A Voice For Hayes Township

Vote For Laura Ford For Hayes Township Clerk

I pledge to be a trusted steward for all Hayes Township residents, and this beautiful landscape.

About Me

I was born and raised in Michigan. I spent summers on Torch Lake as a child and have come to appreciate the beauty and strength of Northern Lower Michigan. I retired in 2020 from my clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner in the Kalamazoo Area, working in a Rural Health Clinic setting for the last 16 years of practice. I teach Undergraduate and Graduate students Health Policy and Law (18 years) currently for WMU and at U of M, Ferris, & MSU. I enjoy gardening, travel, vintage cars, and my dogs. I am learning to golf, play ukulele, MahJongg, and Bridge. I live year round here in Charlevoix, and love the access to waterways to kayak and swim, boat and just enjoy the environment.

Endorsements

Charlevoix County Democrat Executive Committee
Hayes Voters for Change

Community Involvement

I am a member of the Drawbridge Ukulele Band, Charlevoix Circle of the Arts patron, contributor to Charlevoix Community Pool, member of First United Congregational Church of Charlevoix, Charlevoix Friends of the Public Library, Charlevoix Garden Club member, Little Traverse Bay Quilt Guild member, and the highway roadside clean up crew for Garden Club that picks up on US 31 in Hayes Township.

Watch my Interview with Hayes Voters For Change

My goals for being the Hayes Township Clerk:

Be an effective and trusted steward of Hayes Township Residents' property and tax revenues
Maintain policy and procedure as outlined in MCL (Michigan Complied Law). The primary mandated functions of townships: A. Assessing, B. Tax Collection, and C. Elections Administration.
Serve to uphold protection of the property within Hayes Township, and Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan watershed by holding residents and officials accountable to the Zoning Ordinance and Michigan Environmental Protection Law.
Support local Parks and Recreation facilities - both indoors (e.g. Charlevoix Public Pool and Charlevoix Library) and outdoors (Hayes Township Public Park/ Camp SeaGull, natural preserves, bike and hike trail, all shorelines).
Serve as an effective and trusted communicator of Township business and records.
Be an advocate for township residents by listening, and applying ordinances that protect our beautiful community.

I Pledge The Following:

I will serve all the residents of Hayes to carry out three major responsibilities of the office: township recordkeeping, financial operations, and elections. I will listen and advocate for all Hayes Township residents, being mindful of local, state, and federal regulations which guide practice. I pledge to be an effective and trusted steward of the office of Clerk.