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Wender returns as Dickinson chairman

HENRY WENDER

IRON MOUNTAIN — Henry Wender of Breitung Township, who has 30 years of experience on the Dickinson County Board, was elected Wednesday in a 3-2 vote to serve a 12th straight year as chairman.

Wender, who voted for himself, was supported by fellow Republicans Joe Stevens of Kingsford and Barbara Kramer of Iron Mountain, while Democrat John Degenaer Jr. of Norway was nominated by newly elected Democrat Kevin Pirlot of Iron Mountain.

Stevens, who is entering his 25th year on the board, returns as vice chairman over Degenaer after a similar 3-2 vote along party lines.

Pirlot expressed an interest in serving as liaison to the Dickinson County Healthcare System Board of Trustees, but Stevens will continue in that role. Otherwise, Pirlot will take over most of the committee assignments formerly held by Ann Martin, the Republican incumbent he defeated in November. One exception is finance chairman, which Wender said he will handle until further notice.

Kramer, who is starting her seventh year as a commissioner, remains the board’s delegate to the Dickinson-Iron Community Services Agency. Degenaer, entering his 21st year, is a longtime leader of the county’s Fair Board.

Commissioners took up no new business at the reorganizational session, but Stevens indicated an update is expected on the status of DCHS’s restructuring effort. Nearly a month ago, Venable LLP attorney Bart Stupak asked the board to consider backing a $7 million line of credit for financially troubled DCHS until a long-term federal loan can be secured.

Last week, during the board’s final meeting of 2018, Wender said the future of DCHS will depend on the guidance of Stupak and the hospital’s interim administrators. “The county board does not run the hospital,” he said. “The success of this (restructuring) is in their lap, not the county board.”

Although DCHS is legally tied to the county as a subsidiary unit, taxpayers now carry no financial liability if it should fail.

Wender, meanwhile, listed several county accomplishments in other areas, including the transfer of the former Crystal Lake Community Center to the Northern Lights YMCA; energy upgrades at the courthouse and correctional center; a runway rehabilitation and record passenger traffic at Ford Airport; community and business support for Lake Antoine Park; the fairgrounds in Norway thriving; and the county veterans affairs office firmly established.

Regular county board meetings are at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of the month in the circuit courtroom of the courthouse.

Finance meetings are scheduled for the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 26, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.

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