Following Tuesday's Primary, Lima Twp. Supervisor Candidate Craig Maier is Eager to Lead Community

LIMA TOWNSHIP — In a resounding voice, voters in Lima Township took to the polls on Tuesday to the township's next supervisor.

Maier defeated incumbent in the Republican primarily, receiving 456 votes to Unterbrink's 79. Roughly 700 of the 2,685 registered voters cast ballots on Tuesday, awarding Maier 80 percent of the vote.

"I'm extremely happy and honored to receive the support of our local residents," Maier said. "I think a lot of our success had to do with my campaign staff and the community. We held several meetings that regularly attracted 40 to 50 people and the campaign just took off from there."

A former member of the U.S. Army Reserve Corps of Engineers, Maier currently serves as Public Works Superintendent for the City of Chelsea.

Though he is currently unopposed in the November election, Maier said its too early to discuss plans for assuming his new position.

"Right now my plan is to start developing relationships with the staff, the Planning Commission, and the Zoning Board of Appeals so I can start to get my feet wet," he said.

Maier said the biggest issues facing the township now are road and bridge maintenance, zoning issues, and neighborhood integrity.

"One thing we have to look at is the township budget in order to obtain the most road services possible," he said. "There's also several ordinances we passed recently that we may want to revise or retract."

As for his opponent, Maier said Unterbrink has provided valuable leadership to township residents for the past 12 years.

"I'm not going to throw stones or point fingers," he said. "The main point I want to stress is that I plan to work in the spirit of cooperation and friendliness with businesses and residents, which has been an issue in the past.

"Ken (Unterbrink) served as supervisor for 12 years and obviously people thought there needed to be a change in direction."

In a letter to the editor, Renee Kozminski, a resident of Sharon Township, expressed admiration for the supervisor.

"Ken Unterbrink is a true leader and an exemplary public servant in the true sense of the phrase. He has worked tirelessly for the best interest of the people of Lima Township during his tenure as township supervisor, without any interest in self-­aggrandizement," she wrote. "I would like to express my deep appreciation for the outstanding job Supervisor Unterbrink did for the families who live on Waldo Road in Sharon Township. Not only did he work with the Washtenaw County Road Commission to get two bridges in Lima Township restored last year, he also helped get the bridge on Waldo Road restored."

Calls to Unterbrink were not returned as of Wednesday evening.