| Incumbent Dan Wilczynski speaks to Walbridge residents during a session which was intended to be a debate between the three mayoral candidates for Walbridge. (Photos: Enoch Wu/Sentinel-Tribune) |
WALBRIDGE – It was a one-man show at the village mayoral debate on Tuesday.
Of the three candidates running for mayor, only one – incumbent Dan Wilczynski – was in attendance.
Peeved about the lack of notice and not knowing the format, candidates Ron Liwo and Stewart
"Al" Murphy boycotted the forum. They also said they had schedule conflicts.
"This reputed ‘campaign forum’ is nothing more than Mr. Wilczynski attempting to generate some
attention to his faltering campaign," Liwo and Murphy said in a joint statement that was
hand-delivered to reporters near the end of the hour-long forum.
Murphy also posted a huge, lighted sign in his Union Street lawn that said "There’s no debate. Vote
for Murphy."
After the meeting, Wilczynski said he wished the men would have contacted him.
"No one ever asked me to change the date," he said. "This was an idea I thought would
benefit the community."
Reached by phone later in the evening, Murphy said, "I’m not going toe to toe with this guy."
He added that Wilczynski is unresponsive to ideas for change.
"We’ve talked about them until our head hurts. There’s no debate. The people want this village
back," Murphy said.
Liwo could not be reached Tuesday night for further comment.
Wilczynski said he hoped the pre-election forum could be an annual event that would include all the
candidates in the village, plus Lake Township. About 20 residents attended the event held at the VFW
hall.
"This was all kind of last-minute because it was a late idea that I had," Wilczynski said.
He offered moderator Tim Krugh, president of the Lake Board of Education, a chance to talk about the
school district’s tax issue. Voters will decide a new 4.75-mill, five-year operating levy on Tuesday.
| A sign boycotting a mayoral debate outside of the residence of Al Murphy, one of three candidates for the Walbridge mayoral race. |
Then Wilczynski opened the forum up to take questions.
And the first one was for … Nathan Eikost, a Lake board member who is running for Walbridge Council.
Glenn Hecox asked him what he would bring to council.
"I think communication can always be improved," Eikost said.
The council incumbents, Maureen Jacobsen and Kathy Heldt, were offered a chance to talk. "This is a
mayoral debate," Jacobsen said, demurring.
Wilczynski ended up addressing a range of questions involving property maintenance, legalizing golf carts
for village streets, the limited comment time at council meetings, garbage pickup and economic
development.
"We’ve got a lot of empty buildings on Main Street that need something in them," said Butch
Slone.
Wilczynski said council recently made a $20,000 offer on the Owl’s Nest building on the corner of Main
and Union streets. If the village buys the building, the plan is to take it down and put more parking on
it.
The mayor also addressed his absenteeism.
With his former job, he missed about half of the council meetings, which are held twice a month. His new
job, he said, will only call him away from town 20 weeks a year.
An "electronic tether" keeps him wired into Walbridge and any issues that need attention. He
estimated the mayor’s job takes about 40 hours a month.
Wilczynski added that he donated his $7,200 annual salary back to the village last year.
