Bleau, Piper running for PM Township treasurer position.

Bleau, Piper running for PM Township treasurer position.

#Election2020

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Primary Election takes place on Aug. 4. During the election, nominations are made from both the Republican and Democrat parties to decide who each respective party’s candidate will be in the November General Election. These profiles will feature the candidates who are running in contested races. 

PERE MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP — Two candidates are running for the Republican nomination for Pere Marquette Charter Township treasurer, Karie Bleau and Jeremy Piper. There are no Democrat party candidates. 

MCP sent questions to both candidates. Piper responded: “I have no comment.” The following were answers provided by Bleau. 

Bleau is the wife of current township Supervisor Jerry Bleau. Together, they have two adult children and two grandchildren.

MCP: Why are you running for election for PM Township Treasurer?

Bleau: Since I have a long history of public service and I believe that voters should have a choice, when I heard that the incumbent decided not to seek re-election and there was only one candidate I decided now was a good time to offer the voters of PM Township a choice and possibly have the opportunity to serve the people of PM Township.

MCP: What is the role of the township treasurer? 

Bleau: The Township treasurer is responsible for collecting taxes, keeping an accurate account of revenue from all sources, issuing checks for payment of approved expenses, depositing all funds in approved depositories and making appropriate investments of funds in approved accounts.  The treasurer also attends and participates in the Board of Trustees meetings and provides accurate reports of the financial status of the Township to the Board.

MCP: Please talk about some of your background. 

Bleau: I previously served as the clerk for the Charter Township of Alpena, was appointed to the Alpena County Parks & Recreation Commission for several years during which I served as the secretary and vice-chair,  served three years as the treasurer of Alpena County Agricultural Society, and have organized, hosted, and acted as the fiduciary for several grass-roots benefits – raising over $65,000 for three different families.  I have also worked in several positions in my career that have required me to be responsible for the finances of the organization.

MCP: What do you see as one of the township’s biggest challenges in the near future? 

Bleau: Currently, I see one of biggest challenges for the township and some of it’s citizens is the soil/bank erosion caused by the high water levels.  There are many challenges with trying to find a solution to preserving the land and structures and navigating the requirements for compliance with the State of Michigan.

MCP: What do you see as one of the township’s biggest challenges in the long term future? 

Bleau: I believe that one of the biggest long term challenges for PM Township (and the greater Ludington area)  is the lack of single family housing.  As PM Township continues to grow and prosper, the shortage of affordable housing for families will likely become more of a challenge.

MCP: Please add additional comments if you would like? 

Bleau: I realize that some of the voters of PM Township may have some concerns about nepotism if I am elected as the PM Township treasurer since my husband is currently the supervisor.  The statutory duties and responsibilities of the treasurer require very little interaction with the supervisor, thereby the potential of inappropriate conduct is fundamentally nonexistent.  Rest assured that Jerry and I are both very trustworthy and responsible people. We have successfully worked together in various capacities many times throughout our 25-plus years together.

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