Rural communities across Michigan are struggling to find residents willing to serve in local government, leaving some township and village officials facing the prospect of staying in office long after they planned to leave.

Local Government Challenges

A University of Michigan survey found more than three-quarters of Michigan townships and villages are struggling to recruit people for elected or appointed positions. Even when candidates do step forward, many local races are uncontested.

In Pellston, an Emmet County village of roughly 800 people, the challenge has kept an 87-year-old retired airline pilot in a job he had hoped to leave behind. James Gillett returned to his hometown after retiring from United Airlines in 1996 and was asked to join the village board. Within a year, he became village president.

Gillett said he frequently hears residents say they do not want to get involved in local government, even as those same residents voice frustrations about decisions made by village officials. The position pays $14,000 a year.

Broader Issue

Research from the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy found that recruiting residents to serve in local government has become a challenge for a large majority of the state’s townships and villages. Community leaders pointed to several reasons, including weaker connections between neighbors and community organizations than in previous generations.

Local government jobs have also become more complicated while compensation has remained relatively low. Positions that once could be handled with a few hours of work each month can now involve greater regulatory requirements, public meetings, infrastructure decisions, budgets, and other responsibilities.

Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.