05/03/2006

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Election official Darla Raney signs in voters at the Elmwood Township Hall Tuesday.

Supervisor survives recall election in a 687-586 vote

Smith sees vote as a sign community looks to the future

by bill o'brien

bobrien@record-eagle.com

Smith

GREILICKVILLE — Derith Smith said she's ready to put months of contentious politics behind after she survived a recall challenge in Elmwood Township.

"I am so very relieved that we can finally put this behind us and start moving ahead," Smith said Tuesday night, surrounded by a small group of supporters who quietly celebrated the election results.

"I think we have a message from the people in the community," Smith said. "They want to focus on the future."

Smith fended off recall by 101 votes, with 687 "no" votes against 586 "yes" votes. Township Clerk Connie Preston said Smith prevailed in Precinct 1 by a 494 to 379 margin, enough to overcome a 193-207 vote in favor of recall in Precinct 2. The 1,277 voters represented a 34 percent turnout.

It was the second time since February 2004 that Elmwood voters decided against turning out an official in mid-term. Five township board members survived a recall vote two years ago.

Resident John Ort said he voted against the recall — just like he did in the earlier vote.

"I have serious doubts about a recall for any reason," he said. "It's my feeling that if you want to get back in office, you wait and run the next time."

Ort also said he's followed Smith's work in office and that she's done a solid job in the supervisor's post.

"She seems like an honest woman to me," Ort said. "She's trying to run an open government here."

Smith's critics charged she interfered with township planning commission and marina operations among other complaints, which they said resulted in unnecessary litigation for the township and hurt its marina income.

The criticism struck home with some voters. One man said he supported the recall because he's upset to see his tax dollars spent on litigation and other matters during a combative period in Elmwood politics.

"It's not mean-spirited or anything," he said. "I just think we can do better."

A day before the vote, The Committee to Support Derith Smith filed a complaint with the Michigan Secretary of State that alleged recall supporters organized multiple committees to circumvent financial reporting requirements of state election law.

Two anti-Smith groups — Elmwood Citizens for Honest Officials and Elmwood Township Alliance — filed with the Leelanau County clerk's office as political committees. Ellie Lessard is listed as treasurer for "ECHO" and her husband, former harbormaster Charles Lessard, is the treasurer for the alliance.

Both groups, which distributed mailers supporting Smith's recall, requested a campaign finance reporting waiver, stating they did not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000.

One voter wouldn't say how she voted in the recall but characterized township politics as "a mess."

"I wish they'd stop this bickering back and forth and get down to business," she said.

Staff writer CHRISTINE FINGER contributed to this report