Viewpoint: John Slivon, Hancock City Council candidate

HANCOCK -- My name is John Slivon and I am running as a write-in candidate for the Hancock City Council, Ward III. My reason for running is that the City of Hancock is poised to make some important decisions that will impact its future and I want to be part of that decision-making process to insure a positive outcome for the city in both the short term and the long term. I feel that the city has been pressured to satisfy some short-term needs but in the process of fulfilling these needs has lost sight of its long-term future.

John Slivon, write-in candidate for Ward III, Hancock City Council, addresses members of the City Council during the public comment period of a recent meeting in the Hancock City Hall Council Chambers. (Photo © 2008 Michele Bourdieu)

Of major concern to me is the transfer of public recreation land from the public sector to the private sector, the Hancock waterfront being the prime example. Another major example is the unresolved issue with Government Lot 5, which also includes the land around the mouth of Swedetown Creek. This parcel of land was given to the City of Hancock by the State of Michigan in 1941, with a requirement that it be used for park and recreational purposes only; and, if the city could not honor that requirement, the land would revert back to the State of Michigan, which, incidentally, never happened. The City of Hancock continued to maintain possession of this land with the implication that it did honor the requirement to use the land for park and recreational purposes only.

This was the state of affairs when the City Charter was adopted in 1988. By the provisions of the City Charter, sale of park property, if and when it is deemed desirable, is governed by the citizens of Hancock by a majority vote rather than by any action by the City Council. I believe that the City Council needs to acknowledge the City Charter and the intent of the original deed and get beyond this issue by acknowledging the land as a city park. Had it not been for the diligence of a concerned group of citizens, doing work that some city officials did not do, the land adjoining the lower part of Swedetown Creek might now be in private ownership. The transfer of public lands such as these to the private sector only serves to make Hancock a less, not more, desirable place to live. I want Hancock to be a more desirable place to live. I want to stop the unwarranted transfer of park and recreation land to the private sector simply to satisfy a short-term need.

Now is the time to begin thinking about the city's future in a new way, a way that focuses on making the city more attractive by making it more livable for all its residents. This will help to protect our investments in our properties. The citizens can make Hancock be the city they want. However, to accomplish this the citizens must be willing to share their ideas in an open forum. They also need to have a City Council that is willing to listen to their ideas and that wants to engage in meaningful dialog with the residents in their wards. If elected to represent Ward III, I will try to be that kind of city councilor. Please write me in when you vote on November 4th. Together we can make Hancock a more desirable place to live, now and into the future.

Remember to print my name, JOHN SLIVON, and don't forget to darken the oval by my name.

Please contact me at 482-5413 if you wish more information.