FeedsFamiliar names file for primary election
When filing deadlines for the August primary election passed on Tuesday, a bevy of familiar names had signed on as candidates.
The battle for the position of Wayne County Commissioner for the 12th District, however, will be hotly contested. Previously a stronghold for area political icon Kay Beard, her retirement for health reasons in March left the seat open and without an incumbent for the first time in nearly 30 years. When the deadline passed, individuals from throughout the district had filed to appear on the ballot. The 12th district includes residents of Westland, Inkster and parts of Livonia.
By 4 p.m. Tuesday, five residents filed for election for the commission, including Westland City Council President Jim Godbout, Inkster Mayor Hilliard Hampton, Beard’s former executive assistant Roneale Bowman, former Inkster City Councilwoman, Wanda Harris-Foster, Douglas Kaye, Paul Citkowski, Joan Gerhardt and Danny Wilson, the director of a children’s advocacy group.
Bowman, who was appointed to the seat on March 6 after Beard stepped down, served as a legislative aid for Beard for more than two years. Prior to that she spent 13 years as the director of the Westland Youth Assistance Program.
Part of her agenda – if elected – would be finding a way to keep people who are risking foreclosure in their homes. “Whatever we can do to give homeowners assistance so they don’t lose their home, we should look into,” said Bowman earlier this year. “The county really does not want to be in the business of owning homes or putting people out of their homes.”
Godbout has also signed on to campaign for the position.
“The county is faced with the ever changing challenges and needs leadership with a proven track record,” said Godbout previously. “The residents of the 12th District deserve a commissioner that represents their interests while working with the 14 other commissioners to insure the county is financially strong and providing quality services. I feel I am qualified to fill that role, and I look forward to serving this community as a commissioner for all the people in the district.”
Wilson said a bad experience with the commission and the Lincoln juvenile center downtown spurred his campaign.
“There was a situation where people were having a terrible time picking up their kids at the Lincoln facility,” he said. “They were getting their cars broken into, or stolen, in front of the building. I had no luck getting any response from the Detroit Police Department, the county executive’s office or the commission. I thought, I can do better than that.”
State Rep. Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland), who filed for re-election on Jan. 2, proved to be sole candidate for the two-year position.
