Citing dysfunction on the current Livingston County Board of Commissioners, Meghan Williams has thrown her hat into the Aug. 4 primary ring in her first-ever political campaign, challenging Wes Nakagiri in District 4, which includes Hartland Township and parts of Oceola Township.
“The Livingston County Board of Commissioners has degraded from a functional governmental body to one in which members fight among themselves and with their constituents” she said. “I believe that my election will help move the focus back on results rather than political gamesmanship. I am a problem solver who works well with people.”
Williams said that instead of waging culture wars, she will instead focus on serving her constituents. And she said she isn’t looking to use a seat on the county board as a launching pad for higher office.
“I just want to continue service to my county in a new role,” she said. “I can contribute to the board in a way that Wes (Nakagiri) is not. I will listen to experts and to my constituents more than what he does. I will bring some common sense; I’ll be truthful and try my best to do what my constituents want.”
Williams said that through her interactions with various departments in Livingston County she’s met some “very smart and energetic county employees.”
“Unfortunately, my opponent’s constant attacks have resulted in many of them retiring early or leaving for other jobs,” she said. “That brain drain is a significant loss to county taxpayers, especially in this tight labor market.”
She said the infighting on the county board costs residents in other ways as well.
“State and federal transportation funds are vetted through the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments,” she said. “If the Livingston County board doesn’t work cooperatively with other units of government, we simply won’t get the road funding dollars we deserve.”
Williams points to the septage receiving station on Runyan Lake Road, which she said has has been a point of friction between the county’s Board of Public Works and the Hartland Township Board of Trustees, as an example of where her practical engineering experience would benefit resolving issues.
“County commissioners should not be constantly fighting with township, city and village officials,” she said. “When the township and the county fight each other, no one wins. I think what’s needed is more common-sense government that pays attention to what the townships need instead of trying to micromanage.”
Williams, who is 29, said that while she doesn’t believe in employment quotas, the all-male county board with an average age of nearly 57 means that 70% of Livingston County’s residents are underrepresented by age, and half have no representation by gender. “My election would address both problems,” she said.
Williams is the daughter of Steve Williams, who was denied re-appointment to his seat on the Huron Clinton Metroparks Board by Nakagiri in 2021. No slouch when it comes his own conservative bona fides, Williams ran afoul of Nakagiri because the Metroparks board he sat on supported the organization’s diversity training for its employees. (You can click here to read more.)
Williams is a design engineer for Pratt Miller, a high-performance vehicle engineering and product development. A Howell High School graduate, she attended Michigan State University and Michigan Technological University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology. She has been an active community volunteer for many years and has supported Cornerstone Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Right to Life, 4-H, the American Red Cross, Few Steps From Home animal rescue, and the Four Wheelers of Michigan Tech.
Her stepmother, Heather Williams, is also running for a spot on the county board, challenging current chair Jay Drick in District 5, which includes the City of Howell and Marion Township.
