An open letter to the people of Dorr Township:

We in Dorr Township have become a laughing stock, thanks to a few members of our Township Board. Over and over again, the “term limits” movement has been cited as a reason to not reappoint experienced, loyal, dedicated members of various boards and commissions.

The term limits movement was established to not allow members of government to forget their roots. Members of Congress and state officials move to Lansing or to the Washington DC area and forget the people they are charged to represent.

After living in the Washington area for years and sending their children to school in the Capital Region, having their spouses work in DC and receiving hospital care in the DC area, they become members of the Washington community and not the community they represent.

Having lived in the DC Metro region for years I can attest to the existence of this disease. To cite term limits as a reason for not reappointing a person to a Dorr board or commission who has lived in Dorr for decades, perhaps their whole life, is just plain old-fashioned dumb.

Just how in the heck can a man like Larry Dolegowski lose touch with the people of Dorr Township? Born in Dorr, living on and working a small family farm in Dorr, he walks the fields, shops the stores and drives the roads every day of his life. Larry may not have fancy degrees, but he is among the smartest and most dedicated men I have ever known.

Larry is a leader in our farming community who fully understands the complex and confusing laws, rules and regulations that govern agriculture; his expertise is sorely needed in Dorr government.

Larry has spent countless hours in classes and seminars, so he can help the 15% to 35% of the people in Dorr understand the complex laws governing the family farm. To not reappoint Larry to the Dorr Township Planning Commission is a travesty; to cite term limits as a reason is ignorance.

Let all the citizens of Dorr hold the Township Board members who are trying to use the term limits argument for their own gain to their word. Two terms for the three board members who advocate for universal limits. Simply put, they should not run for a third term and most certainly not be elected to a third term.

Please contact the Dorr Township Board and politely and calmly tell them to reappoint one of the finest public servants Dorr has ever had. Dorr needs Larry Dolegowski on the Planning Commission.

Robert M. Traxler, Dorr

EDITOR’S NOTE: Robert Traxler is vice chairman of the Dorr Township Planning Commission and chairman of the township’s Zoning Board of Appeals.