Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


There will be some changes in Conway Township following Tuesday’s primary election.

Mike Brown unseated incumbent Bill Grubb in the Republican race for the supervisor seat. There will also be a new treasurer, with Republican Tara Foote the top vote-getter. There were no democratic challengers in those races.

For the Board of Trustees, Republicans Sarah Porter and incumbent George Pushies will join Democrat Mike Miller in November.

A road millage renewal passed while a separate road maintenance proposal failed with 53% of the vote.

Brown is the presumptive winner in the supervisor race as he’ll be running un-opposed in November, unless there’s a write-in candidate, and would take office in December.

Brown currently serves as vice chair of the Planning Commission after being appointed last October and regularly attends township meetings. He’s lived in the Conway and Cohoctah Township areas for around 37 years.

As to why he’s running, Brown told WHMI he felt there were some things that need to be addressed at the township level and could be done a little better – including listening to residents more - and he thought some change might be good. Brown said he’s excited and a little nervous having never served as a supervisor but brings an extensive business background.

When it comes to local matters; Brown referenced green energy and solar, wind, and battery storage as an issue that needs to be finalized. He also talked about development. Brown said he believes the area is becoming ripe and prime for commercial and residential development - noting they’re starting to look at the master plan and he would like to hear what the community wants. He added the area is already starting to grow, stating a new gas station/party store is happening along with some other things.

Brown commented that a lot of people would like to keep the area the way it is, which is a hard thing to do because growth is inevitable. He said it’s about trying to manage growth so it’s not too fast and gets out of control. Brown further thanked his supporters and said he’s looking forward to hearing what people have to say, working on the master plan, and helping the township help grow at a pace everyone would like to see.