GOP voters should pick Hoffman

Highland Township voters — as well as those registered in Springfield, Holly and Rose townships, and the Village of Holly — have a slate of three Republican candidates to choose from on Tuesday, May 3 to represent the GOP against Democrat Mark Venie in the Aug. 2 special election being held to fill the partial Oakland County Board of Commissioners term that expires on Dec. 31, 2012. Voters in those communities need to look no further than the man currently representing the Board of Commissioners 2nd District — Bob Hoffman (R-Highland) — for the right person to represent the Republican Party against Venie, a perennial Democratic candidate for the job.

The special primary election next week is being held because Bill Bullard, Jr., the person who used to hold that seat, was named Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds following the election of Ruth Johnson, formerly the county’s top elections official, as Michigan Secretary of State. Subsequently, Hoffman was appointed as Bullard’s successor, but only until this special election can be held.

County commissioners typically serve two-year terms and earn $32,093 annually. Whoever wins the Aug. 2 special election will serve a term running through Dec. 31, 2012.

Hoffman, who is in his second stint as an appointed Oakland County commissioner and is a former Waterford Township supervisor, has the conservative bona fides to represent the strongly Republican district that represents four townships and a village in the northwestern quadrant of the county. He is staunchly against tax increases and flexed his fiscal conservatism in his support of a proposed law that would make this current election a moot point, thereby saving the district’s communities tens of thousands of dollars.

But Hoffman, a 60-year-old Highland Township resident, in spite of his Republican credentials also credits both Republicans and Democrats on the county board with their service to their constituents, saying that everyone on the board represents their districts “quite well.” This shows he has the ability to reach across the aisle to gain bipartisan support for his own initiatives.

Frankly, the other candidates didn’t provide a reason why Hoffman needs to be replaced on the board. He struck us as a steward of taxpayer dollars, someone with the requisite connections on the board and county administration, and knowledge of local government who would continue to represent 2nd District voters well. He deserves the GOP nomination.