By Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com


There’s no clear sailing for school board candidates in four out of the five Livingston County K-12 school districts, where there will be opposition in the November election.

Tuesday at 4 p.m. was the filing deadline for Board of Education seats in the state of Michigan. The only county district without opposition is Pinckney, where there are three candidates for that number of seats.

In Brighton there is considerable competition with seven candidates, include three incumbents, running for four-year terms. They include current Board Vice President Alicia Reid, Secretary Roger Myers and Treasurer Bill Trombley. Also on the ballot are former board member John Conely, along with Caitlin Perry Dial, Catherine Tillies, and Patti Dunbar. Conely did not seek another term when his second term expired in 2018 but now wants to serve again, saying there is unfinished business. Board President Andy Burchfield, whose term will expire at the end of the year, previously announced he would not be running for reelection.

The Fowlerville Community Schools has the most candidates running, with eight contenders for four, 4-year seats on the board. They are incumbent Board President Mike Brown and seven newcomers: Steve Arbenowske, Susan Spagnuolo Charron, Ron Drinkert, Gary Helfmann, Bob Hinton, Rob Mangan and Amy Sova.

In Hartland, there is light opposition with three candidates - Kristen Coleman, Brandon Gadbury and Bill Gatewood - vying for 2, 6-year terms.

In Howell, there are four candidates for two, 4-year seats on the board, including incumbents: current Secretary Marcus Wilcox and Trustee Michael Yenshaw, along with challengers Adam Doby and Crystal Zurek. In addition, a pair of incumbents are running unopposed for two, 6-year seats on the Howell Board: current President Stacy Pasini and Treasurer Courtney Tarara.

In Pinckney, just three candidates for three, 6-year terms on the board - all of them incumbents. The candidates include current Board Vice President Matt Maciag, Secretary Bethany Mohr, and Trustee James Velasco.

In Fenton, which includes parts of Genesee, Oakland and Livingston counties, there are five candidates for two, 6-year seats on the board, along with one partial term. The candidates include incumbent trustees Emily Rossmaessler and Lynn Hopper, plus challengers Tonya Coffin, Matthew Welch and Jonathon Crane, with incumbent Trustee Scott Pushman the lone candidate for the 2-year term.

In Linden, four candidates are vying for three, 6-year terms, including Shari Luck, the lone incumbent. The others running are Jarrod Montague, David Haney, and Marlene Jones.

In the Whitmore Lake School District of Washtenaw County, just two incumbents on the ballot for two, 6-year terms -Trustee Lee Cole and Secretary incumbents Lisa McCully.

In the South Lyon School District, which is mostly in Oakland County, also no opposition, with three candidates for three positions. The terms are for six years. The candidates include incumbent Board Secretary Anthony Abbate and Trustee Daniel Schwegler, along with newcomer Martin Leftwich.

And, in the Huron Valley School District of Oakland County, likewise, no opposition with just two incumbent candidates for a pair of 6-year terms: Board President Thomas Wiseman Secretary Denise Pistana.

The general election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd.