Isabella County results for prosecuting attorney, probate judge and road commission
Midterm election results for Isabella County have concluded that David R. Barberi will serve as the next prosecuting attorney, Stuart Black was elected as probate judge and Bob Busch and Kelly Beltinck were chosen as road commissioners.
Barberi, Prosecuting Attorney
Republican David Barberi will serve as Isabella County’s prosecuting attorney after receiving 11,914 votes in the county compared to his opponent Larry King's 9,968 votes.
The position was vacated by Risa Hunt-Scully after she left the prosecutor's office in February to take a position at the Michigan Attorney General’s office, half-way through her second term. Barberi won the primary election in August, beating out fellow Republican candidates David Gilbert and Robert Holmes.
Barberi studied as an undergrad at Central Michigan University, later earning his Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Barberi worked as a public defender and at his father’s firm, Barberi Law. He has also served on Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and as President of the Isabella County Bar Association.
King, is a 2008 graduate from Wayne State University, and graduated Cum Laude from Ohio Northern University Law School in 2014. While in law school, King worked in the Wexford and Grand Traverse county prosecutors' offices, and has served as an assistant prosecutor in Isabella County since 2014.
In Michigan, the county prosecuting attorney is tasked with representing the government in court. The office is independent of the state attorney general. A prosecutor is the chief law enforcement official in Isabella County.
Black, Probate Judge
Black will be Probate Judge of Isabella County for a six-year term, which would make him the first African American judge in the county.
Black received 10,125 votes compared to his opponent Sara Spencer-Noggle's 9,557 votes in the county.
He will replace Judge William Ervin, who is retiring.
Black graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cooley Law School in Lansing and has spent his career working at the Isabella County Prosecutor's Office.
He lives in Mount Pleasant, raising two sons, Marcus and Miles, with his wife, Carlin who is an English professor at Central Michigan University.
Outside of work, Black is a volunteer soccer coach for Mount Pleasant Parks and Recreation.
As probate judge, Black will make decisions regarding cases that deal with estate matters, adoptions and guardianship.
“The probate court, commonly known as the "helping court," serves and protects our most vulnerable citizens, including children, vulnerable adults, and individuals with mental health needs,” Black said in a previous interview with Central Michigan Life. “As a father of two young boys and the lead prosecutor in abuse and neglect cases, I have a strong desire to be a voice for those whose voices are not typically heard.”
Black’s focus as probate judge will be on implementing a mental health court in the county. For the past year, he said he has been working with Community Mental Health, law enforcement officers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and substance abuse providers to “initiate a court that holds individuals with mental health needs accountable while also connecting them with services they need.”
“Assisting those who are most in need versus just incarcerating them is primarily what I am about.” he said.
Busch and Beltinck, road commissioners
Busch and Beltinck will be Isabella County Road Commissioners, each serving a six-year term.
Busch was the only democrat running for road commissioner, receiving 10,467 votes. Beltinck, Republican, secured the other position with 11,650 votes.
Busch received his Bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Montana and is currently the owner of Buckley’s Mountainside Canoes, a family owned company based in Mount Pleasant.
Kelly Beltinck would be be re-elected to the Isabella County Road Commission, serving a six-year term.
Beltinck’s top priority on the Road Commission is to continue to improve the roads and paying more attention to the roads that need improving. He is a farmer for Cornerstone Acres, a Northern Michigan Company that specializes in raising Boer and Boer/Kiko cross goats.
According to www.isabellaroads.com, county road commissions were created in 1909 with two primary goals: to provide uniformity in road construction and maintenance across the state and provide cost-efficient and high-quality road services for local roads.
County road commissions hold monthly, and in some cases weekly, meetings in which the public is encouraged to attend. They also schedule public hearings meant to inform the public on various road and safety issues.
Every county road commission has a board of commissioners that consist of three members. In Isabella County commissioners are elected.
There are 82 county road commissions across Michigan. County road commissions are not a part of general county government, with the only exception being Wayne County.
