No contest for Orchard Lake council seats

Three candidates have filed paperwork to seek three open seats on the Orchard Lake City Council in the Nov. 6 general election.

The terms of current Council Members Jerry Kosmensky and Jackie Beach, as well as Mayor Bruce McIntyre, expire in November.

The filing deadline for candidates was 4 p.m. yesterday, Tuesday, Aug. 7.

Kosmensky and McIntyre are term-limited and therefore ineligible to run for re-election this year. According to Orchard Lake’s charter, council members can serve two consecutive three-year terms before having to vacate their seats. All council positions are non-partisan.

Beach filed candidacy paperwork to seek re-election. She has served one term on the council since being elected in 2009. She also served on the Planning Commission between April 2005 and November 2009.

“I care about my community, a well-run community and I believe we have that,” Beach said. “We went through a major transition with (former clerk) Jan Green and (former police chief) Fred Rosenau retiring and I helped with that.

“I care about quality police service and want to make sure that continues. I’m also fiscally conservative by setting a budget and staying with it,” she said.

Jim Talpos, a familiar face on the council on and off since November 1998, has also pledged to run for a council seat.

Talpos has served five terms on the council, including as mayor and mayor pro tem. His last term expired in November 2011.

“I want to add value to council and to the city,” Talpos said. “I like giving back to the city and enjoy the lake and woodlands here. I want to do my part so things don’t change a whole lot.”

A fairly new resident to Orchard Lake, Jason Silver, is already getting involved by filing candidacy paperwork to run for a council seat. This will be Silver’s first stint on the council.

City council positions are voluntary posts, and council members receive no compensation for their service.