a review of the village audit, a discussion regarding the needed repairs to a walkway approach to the east pier at the harbor, and adoption of a resolution reinforcing support for the pension liability for former employees of the Ontonagon Memorial Hospital, which is now operated as Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital.  The pension costs have risen radically and now consume over half of the general fund revenue of the Village.

Original Comments:

Joshua

The thanks really belongs to Bruce! He pestered me about including Ontonagon, and when I explained how difficult that would be for me, he started sending in the stories, too.

Susan

Thanks for covering Ontonagon.