Former Howell Rec Leader Seeking Commission Seat
Saying Livingston County’s leaders have divided the community and let public services deteriorate, the former director of the Howell Melon Festival is seeking a position on the Livingston County Commission.
Amelia Purdy-Ketchum of Oceola Township is a lifelong Livingston County resident who is seeking the seat in County Commission District 4 because she wants to restore faith in county government and a feeling of community in the county.
“Times have certainly changed Hartland and Livingston County in my lifetime, but local politics have been a bit sideways for a long time,” she said.
“Our community has been mismanaged too many times and unfortunately our residents don’t trust our government with their money. This ends in budget cuts and failed millages, both of which cripple non-profits and social services in Livingston County. Libraries, parks and recreation, and schools have endured decades of extremely conservative board members who don’t believe in a living wage or decent benefits for their employees. Then the employees leave to find acceptable wages, and our public institutions lose their most valuable resource. We are at the point where our public servants are nearly volunteering their time to do their jobs, and that’s criminal.”
“The majority of residents of the county use and value public services. They create a sense of community. We’ve all sensed a loss of that community connection in the last few decades.”
Purdy-Ketchum said right-wing extremists use Livingston County as a political battleground, pressuring the commission to fight measures to end the pandemic and even refusing $1.5 million in federal dollars to fund the county health department.
“Our board of commissioners failed us during this pandemic,” Purdy-Ketchum said. “Their antics have damaged the public’s view of government services, and they have turned public meetings into a battleground with their lack of leadership. The public schools, our health care system, and our working class need the support of our leaders. Instead, they’re getting nothing but lies, division, and disorganization.”
Purdy-Ketchum is the only Democrat seeking the nomination for County Commission District 4, which includes precincts 3 and 4 in Oceola Township and all of Hartland Township.
Purdy-Ketchum has worked for local governments since 2013, including for the city of Novi, Howell Recreation, and now a community library. With Howell Recreation, she staged creative events during the pandemic, including a drive-through laser light show with trick-or-treating at the City Park, and a drive-through parade with the Howell Chamber in lieu of the Fantasy of Lights, which won awards.
During the summer of 2021, the local GOP attacked Purdy-Ketchum for booking a drag queen bingo event for the Saturday night beer tent at the Howell Melon Festival. The City of Howell bowed to the pressure, with the then-mayor attacking Purdy-Ketchum at a public meeting as she tried to stand firm on community values of inclusion. The city caved in to the pressure, the event was cancelled, and the Melon Fest scaled back to just a few events for one day.
Purdy-Ketchum and four generations of our family live on an Oceola Township farm that has been in the family since the 1940s. She and her husband, Andrew Ketchum, have a three-year-old daughter. She is a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brighton.
Purdy-Ketchum has a master’s of science degree in administration and an undergraduate degree in health fitness and cardiac rehabilitation, both from Central Michigan University. She graduated from Hartland Consolidated Schools.
For more information, visit Purdy-Ketchum’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Amelia4LivCo, or reach out to her via email at apk4livgov@gmail.com.
