Four candidates view for one of three seats on Wayland City Council

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

*Editor?s note: Candidates? responses were given via a written questionnaire.

WAYLAND ? Three of the five seats on the Wayland City Council are up for grabs on Tuesday.

Incumbents Greg Rich and Scott Shumacher are looking to renew their terms while Kevin Fort has decided to end his tenure on the council, leaving his seat wide open.

Also throwing their hats into the ring are Aaron Barnhardt and Chet Fort.

Rich, who also serves as Mayor Pro-Tem, is currently serving his fourth term on the city council, while Shumacher is finishing a two-year term to fill a vacant seat. Neither Fort nor Barnhart have sat on the council prior, but both are excited to bring new ideas to the table.

?Wayland welcomed me to the town years ago and I am committed to giving back to the community and help it grow,? said Barnhart. He added he hopes to be a part of a ?strong group of council members? that will help create a secure future for the community.

Fort, who grew up in Wayland, said he wants to do his part to help the city continue to maintain its ?wonderful atmosphere.? ?I also want to help the city continue to grow over the coming years,? he added.

Shumacher, who is a life-long citizen of Wayland, said he is running again because he wants to continue making Wayland a better place.

As for making the city a better place, each candidate noted some challenges facing the city and housing was at the top of that list.

?Finding housing for first-time buyers can be difficult,? said Barnhart. As a council member, Barnhart he said he would also want to focus on small business growth as well as continuing tax abetment on housing and business improvements.

Besides housing, Rich added the city?s ability to meet state requirements and supporting the continual growth as challenges.

?My goal is to keep improving the community that I grew up in and to make the people that came before me proud, and the people that (will) come after me even prouder to call Wayland home,? said Rich.

Fort, who worked for the city from 2003-2006, said he knows the wonderful qualities of the community and will work to help promote them.

?At times, it can be a challenge for all aspects of the community to run smoothly. However, I believe I can face those challenges with the best interest of the community in mind,? said Fort.

Shumaker said he sees infrastructure and keeping the city looking well maintained as top priorities.

Each of the three council seats up for election are for four-year terms. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Community Center, in Wayland.