Lance Boehmer (Traverse City City Commission At-large, Michigan, candidate 2025)
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Lance Boehmer is running for election to the Traverse City City Commission At-large in Michigan. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.
Boehmer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Lance Boehmer provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 17, 2025:
- Bachelor's: Lake Superior State University, 2011
- Gender: Male
- Religion: Christian
- Profession: Sales
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign slogan: Committed to Community, Focused on Results
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook
Elections
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Traverse City City Commission At-large (3 seats)
Lance Boehmer, Kenneth M. Funk, Mary Mills, Laura Ness, and Peter Schous are running in the general election for Traverse City City Commission At-large on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
Lance Boehmer (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| Kenneth M. Funk (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Mary Mills (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Laura Ness (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Peter Schous (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Lance Boehmer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Boehmer's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My roots are in rural Michigan, where I grew up working in my parents’ 1950s diner, learning the value of service, hard work, and knowing your neighbors. That early experience shaped how I lead today, with a deep respect for people, place, and purpose.
Professionally, my career has taken me from public service to national leadership roles in the automotive and technology sectors, where I focused on strategic growth and partnerships across the country.
Today, I lead the sales team for Motive, an automotive software company that helps dealerships use technology to better serve their customers. I also run a consulting practice here in Traverse City, helping local businesses grow through digital marketing.
But Traverse City isn’t just where I work - it’s where I’ve chosen to build a life. I serve on the Board of Directors for BATA, where we’re work - it’s where I’ve chosen to build a life. I serve on the Board of Directors for BATA, where we’re working to create more accessible, reliable transit. I volunteer with TART Trails and the Grand Traverse Safe Streets Alliance because I believe in safe, walkable, connected neighborhoods. I’m also a longtime Search and Rescue member of the Civil Air Patrol.- SMART HOUSING SOLUTIONS THAT PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER
As Commissioner, I will: - Support strategic infill development that maintains neighborhood scale - Expand affordable housing through proven tools like the Attainable Housing Act and PILOT programs - Partner with surrounding townships and the counties for regional housing solutions - Address the 2,200+ unit housing shortage with data-driven approaches
My Approach: Creative solutions that keep families here while protecting what makes TC special - YEAR-ROUND ECONOMY & LOCAL BUSINESS SUPPORT As Commissioner, I will: - Reduce barriers for small business expansion and development - Diversify our economy beyond seasonal tourism dependence - Support downtown vitality while investing in neighborhood commercial districts - Use my business software background to streamline city processes My Experience: I help businesses grow their digital presence and understand the challenges they face. I get results.
- FIX OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WITH COMPLETE STREETS As Commissioner, I will: - Prioritize residential street improvements with sidewalks, lighting, and safe routes to schools and parks - Implement complete streets design with bikes and pedestrian safety top of mind - Use my federal funding experience to secure additional infrastructure dollars - Apply environmental best practices to all street and utility projects Why I'm Qualified: I've secured over $60 million in transportation funding and serve on the BATA board of directors. I understand our local transit system and am also vested in our community’s safety.
This office has unique authority over land use decisions that shape neighborhood character, transportation systems that connect people to opportunity, and local economic development that determines whether working families can afford to stay in the community they love.
Jobs was a great business grower, solutioneer, and speaker who could take complex concepts and bring everyone together around shared solutions.
My parents - retired teachers and lifelong community volunteers - showed me that real public service means showing up consistently for your neighbors. They taught me to innovate and communicate clearly and to serve others with integrity.
Commissioners should foster an environment where local businesses can thrive, from downtown to neighborhood commercial districts, because when small businesses succeed, so does our community. We're responsible for transparent governance with robust public engagement before major decisions, especially around TIF usage and development approvals. Ultimately, our job is creating a Traverse City where teachers, firefighters, young families, and retirees can all afford to live and thrive in the community they serve.
The Commission's role in TIF district creation and management is particularly powerful but often misunderstood - these tools can drive essential infrastructure and housing development when used transparently and strategically. Additionally, the Commission's zoning and planning authority directly determines whether we can address our housing crisis through smart infill development and rental programs while preserving neighborhood character.
Fresh perspectives from people who've run businesses, managed multi-million dollar budgets, and worked directly with residents often bring innovative approaches that career politicians might miss. Growing up working in my family's diner and now helping businesses grow their presence gives me a real-world understanding of the challenges facing local entrepreneurs and working families.
Understanding budgets, infrastructure systems, and economic development helps commissioners make informed decisions about complex municipal challenges. My background in business and federal funding gives me practical expertise in process improvement and grant procurement that can benefit taxpayers.
Unlike county or state positions, commissioners deal with the sidewalks families walk on, the streets they drive, the neighborhoods they call home, and the local businesses they support.
This office has unique authority to shape community character through zoning decisions, infrastructure investments, and economic development policies that determine whether Traverse City remains affordable and accessible for working families.
City Commissioner: Heather Shaw,
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ "Email with Michigan Secretary of State," September 11, 2025
