Voters in the Village of Ortonville will go to the poll Tuesday, Sept. 11, to choose the next village president, and four council trustees.
The poll will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Old Town Hall in downtown Ortonville.
Several key issues are at stake in this year’s election, including the construction of a sewer system for the village area, usage of the village skate park and contending with a village Department of Public Works controversy.
The election includes a battle between long-term incumbent Village President Sue Bess and challenger Kenneth Quisenberry, who entered the race after eight years on the Brandon School Board.
Also key in Tuesday’s election are challenges to incumbents Marcy Hanes and Mary Kassuba from Aileen Champion, Daniel Eschmann and Michael Via. Newcomer Melanie Nivelt is challenging incumbent Larry Hayden for a partial-term on the council.

For village president: choice one
Name: Susan K. Bess (I)
Previous office/term:
Ortonville Planning Commission – 1980-85.Ortonville Planning Commission President – 1982-85.Ortonville Village Council Trustee – 1985 – 89 Ortonville Village Council President 1989 to present. Ortonville Junior Miss Chairman – 1987 – 1993 Michigan Junior Miss Chairman of the Year – 1988 Michigan Mayors Association Trustee TERM – 1994-1996 Michigan Mayors Association President – 1996.
Age: 57
Occupation: Self-employed, Bess Bookkeeping Service, Inc.
Family: Husband: Allen. Children: Matthew, 35 and Sarah, 33.
Which issues do you most want to address if elected and how will you do this?:
Sanitary sewer, need Main Street development, master plan updated.
How do you plan to save the village money in tough economic times without jeopardizing services?:
Look into outsourcing possibilities.
Number of village council meetings previously attended: N/A
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Name: Kenneth J. Quisenberry
Previous office/term: Brandon School Board, 8 years.
Age: 48
Occupation: Private Investigator
Family: Wife: Nikki. Son: Sean. Daughter: Shannon.
Education, experience and skills: 25 years Oakland County Sheriff’s Dept. retired Lieutenant. Brandon High School Graduate. 8 years Brandon school board, past president, chairman of finance.
Which issues do you most want to address if elected and how will you do this?: Revise current budget to prioritize spending.
How do you plan to save the village money in tough economic times without jeopardizing services?: By being fiscally responsible and assuring maximum value in spending taxpayers? funds.
Number of village council meetings previously attended: Enough to know the wheels have come off the cart.

Village council: four-year term
(vote for three)

Name: Aileen Champion
Age: 57
Family: I am single with three grown children, Shawn, Emily and Jessica. All of them attended Brandon Schools from K-12 and have all gone on to complete their higher education.
Occupation: Employed at the 52/2 District Court for 20 years. I am the law clerk for Judge Kelley Kostin.
Education, experience and skills: I graduated from North Farmington H.S. and attended Western Michigan University. I served on the Ortonville Village Council from 1981- 2000. I served on the board for the Brandon Township Library Board, PAG (Parent Awareness Group) at H T Burt Elementary.
Which issues do you most want to address if elected and how will you do this?: The lack of consistent and timely attention to citizen concerns. There is a shameful lack of communication between village management, the village council and the DPW.
How do you plan to save the village money in tough economic times without jeopardizing services?: Salaries and benefits are two of the largest budget issues facing the village. I would insist on timely personnel reviews, including tasks assigned to and completed by all village employees. There may be room for changes in staff, freeing up funds for other line items.
Number of village council meetings previously attended: If you mean currently, then 6-8 in the last few months, if you mean ever????’then too many to count.

Name: Daniel T. Eschmann
Previous office/term: None
Age:48
Occupation: A loyal employee for PPG Industries for 21 years. I am a Business Manager responsible for millions of dollars in sales and manage 10 direct employees and numerous indirect employees.
Family: I am married to my wife, Elizabeth, for 18 years. We have two sons, Jacob, 13-years-old and Joshua, who is 9-years-old. Both attend Brandon schools.
Education, experience and skills: My education is electronic engineering, my 21 years? experience with PPG Industries has provided me with many skill sets. If elected, I will bring these skills to our village council.
Which issues do you most want to address if elected and how will you do this?: Budget allocations / spending, Detailed Sewer project plan, Employee accountability and bring together the DDA, Chamber of commerce, village council and Main Street for common goals / direction. Need sound decision making.
How do you plan to save the village money in tough economic times without jeopardizing services?: Regular budget reviews are needed. Budget allocations need to be proven, not carried over year to year. Decision to spend budget dollars on borrowed equipment is not an acceptable practice.
Number of village council meetings previously attended: I have attended all meetings with the exception of a couple since January 2007. These meetings lack leadership, active involvement, budget reviews and council diversity that creates ideas.

Name: Marcy Hanes (I), village resident since 1999
Previous office/term: Council Trustee for 6 years
Age: 51
Occupation: Employed 6 years at Drake Wood Manor, an assisted living home for the elderly.
Family: Married for 33 years. Children: Jason, 28, living in California; Michael, 26, and Katie, 19, an Oakland University student.
Education: West Bloomfield High School 1974 graduate. Founder of ‘Ortonville Specials,? a monthly social for impaired adults for the past 7 years.
Which issues do you most want to address if elected and how will you do this? Clean safe parks for our families and the small town atmosphere are very dear to me. Open communication with residents, listening to their concerns and ideas.
How do you plan to save the village money in tough economic times without jeopardizing services?
Staff numbers need to be looked at, as well as employee evaluations. All employees need to be held responsible for their job performance.
Number of village council meetings previously attended: N/A

Name: Mary Kassuba (I)
Previoius office/term: 4 year term
Age: 64
Occupation: Office Manager
Family: Three children and six grandchildren
Education, experience and skills: Graduated from Brandon Schools. Served on the Council for 17 years. Involved in Government for the last 20 years.
Which issues do you most want to address if elected and how will you do this? Change the current image of the Village Office and the DPW through better communication. There needs to be better communication between the Council and the Manager. The entire Village staff needs to be more receptive to issues that are important to the residents.
How do you plan to save the village money in tough economic times without jeopardizing services? Much of the Village’s infrastructure is maintenance. We need to prioritize projects according to importance, get competitive bids when purchasing and or repairing equipment. Get competitive bids when purchasing products.
Number of village council meetings previously attended:Attended council meetings for the last 17 years.

Name: Michael Via
Previous office/term: None
Age: 51
Occupation: Program/Account Manager for Cooper Standard, an automotive tier 1 supplier.
Family: I’ve been married to Geri, for 27 years. My daughter, Christina, graduated from Brandon and the University of Michigan. My son, Mike, graduated from Brandon and attends Michigan Tech.
Education, experience and skills: I have a bachelor’s degree form the University of Virginia and I am a certified Project Management Professional. I have held several engineering and project management positions over 30 years.
Which issues do you most want to address if elected and how will you do this?:
The current council has failed to listen to village residents. I will work to make sure resident concerns are addressed in a timely manner to the benefit of all residents.
How do you plan to save the village money in tough economic times without jeopardizing services?:
During these times money should be spent on what the village needs, not what the village council wants. I’ll spend money like it’s coming out of my pocket, not yours.
Number of village council meetings previously attended: I have attended council meetings since May 14. Since that time it has been evident that a change in direction is necessary.

Village council: partial term ending Sept. 28, 2009
(vote for one)

Name: Larry Hayden (I)
Previous office/term: Appointed at the end of 2005 to fill vacated village trustee position.
Age: 48
Occupation: Systems Administrator for Continental, a global automotive supplier.
Family: Wife, Robin, and sons, Alex and Logan.
Education, experience and skills: BS in Information Technology, 4 years? previous experience on Village Council, more than 30 years problem solving skills.
Which issues do you most want to address if elected and how will you do this?: Better planning and projections for budget, would like to see village operate in a more professional manner. Sewers are essential, but we must plan carefully to avoid mistakes.
How do you plan to save the village money in tough economic times without jeopardizing services?: Five and 10 year plans are needed. All Village assets and infrastructure should be on a life-cycle management plan, including streets, sidewalks, and vehicles.
Number of village council meetings previously attended: Too numerous to count.

Name:Melanie I. Nivelt
Previous office/term: Have not held a previous seat on the Village Council.
Age: 43
Occupation: Self-employed as a photography agent representing 10 commercial photographers worldwide. Estimate, budget and hire crews from all over the world to shoot nationally renowned advertising agencies.
Family: Born and raised in Michigan. Reside in the Village with my husband of 19 years, John, and my 12-year old son, Blake, who is entering the 7th grade.
Education, experience and skills: Degree in Communications and Advertising from Oakland University. Worked in adversiting for 23 years. Responsibilities include budgets and day-to-day business decisions. I am thorough, organized and results oriented.
Which issues do you most want to address if elected and how will you do this? Master plan, sewers and budget. We need decisions made, timetables established and accountability. Communicate through public forums, meetings on cable, updated website, special committee meetings. Input from taxpayers is a must.
How do you plan to save the village money in tough economic times without jeopardizing services?: Fiscal responsibility of the budget. Consolidate services with townships and surrounding areas so we are looked at more favorably when it comes time for state-shared revenue. Raising taxes unacceptable.
Number of Village council meetings previously attended: Attended for the last year on a consistent basis.