FeedsMcNamara ready to defend commission seat
Kevin McNamara said he wasn’t surprised to learn he’d face competition in a re-election bid this year.
“I’d’ve been shocked if I didn’t,” said the first-term commissioner.
His opponent, Steven Johnson, also a Canton resident, filed moments prior to the 4 p.m. deadline on Tuesday. Johnson could not be reached for comment by press time on Tuesday, but profiles of all candidates will appear prior to the Aug. 5 primary election.
McNamara was elected two years ago, beating out a field of candidates that included former State Sen. Loren Bennett. His district includes the communities of the City of Wayne, Belleville and Van Buren Township along with Canton Township.
During his first term in office, McNamara has helped bring more than $500,000 to Wayne for improvements to Attwood Park and $1 million to Belleville and Van Buren to help make improvements along Belleville Lake. He said he’s also tried to open up lines of communication between county and local government.
“We’ve tried to build bridges with the municipal governments,” he said. “Not a week has gone by that we haven’t contacted the local governments.”
This term, he said he would concentrate on bringing more road funding to the district.
“Going after money for anything in this day and age is a lot like Don Quixote charging at windmills, but I’m going to give it my best shot,” he said.
The problem, he said, was the continual state of fiscal crises that most governments currently face. The infrastructure needs are staggering, according to McNamara, who pointed out that the county oftentimes didn’t have funding to cut and seal asphalt, let alone procure easements or pay for road designs and improvements.
“We’ve got to find a way to work with the state and federal government,” he said. “We need to do it now.”
