Mike Timmons: The loss of a public servant

The loss of a community leader who is well loved and admired not only by family and friends but by neighbors and constituents is especially hard when it happens, as it did in the Lakeland area this past week with the passing of Oneida County supervisor and long-time Woodruff town chairman Mike Timmons, but it’s especially so when it is sudden.

Shock accompanies grief in such cases, and this week our entire Lakeland community sought to come to terms with and mourn the loss of a man who was a rock-solid fixture and leader for so many years.

We begin by offering, on behalf of all at the newspaper, our heartfelt condolences to Mike Timmons’s family and friends. For the rest of our community, we mourn the loss of a leader who constantly fought for his constituents and the entire Northwoods. 

For years, for example, we have struggled in this region for open government, and it has been a constant tug-of-war between light and dark, between sunshine and night. The forces of open government have not always prevailed, but rest assured that Mike Timmons could be consistently counted on the side of openness, and his strength in the pursuit of transparency is one reason many battles were won.

Over the years, this newspaper has awarded the Oneida County zoning committee an “A” grade for its transparency, to cite just one example, and this year was no exception. The committee shines, and Mike was always a central reason why. 

But it’s not just open government that made Mike Timmons a leader. He was straightforward and outspoken — if sometimes softly so — in demanding answers and offering his input, based not merely on personal opinion but on the many constituents he talked with every day. No constituent of his in the county or the town was ever left without representation or voice when Mike was at the table

As town chairman, too, Mike provided that same steady hand, giving voice to the townspeople.

No relationship is ever perfect, and neither was ours. The newspaper knocked heads with Mike on more than one occasion, including on a small zoning matter just last year. However, the great thing about those situations is that he was accessible and always ready to honestly hash things out without rancor or stonewalling — just frank conversation that always led to a resolution, even if it was to agree to disagree.

And then we would all move on, without any grudges.

Perhaps it is impossible to appreciate or measure just how much impact Mike Timmons had in the town of Woodruff and in Oneida County government, but it substantial and lasting for sure. His unique leadership will never be replaced.

Through the years, he served in so many capacities that his fingerprints are all over the county. In zoning alone, his voice was ever present at hearings, but so were his ears, as he made a point to take in the public comments at meetings and hearings and to pay attention to what the public was saying.

Not only was he on the county’s zoning committee and on the county board for so long — not to mention serving as chairman of other county committees over nearly two decades of service — but he was Woodruff town chairman for more than 17 years, and he also served many years as the town’s fire chief.

Two points need to be made about all those years of service. The first is, no one survives that long in local politics without having the trust and admiration of his constituencies, and Mike certainly had that.

Second, individual positions can be filled. Supervisors and town chairpersons can be replaced, and will be. But replacing leadership and commitment are far less assured, and no one can replace the man himself, nor his integrity and passion for this area.

Mike’s style wasn’t charismatic. He wasn’t the type to dominate a meeting, instead waiting for his moment to speak his mind. But he was the type to do the homework, to visit the sites, to talk to the people, to ask tough questions — he was, in other words, the type that got things done for his people and community.

Mike Timmons will be missed, and we mourn this week the loss of a public servant whose ethics, consistency, and dedication to people are increasingly rare traits.