New Bearinger Township board breaks through gender barrier

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

Members of the Bearinger Township board are blazing a trail for women serving in the public sector. As far as anyone knows, Karen Silver, supervisor; Nancy Shutes, clerk; Gale Phelps, treasurer; and trustees Kay Dowker and Patricia Augustine make up Presque Isle County?s first ever all-female township board.

Voters in the township looked past gender lines last November when Augustine (127) and Dowker (122) easily won seats over male candidates. Neither of the male candidates had more than 90 votes.

?I?m patting the gentlemen in Bearinger Township on the back for this one,? said Augustine, following a meeting earlier this month. ?They knew, if they elected Kay and I as trustees, it would create an all-female board and they went ahead and voted for us anyway.?

THE BOARD has faced scrutiny and criticism ? even during regular board meetings — but most of it stems from the bad blood created when four board members resigned a year ago.

The ladies have their supporters as well. ?I don?t look at it as gender, I look at it as individuals,? said township resident Phil Presnell. ?They are doing the job for the citizens that put them here. First, they were thrust into a situation by those who had abandoned the township, prior elected officials, and now they?ve stepped up to the plate and are learning about the operation of government and they are learning about doing the right things for the taxpayers here.? Earlier this month, the board adopted its first budget.

During the public hear

ing for the budget, which is mandated by law, Silver went through each line item. Later it was adopted during the regular session. ?I?M REALLY proud of our whole board,? said Silver. ?We work hard, and, yes, we will not always agree on everything. It is not supposed to be nod your head, business as usual. We are supposed to have different opinions and different thoughts.? Phelps believes their jobs are tougher because of what is expected.

?We did have some people in the back of the room snickering, ?it?s all women,? ? said Phelps. ?I think we have a marvelous board. We all work together really well.?

A trait which has helped them through to this point and will make it easier for people to forget gender barriers that have been broken through in tiny Bearinger Township.

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