VOTER guidE 10.20 This November General Election Voter Guide provides readers with candidates' answers to questions posed by Downtown newsmagazine. To be represented in the Voter Guide, candidates had to return a questionnaire. Downtown newsmagazine's recommendations of the best candidate for each of the offices appear on the Endnote page in the final pages of this edition.
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U.S. CONGRESS – 9TH DISTRICT
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U.S. CONGRESS – 11TH DISTRICT
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MICHIGAN HOUSE – 40TH DISTRICT
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Bloomfield Township, along with Franklin, Beverly Hills, Berkley, Royal Oak, Ferndale, and parts of Macomb County, including Eastpointe, Mount Clemens, St. Clair Shores, Roseville and Clinton Township.
Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, southwest Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, west Oakland lakes area and south Oakland County, along with parts of western Wayne County, including Plymouth, Livonia and Canton.
Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and a portion of north Oakland, along with west Oakland and part of Wayne County.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE COUNTY PROSECUTOR COUNTY SHERIFF COUNTY CLERK COUNTY TREASURER WATER RESOURCES COMMISSIONER COUNTY COMMISSION – 12TH DISTRICT Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township.
COUNTY COMMISSION – 13TH DISTRICT Part of Bloomfield Township.
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP CLERK BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES BIRMINGHAM SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION BLOOMFIELD HILLS SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION
november 3 general election voter guide Bloomfield Township
U.S. CONGRESS – 9TH DISTRICT ANDY LEVIN DEMOCRAT
Levin resides in Bloomfield Township and holds undergraduate degrees from Williams College and the University of Michigan and a law degree from Harvard. He has been active in a number of religious and issue-oriented community groups. FEDERAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 How would you rate the response by the Trump administration to the coronavirus crisis that has gripped the country? Specifically, the national supply of personal protection devices and critical supplies for the medical first line responders. Likewise, was there a clear and timely national policy response on containment of the virus? And what about a national policy on reopening the economy? In the midst of a global pandemic, the federal role in health care has never been clearer. We’ve seen in real-time what happens when leadership is abdicated: we were late in preparing, the response has been chaotic, and pitting state against state in the race for personal protective equipment contributed to the deaths of over 180,000 Americans. Many who perished were from poor, minority communities. This disproportionate toll combined with the uncoordinated public health response has underscored my commitment to universal health care as embodied in the Medicare for All bill, ensuring access to quality, affordable health care. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS When President Donald Trump came to office, he and his administration began to rollback a number of environmental regulations enacted by the administration of President Obama and reversed a number of decisions from prior administrations dating back to the Clinton era that were designed to promote a cleaner environment. The last count put the total at over 100 downtownpublications.com
environmental rules that have been weakened or eliminated by the Trump administration. Do you support what the current administration has done on this front? Explain. No. The Trump administration’s environmental policy has been abysmal and denies the basic reality that climate change represents the number one existential threat that we face. We have an obligation to ensure that the planet the next generations will inherit survives and thrives. I’m committed to doing my part. I’m an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, I have pledged to do all in my power to move us in the direction of a 100 percent renewable energy future, making certain no one is left behind in an old energy career. I introduced the Electric Vehicle (EV) Freedom Act to jump start EV adoption in our nation within five years by modernizing the EV charging infrastructure on our nation’s highway system. I have sought every opportunity to fight contamination in our communities from ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS. And closer to home, doing what we can to clean up a toxic waste leak in my district in Madison Heights. This will help us to leverage broad public understanding of what we need to do to clean up our water, air and soil in this country, and to hold corporate polluters accountable. NATIONAL HEALTH CARE PLAN Despite attempts by the current administration and Republican members of Congress, a substantial number of persons continue to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare. What is your position on the current Affordable Care Act and the issue of a national health care plan in general? I support protecting the Affordable Care Act but at the same time believe we must work towards universal health care, as embodied in bills like the Medicare for All Act. It’s frankly quite shameful that we are the only developed nation in the world that does not provide health care for all its residents. We must do all we can to fix our broken health care system. SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS How can we guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations? I’m proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 860, the Social Security 2100 Act. The chief actuary of the Social Security administration has indicated that under a bill like this, nearly 12 million seniors would see a tax cut and have benefits expanded for not only existing Social Security beneficiaries but also for future recipients.
GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION What is your position on the need for added gun control legislation? Which, if any, of the following gun control measures could you support: Requiring expanded background checks? Background checks at gun shows? Banning bump stocks? Raising the age on the purchase of weapons? Banning military style weapons? I support all of the above. IMMIGRATION POLICY Should Congress move to find a common ground that will provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already located here, many of whom are working productively? Explain. The Trump administration – before the current pandemic – had imposed or in some cases proposed stricter rules for allowing immigrants to enter our country. Do you support those that have been imposed and proposed? We need comprehensive immigration reform. I’ve been active on this issue for decades, ever since I co-founded a group called Immigration Reform, Advocacy, Training and Education after the Immigration Reform and Control Act was passed in 1986. We need a reasonable system where people who have spent a certain number of years living, working and paying taxes here, can become citizens of this country over time. Ripping apart families simply because they came to the U.S. illegally or overstayed a visa many years ago is immoral and counterproductive. With birth rates dropping, we need immigrants to help revitalize our cities and inner suburbs and fill out our workforce, which otherwise will face critical shortages in the years ahead. I do not support the president’s efforts to slash legal immigration. YOUR TOP ISSUES
committed to stemming the gun violence epidemic. For starters, we need universal background checks, gun violence restraining orders, and robust enforcement of the bump stock ban. I have been seeking every opportunity to block the president’s retrograde view on women’s health and reproductive rights. I continue to fight for the rights of women to make their own choices concerning their bodies. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Why should voters support you in November as opposed to your opponent? Be specific in your comparisons. My experience – as a federal labor department attorney, as the head of a large state agency, as an entrepreneur starting a statewide clean energy finance market creating jobs for tradespeople retrofitting commercial buildings, and as one who spent decades fighting for working families at SEIU, the UAW and the AFL-CIO – has helped me serve the people of the 9th District in the U.S. House. In Congress, I have introduced 25 bills, 10 amendments, and had over 21 measures pass the House. I have championed bills to improve the rights of workers including the Raise the Wage Act and the PRO Act; investments in critical infrastructure needs including the EV Freedom Act; and led multiple efforts to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, including the CCC Act to create a nationwide testing and contact tracing program, the Coronavirus Community Relief Act which would provide $375 billion to local governments – like those in the 9th District -- which were too small to receive direct federal funding from the CARES Act. I am also proud to serve as vice chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, where I continue to advocate for access to higher education introducing bills like America’s College Promise Act.
What would you list as your top 3-5 issues that you hope to address in this next term of Congress? Ensuring the value and dignity of work has been an enduring theme in all my efforts. This means making sure that Michiganders have affordable health care, access to quality educational and training opportunities, making certain that after a lifetime of hard work Michiganders can count on Medicare, Social Security, and a meaningful pension in their retirement years. I am also focused on fighting against climate change, protecting our environment, and defending the human rights of all. At the same time, I’m working hard to drive federal investment in our infrastructure like roads, bridges, locks and mass transit that will benefit Michigan’s 9th Congressional District. I’m also
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november 3 general election voter guide Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills
U.S. CONGRESS – 11TH DISTRICT HALEY STEVENS DEMOCRAT
stockpile and secure critical supply chains. We must restore our relationship with the World Health Organization to encourage global cooperation against future pandemics and commit to coordinated, clear, and regular communication on the facts, and health and safety guidelines on a regular basis. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
Stevens, a resident of Rochester Hills, has an undergraduate degree in political science and philosophy from American University where she also earned a masters degree in philosophy. Prior to being elected to Congress, Stevens was chief of staff for the Obama administration’s U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force. FEDERAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 How would you rate the response by the Trump administration to the coronavirus crisis that has gripped the country? Specifically, the national supply of personal protection devices and critical supplies for the medical first line responders. Likewise, was there a clear and timely national policy response on containment of the virus? And what about a national policy on reopening the economy? The federal government could and should have done more, earlier, to limit the transmission of the coronavirus and make sure essential workers on the frontlines had personal protective equipment. Mixed messages from the administration on treatment, testing, medical equipment, social distancing, and the severity of the outbreak led to a mismanaged and often incoherent response resulting to date in over 190,000 lives lost. It is clear from the disbanding of the White House office focused on pandemic preparedness, and the disinvestment in the CDC, that this administration was not adequately prepared for COVID-19. As we continue to combat this pandemic and rebuild our economy, we must prioritize testing, contact tracing, social distancing, and widespread wearing of masks. The Obama-era White House office focused on pandemic preparedness must be restored. I support fully funding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and working with American manufacturers to replenish our PPE 94
When President Donald Trump came to office, he and his administration began to rollback a number of environmental regulations enacted by the administration of President Obama, and reversed a number of decisions from prior administrations dating back to the Clinton era that were designed to promote a cleaner environment. The last count put the total at over 100 environmental rules that have been weakened or eliminated by the Trump administration. Do you support what the current administration has done on this front? Explain. I firmly oppose the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle climate and environmental policies and support the enforcement of the Clean Air Act and previous environmental policies that have kept our water safe and our air clean for decades. In addition, addressing the enormous threat of climate change means that we need to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement and be the leader in reducing carbon emissions in coordination with the rest of the world. As a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I have also been a champion of clean energy, sustainable manufacturing, electric vehicle development, and emerging technology to improve our plastics recycling capability. In Michigan, we have an opportunity to lead the way in many of these areas, building a sustainable 21st Century economy and creating goodpaying Michigan jobs. We must also conserve the “Pure Michigan” environment that makes our state the most beautiful in the country while supporting thousands of jobs, which is why I have consistently fought to protect federal funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. NATIONAL HEALTH CARE PLAN Despite attempts by the current administration and Republican members of Congress, a substantial number of persons continue to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare. What is your position on the current Affordable Care Act and the issue of a national health care plan in general? Every Michigander deserves access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. The skyrocketing cost of health care and
prescription drugs is something I hear about from constituents every day. I believe we should be working to fix the Affordable Care Act, not dismantle it and leave millions of Americans without coverage. In Congress, I have fought to expand access to affordable and highquality healthcare. I helped pass legislation to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, protect people with preexisting conditions, crack down on junk insurance plans, and lower drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies. In Michigan’s 11th District, diabetes patients are paying as much as 21 times more for Insulin than they would pay in another country. That is unacceptable, and it’s why voting to pass the Lower Drug Costs Now Act was one of my proudest moments in office. While proposals like Medicare for All are too costly and will not lead to full and adequate coverage, I support lowering the age of eligibility for Medicare to expand coverage to more Americans, and proposals to end harmful surprise billing practices. My opponent has promised to “fully repeal” the Affordable Care Act. I promise to protect and improve it. SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS How can we guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations? In Congress, I have fought every attempt to privatize or cut Social Security. Instead, I believe we must protect and expand Social Security benefits to keep up with the costs faced by our seniors, grandparents, and veterans. These are programs that seniors paid into their entire working lives, and we must keep our promise to them by ensuring these programs are protected now and for generations to come. Recent proposals from the Trump administration to eliminate the payroll tax are incredibly concerning. The AARP said this plan could undermine Social Security’s longterm finances, and the Social Security Chief Actuary said an elimination of the payroll tax would deplete the Social Security Trust Fund by 2023. Congress must be committed to getting middleclass families relief, but not at the expense of a shortchange to older Americans. GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION What is your position on the need for added gun control legislation? Which, if any, of the following gun control measures could you support: Requiring expanded background checks? Background checks at gun shows? Banning bump stocks? Raising the age on the purchase of weapons? Banning military style weapons? I believe that Michiganders can still enjoy the sport of hunting and riflery while keeping our communities safe. As
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a passionate advocate for common sense gun safety laws, I was proud to help pass historic, bipartisan legislation to expand background checks in 2019. Unfortunately, the Senate has refused to hold a vote on this bill despite overwhelming bipartisan support for the idea of expanding background checks and closing gun show loopholes. We need to pass that legislation once and for all, and make sure deadly weapons are not making it into the wrong hands. I also support the federal ban on bump stocks and have co-sponsored legislation to ban assault weapons. Lastly, we need to enforce the laws that we have on the books to ensure that people who seek to circumvent background checks are held accountable. IMMIGRATION POLICY Should Congress move to find a common ground that will provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already located here, many of whom are working productively? Explain. The Trump administration – before the current pandemic – had imposed or in some cases proposed stricter rules for allowing immigrants to enter our country. Do you support those that have been imposed and proposed? Our immigration system is broken and needs comprehensive reform. In Congress, I have voted repeatedly to secure our borders and worked to formalize a path to citizenship for those living, working, and paying taxes in the U.S., and even serving in our military. Dreamers are American in every way except on a piece of paper, and the United States is the only home they have ever known. I do not support proposals to drastically reduce legal immigration, which would lock talented individuals out of our economy. I have co-sponsored a strongly bipartisan proposal to make it easier for highskilled immigrants to come here through the employment-based green card system and contribute to our economy. We also need to ensure consistent, humane practices at our borders that do not separate families. YOUR TOP ISSUES What would you list as your top 3-5 issues that you hope to address in this next term of Congress? The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented economic crisis in Michigan, and as an economic development professional who helped rebuild Michigan’s economy during the Great Recession, I am ready to do it again. My focus is on working with our small businesses, manufacturers, and families across Michigan’s 11th District to help them recover and get back to work safely. As a nation, we must ensure 10.20
we are equipped to handle the next crisis, whether it is a pandemic, natural disaster, or cyberattack. That’s why I have introduced the Resilient Supply Chain Task Force Act to secure and strengthen critical manufacturing supply chains, bring the production of medical supplies and personal protective equipment back to the United States so we are not dependent on China. Michigan maintains an incredible advantage with our ability to lead the world in the production of electric and autonomous vehicles. In order to maintain our competitive advantage, I am focused on securing fair trade deals and ensuring that we address our infrastructure challenges. I am also committed to staying focused on finding solutions to the problems we faced before the pandemic, from climate change to our underfunded public schools. I am eager to reach bipartisan consensus to deliver for Michigan and our country. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Why should voters support you in November as opposed to your opponent? Be specific in your comparisons. I was born in Rochester Hills, where I live today, and I’m honored to represent the community that raised me. My parents met at Oakland University, and I’m a proud graduate of Seaholm High School in Birmingham. I grew up in an entrepreneurial home that valued fiscal responsibility and hard work. In Congress, I have delivered for Michigan’s economy, working to bring advanced manufacturing jobs to Michigan and growing workforce training programs to close our skills gap. Michigan manufacturers are incredible -- that’s why I instituted Manufacturing Mondays, a program that highlights our best-inclass products and gives me a chance to hear about the problems facing our workforce. I have continuously worked across the aisle to pass legislation to strengthen federal investment in advanced manufacturing, secure better trade policies for Michigan workers and businesses, and encourage more women to pursue opportunities in STEM. We know what Washington Republicans will do if they take back the House: relentless attempts to take away people’s healthcare, tax breaks for the super-wealthy that balloon our national debt, and full implementation of the DeVos agenda to shortchange our students. Michiganders need leaders who will fight for middle-class families, and I am fired up to keep going.
it. There have been successes with mitigating damage like removing DDT. Environmental regulations are important, but we need to ensure that those regulations make sense, are sciencebased, and that they work. The superfund law, for example, has spent a enormous amount on litigation, not mitigation. We have to ask ourselves how we can strike a wiser balance. Details matter, and I support a rolling review of all regulations to make sure that it will continue to advance the goal of a clean environment and make economic sense. This will result in a shift based on science, not politics.
ERIC ESSHAKI REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL HEALTH CARE PLAN
Esshaki of Birmingham has a bachelor's degree in integrative studies from Oakland University, his law degree from University of Michigan Law School and a nursing degree from Oakland Community College. An attorney who previously worked at Howard & Howard, he has not held political office before. RESPONSE TO COVID-19 As a former medical professional there have been several distressing things about our country’s response to the pandemic. This should not be a politically polarized issue. Health officials should have been the lead on guiding the public, but the press would not let that happen – that has been true as it relates to the president, or the governor of New York or Michigan. Politicians are famously not precise and political. Now, health officials have stumbled as well. Ventilators turned out to be less helpful than originally thought, and the World Health Organization has been unduly influenced by China, oftentimes sending conflicting information about this virus. On the other hand, America’s health care system, doctors, nurses, and general medical staff have proven themselves during this crisis. They have risen to the occasion at great risk. They have not been given enough credit. But our political leaders are still failing our most vulnerable. There is no clear policy and support system for nursing homes. Nursing home residents are consistently the most at-risk. I don’t think a national system for re-opening is the solution. We have a massive country and the appropriate re-opening standard in rural Montana is not the same as Detroit. What we do need is for the leaders of the country to have adult conversations with the public, explaining why it’s unlikely that we will have a quick magic medical cure and what that means for all of us. We need to be having conversations about what we can do to stay safe and limit the spread, while simultaneously re-opening our economy. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS Caring for our environment is important and we have a responsibility to protect
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We have the greatest healthcare system in the world. We must continue to work to improve that system while also ensuring that everyone has access to quality affordable healthcare. The increasing costs of healthcare continue to serve as an impediment to universal access. The high costs have disproportionately hurt the middle class, who are spending more and getting fewer benefits in return. I was a nurse for nearly ten years and witnessed firsthand the failures of Obamacare. Obamacare failed to address the rising costs of healthcare and has actually caused those costs to continue to increase. Further, ObamaCare is forcing the consolidation of medical providers into ever larger big companies (insurance, hospital and individual doctor networks). Big medicine is not a remedy to cost or quality. Healthcare is complicated, and we need to start having serious conversations about driving costs down. Medicare-for-All, and other similar proposals are not the answer. They will inevitably give Americans fewer choices, and lead to increased costs and decreased quality.
the Michigan delegation. These policies will crush our economy and continue to add to our nation’s debt. She supports a range of policies that will damage our health care, our economy and just violate common sense. Her health care plan will eliminate 100,000 doctors and nurses. That is a stunningly bad idea. Endlessly larger government is not the solution to our problems. But that is Haley Stevens’ answer to every issue we face. We need leaders in Congress who will end the partisan games and focus on fixing real world problems like health care and our economy. WHY VOTE FOR YOU I am running for Congress because we need leaders who will stop playing political games and actually solve problems. These days, politicians don’t even attempt to have a reasoned conversation. They just yell and spout talking points. Congresswoman Stevens claim to fame is yelling at constituents and on the floor of Congress, where her own party had to yank her away from the microphone. For over eight years as a nurse, I helped by caring for people in crisis. As a lawyer, I work tirelessly to solve complex problems, promote justice and right wrongs. Today the politicians in Congress seem less concerned with finding solutions for the people that they are supposed to serve and more concerned with pandering to the special interests funding their campaigns. As a nurse, I fought for my patients everyday. As a lawyer, I recently took on Governor Whitmer in federal court where four judges, appointed by presidents of both parties, agreed with me that her actions were unconstitutional. I’ve proven that I’m willing to stand up and fight for the principles that have made this country great. I will continue doing that in Congress.
GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION I am an attorney and a constitutional conservative. I support the Constitution. The rights of law-abiding citizens must be protected. But we must also do a better job of enforcing the laws that we currently have to ensure that firearms stay out of the hands of criminals. We have numerous tragic cases where a person was reported to law enforcement as a threat, but there was no follow-up. Congresswoman Stevens voted last year to not report illegal immigrants who try to buy a gun to ICE. Suicide is another area where guns can be an issue, yet we continue to treat mental health issues very poorly on all levels. These are examples where we should be able to find common ground to reduce gun violence. REASON FOR RUNNING Our Congress is broken. My opponent, Haley Stevens, epitomizes the problem. She claimed to be a moderate and pledged not to follow the Democratic party line. Now she votes with Nancy Pelosi 100 percent of the time, and every policy that she supports calls for bigger government and higher taxes. She is one of the most partisan members of
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november 3 general election voter guide Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township
MICHIGAN HOUSE – 40TH DISTRICT MARI MANOOGIAN DEMOCRAT
technology companies with loyalty to shareholders, not students, to take over much of our students’ education. FUNDING FOR EDUCATION Aside from the pandemic, funding for education has been a longstanding issue in Lansing. Funding for education of recent decades does not seem to have kept pace with increasing expenses and too often the education budget gets trimmed during times of economic uncertainty. Do you agree that more budget resources need to be directed at education and if so, what would your recommend?
Manoogian, a resident of Birmingham, has undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. She is the current Michigan Representative for this district. She has been involved in a number of political and advocacy community groups. VIRTUAL EDUCATION IN SHOOLS With the current pandemic and the decision by many school districts to begin the new year on a virtual basis rather than in-person, there is considerable concern about the quality of virtual or e-education offered in Michigan. The state auditor general just released a performance audit that was critical of the e-education offered in the state. And the state House and Senate passed legislation to further regulate e-education. Are you familiar with the contents of the auditors general's report? Did you agree or disagree with the various conclusions? Were you supportive of the e-education bill that just passed? In that we may be dealing with virtual education for some time, are there issues that need to be addressed in this area? Be specific. Regarding the recently passed virtual education package, I voted against the bills for a variety of reasons. The package overlooked having COVID-19 as a valid reason for students to be absent on count days; unfortunately, my amendment to correct this was rejected by the GOP majority. This package mandated new academic assessments, giving educators only about 10 weeks to plan and operate an assessment for every student at every grade level. Finally, these bills empowered for-profit education 96
We need to completely overhaul how we conceptualize and implement funding for public education in Michigan. I support adopting the recommendations set forth by the School Finance Research Collaborative and Michigan State University, including high-quality preschool, $9,590 base funding for all K-12 students in district and brickand-mortar charter schools, and additional funding above base funding for students with special needs. We also must earmark additional revenue streams specifically for K-12 education, including restoration of voter-approved local district enhancement millages, so communities have local control. GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE POWERS The state's response to the COVID19 pandemic seemed to devolve into a partisan battle as the weeks and months dragged on. Ultimately, Republicans have challenged the executive powers of the governor's office as established in law, through lawsuits and now there is a petition drive to challenge the executive powers which have been used to declare an emergency in the state and allow for Gov. Whitmer to set policy. Do you think the executive powers of the governor's office need to be restricted? Please explain. Governor Whitmer’s response to COVID-19 has undoubtedly saved the lives of tens of thousands of Michiganders, and has successfully turned one of the worst COVID-19 hotspots in the country into a model for other states looking to contain their outbreaks. The governor has been successful to this point precisely because of her use of the constitutional tools given the executive by the legislature. It is for this reason that it is clear to me that such emergency powers have appropriate time and place, and should not be restricted further. The ghovernor’s use
of these legal tools has been necessary. Unfortunately, because my Republican colleagues have decided that taxpayer-funded lawsuits are more worthwhile than lawmaking, the GOP-majority legislature often has been a lame partner for the ghovernor – preferring to argue in bad faith rather than to work together on consensus solutions that would save lives and jobs. The Court of Claims and the Court of Appeals have upheld the governor’s use of executive orders – decisions I believe have been correctly decided. Rather than appeal to the Supreme Court, I would implore my colleagues to abandon their politically-motivated lawsuits and come back to Lansing with the express purpose of working on the peoples’ behalfs. VOTING LAW CHANGES Voters approved no-reason absentee voting and a number of other changes in 2018 but with the challenges of the pandemic and changes taking place in the U.S. post office, there is serious question of whether voting by mail this November will mean some voters will be essentially disenfranchised if their mailed ballots do not arrive on time. There is also the question of whether local election clerks will be able to handle the increased volume of mail ballots expected to be cast in the general election. Legislation has been introduced to allow for ballot preparation for processing on election day to take place a day or days ahead of time. There has also been discussion of whether ballots postmarked on or before election day should be allowed to be counted in the returns even though they arrive after the election. Do you support further changes in election law to resolve some of these issues? Why or why not? The state must take steps to make it easier to access the vote. I am proud to have worked with House Democratic colleagues and Secretary of State Benson to craft an elections protection package (HB 5985-5991) which would, among other things, require clerks keep permanent absentee voter lists and allow for 16½- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote when getting a driver’s license. This package would also allow ballots postmarked by election day to count if received within 48 hours of the polls closing, which will mean tens of thousands more Michiganders will have their votes counted. My bill (HB 5989) would allow clerks to move polling places closer to election day in declared emergencies, which empowers our municipalities to keep
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vulnerable folks, like children and seniors, safe. Finally, I believe that we should be looking at ways to supplement federal requirements for non-English language voting and voting for our disabled communities, including our blind and deaf neighbors. Encouraging these folks to go to the polls by providing absentee ballot applications, absentee ballots, in-person ballots, and other support documentation in their languages or in Braille, we expand the electorate even further to folks who we already know vote at lower rates. ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE Although it was one of the top issues during the last election for governor and there was initially a flurry of activity to address the issues of Michigan poor road conditions, the issue seems to have faded from the legislative and administration agenda this year thanks to the pandemic. Recent surveys still show it as a top issue with voters. There are two schools of thought, one saying the state has sufficient budget to address road needs and the other saying that new revenue sources (increased taxes) are needed. The governor in January announced she would be issuing bonds to address road issues, but such a proposal would not cover the costs of improving local roads. What do you think the proper approach should be to addressing the longterm road needs in Michigan? Please be specific. It is clear: our state is not investing enough in our infrastructure. Our roads alone cost hundreds of dollars to citizens in auto repair costs every year. Given legislative Republicans’ non-starter stance on negotiating with the governor on road funding, I am in favor of her road bonding proposal. Long-term, I am in favor of increasing the corporate income tax by 2.5 percent, implementing a flow-through parity-tax of 4.25 percent, and repealing the retirement tax, as well as creating a Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax of six cents per mile for commercial trucks at the heaviest two classes; I believe the revenue from these proposals should be directed to a “Fixing Michigan Roads” fund. Finally, I believe in creating a Rhode Island-style bridge toll program for trucks, which will mean that those most responsible for breaking our roads will shoulder the most responsibility for having them repaired. Through these types of proposals crafted by my House Democratic colleagues, we will be able to bring our roads up to scratch without putting the burden of paying for it 10.20
back onto the working-class taxpayers of our state. LEGISLATIVE ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY Michigan continues to rank near the bottom in comparison with other states when it comes to codified ethics and transparency rules for state lawmakers. In recent legislative sessions, bills have been introduced that would provide for financial disclosure for lawmakers, the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state supreme court and state court of appeals. Some legislation would also make the legislature and administrative offices subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Although in the past there has been bi-partisan support in the House for this effort, the issue seems to gain no traction for consideration in the Senate. Are you familiar with current and past bills regulating ethics and providing transparency and do you feel that this legislation is necessary? Explain why or why not and any parts of these bills that you don't support. I do believe that legislation regarding ethics and transparency for state elected officials is of the utmost importance. This bill package was the first set of bills I voted on as an elected official, and I did so proudly as they passed the House unanimously in 2019. Let me be clear: residents of the state of Michigan should have an expectation of transparency from their elected officials at all levels. Unfortunately, the law as it is currently written doesn’t provide for this sufficiently, and this is why I voted to pass this set of bills out of the House. It is unfortunate to me that the State Senate under majority leader Shirkey’s leadership does not feel compelled to take up this package. While my House colleagues and I came together in a bipartisan manner to pass this package almost immediately upon taking our oaths of office, Senate Republicans have preferred to sideline these important bills. In the name of transparency for our legislators and statewide elected officials, I would call on senate majority leader Shirkey to put this package on the Senate agenda and vote to pass it. LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORM State legislators and members of the administration are proposing a number of reforms to guide the behavior of police officers when interacting with the public. What reforms, if any, do you think need to be codified in law? Michigan must make wholesale changes to accountability mechanisms, use-of-force guidelines, and training protocols that govern our local and state police forces. I believe we must push for investment in social downtownpublications.com
services that can be used as alternatives to police involvement, including social workers, homelessness specialists, and drug treatment counselors. We must also look at removing laws which create unnecessary interactions between the public and police; this could include removing the ability of judges to issue arrest warrants for individuals who fail to appear in court for a traffic violation and sentence them to up to 93 days in jail. I support legislation that would require police forces to create and make public disciplinary matrices for their departments, as well as the creation of a statewide anonymous tip line for officers to report misconduct to the attorney general. I also support legislation to create an individual right to record police, and for departments and municipalities to report data including civilian stops, officer-related shootings, and officer demographics on a public dashboard. I am in support of legislation that would require misconduct settlements to be paid out of individual police department budgets as a method of financially incentivizing departments to independently root out misconduct. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Why should voters support you rather than your opponent in this race? Please be specific. We’ve accomplished so much together since you voted to send me to Lansing in 2018. From passing critical legislation to curb distracted driving, to securing $120 million in our state’s budget to clean up our drinking water, and fighting for local businesses during COVID-19, our team in Lansing has proven to be results-driven and laser-focused on the best interests of the people of this district. I’m proud to fight for clean water, great public schools, and safe communities while championing our shared values of hard work, creativity, and optimism – values that were instilled in me growing up here in our district and while working for our U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and for the late Congressman John Dingell. As your state representative, I’m working every day for the safety and well-being of all Michiganders. I serve as an assistant whip in the House Democratic Caucus, elevating our district’s voice during critical legislative negotiations. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, but there is more to do, including securing our elections, making our government more transparent, growing our economy and the mobility sector by creating a transit system that works for our region. I’d be honored to earn your vote for re-election on Tuesday, November 3rd.
GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE POWERS
KENDRA CLEARY REPUBLICAN
Cleary has an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University. She is involved in a number of community and professional groups and is a GOP precinct delgate. VIRTUAL EDCUATION IN SCHOOLS Yes, I have read the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor General regarding Virtual Learning in Public Schools. As virtual learning becomes more prevalent, we need to make sure the standards measuring the quality and effectiveness of this method of learning are just as stringent as for in-person schooling. It is important we are providing qualified instructors for these classes, proper monitoring to ensure students are participating in the classes and testing to ensure students are making appropriate progress and learning. While I believe in-person to be the best way to learn, e-learning can be very effective if done properly. Many businesses have migrated successfully to virtual offices and collaboration via Zoom calls and we need to prepare students for the workplace of the future. Additionally, virtual learning can minimize the days missed each year due to inclement weather or to provide students in smaller school districts access to greater class choices. FUNDING FOR EDUCATION With Michigan reading scores at or below the national average and approximately two of three Michigan High School students who take the SAT are deemed not college ready, we definitely need to address how and where Michigan’s educational dollars are being spent. I want to make sure as many dollars as possible are being prioritized to student learning and look for ways reduce bureaucracy or consolidate services. I would also fight to make sure as many federal dollars such as CARES Act funds are allocated to schools to offset shortfalls due to COVID-19 and lower tax revenues.
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Governor Whitmer’s Executive Orders (currently over 175 and extended through October 1) have crippled our state’s economy and shut out any input from the House of Representatives or Senate on extremely important matters during the pandemic. Forty-seven other states opened or partially-reopened before Michigan did and I feel that she has been picking industry winners and losers at random, without considering the science and data. COVID-19 has challenged our business community tremendously and most are struggling to stay afloat with the additional costs of PPE, capacity limits and burden of policing mask wearers. We need to help, not hinder, these very important contributors to our state’s economy. The people deserve a voice in the process and to be heard in state government decisions. One person behind closed doors should not be calling all the shots and I want to ensure we have a transparent, open state government with the necessary checks and balances to work for the people – not against them. VOTING LAW CHANGES I met with several city and township clerks and believe they went above and beyond in August to ensure those who did not feel comfortable voting in person were able to receive absentee ballots as well as ample means for ballots to be submitted for tabulation. While our area clerks did an excellent job with the primary election, 72 percent of the Detroit precincts were unable to balance their polling books so I would not support making any more changes that would open our elections up to a greater chance of error or fraud. Many Americans fought for the right to vote and I believe we should take this right seriously. If you are concerned about your ballot arriving on time, please place it in the drop-box provided at your clerk’s office or vote in person on election day. ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE Governor Whitmer’s suggestion of adding 45 cents a gallon tax on gas was a horrible idea and an unrealistic solution that our citizens could not support. I believe we should do a deep dive into the state’s budget before we increase our state’s debt. We need to refocus our attention on where our road dollars are spent and identifying the greatest areas of need. Only then can we discuss new funding streams to help fix our roads. Our goal must be first to ensure that every penny at the pump is going to roads and fixing the worst roads in the state – the local roads you drive every day. LEGISLATIVE ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY As an elected official, I would like to foster more public trust and 97
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confidence in our state’s lawmakers. Michigan is one of only two states that do not require some sort of financial disclosure. I believe there needs to be some transparency on sources of income, stocks and financial investments, non-profit board positions or immediate family members who are lobbyists to avoid potential conflicts of interest in voting. LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORM Most recently, I was on the leadership team of a HR Tech start-up where I helped companies address hiring bias and diversity challenges, so I am a supporter of implementing stronger hiring and training standards to improve our law enforcement’s quality of hire such as mandatory background checks and frequent training especially in use of force training, crisis intervention and cultural diversity. Additionally, we need to identify potential issues through state mandated tracking of officerinvolved shootings, uses of physical force or in-custody shootings. This will allow needs for further training needs to be identified or appropriate action to be taken to prevent tragic situations. It is also imperative we reform the police arbitration system so arbitrators cannot order that police officers proven to have unnecessarily caused human injury, death or otherwise abuse their authority be protected from termination and remain on the force. WHY VOTE FOR YOU I have over 30 years of real-life business experience collaborating with Fortune 500 businesses, professional organizations and small businesses. I have managed multi-million dollar budgets and teams of employees. My experience includes work with publicprivate partnerships and volunteer programs to tackle important issues such as equality, inclusion and racial bias. I have a strong history of volunteerism and community involvement with non-profit organizations and community associations. It is my desire to serve my community and give the residents of the 40th District a voice in state government. If elected, I will listen to you and make decisions in the best interest of my community and the state of Michigan, not a political party or PAC.
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COUNTY EXECUTIVE DAVID COULTER DEMOCRAT
adherence to fiscal discipline approving a three-year balanced budget with progressive values and maintaining the county’s AAA bond rating in March.
of business activity. I have also worked closely with leaders in the region during the pandemic coordinating on testing and health orders to keep our region and its residents safer from the spread of the virus.
EXECUTIVE VETO POWER
important that is preserved for onetime emergency use or key investments. My administration also retained the County’s AAA bond rating which is a sign of our fiscal strength. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS
MASS TRANSIT
Coulter resides in Ferndale and received an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University. He was an Oakland County Commissioner from 2002-2010, mayor of Ferndale from 2011-2019, and was appointed county executive in August of 2019. He has held several board positions with community non-profit groups. STRUCTURE OF THE OFFICE At the present time, with an appointed county executive, it would seem to members of the public that the office is operating with the same basic structure that has been in place during all the years L. Brooks Patterson held the office. What changes are you proposing, either in the structure to the executive office itself or to the general operation of the position? Explain the logic behind the changes. Will the changes involve added budget for operating the office? As county executive, I have hired the most diverse leadership team in county history, including the first woman to serve as chief deputy executive and the first African American deputy executive. This team is complemented by a former city manager, and an expert in economic development, budgeting and procurement. I recently appointed the county’s first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer to focus both on internal and external efforts in this important area. We have approached our work in a collaborative fashion evaluating every department from IT to facilities to seek improvements and efficiencies. We also conducted an outside review of our economic development department in order to create a new strategy for the next 10 years. We have maintained strict downtownpublications.com
An elected county executive has veto power over ordinances, polices and resolutions passed by the county board of commissioners. Most recently, the county board, controlled by Democrats, adopted a policy that gives county employees the day off to vote in an election, by some estimates an added cost of $1 million for the county and its taxpayers. In that state voters approved no-reasons absentee voting, some say this new policy is unnecessary. Do you think the county board policy change should have been vetoed by the executive? An active and engaged electorate is a bedrock principle and we need to do everything we can to eliminate barriers to voting and to promote civic engagement. I supported Oakland County joining with Macomb County, Wayne County, the state of Michigan and many private sector companies in providing election day as a day off for our employees. Our completely voluntary workforce of current poll workers is aging and it is vital that we encourage others to become involved in working polls and assisting our local clerks. This new policy costs $304,800 and was approved in the context of Oakland County’s balanced three-year budget. REGIONAL OUTLOOK How does a county executive balance the responsibility of focusing on the local county's needs, now and in the future, while at the same time being an active participant – rather than an impediment – when it comes to regional issues? I believe we can both stand up for our residents and reach out to our regional partners. As county executive, I have done that by making Oakland County an an active member of the region again. For example, I felt strongly about re-joining the Detroit Regional Partnership. This 11-county partnership focuses on attracting businesses to the region. As the economic engine of the state, we know we are competing not against ourselves, or our neighbors in the region, but as a region against other parts of the country and globe. I am confident if we join together to attract out-of-state and global companies, Oakland County will get its fair share
The issue of mass transit for southeast Michigan has been a hotly debated topic for over four decades. More recently voters in this county have been less enthusiastic in terms of tax increases to support a system beyond what we now have through SMART or an expanded system that does not provide equal benefits for all Oakland County communities. At the same time, the future for the modes of personal transportation is a big question. Plus, one of the impacts of the pandemic crisis is the number of employees who have been working remotely, which raises a legitimate question of whether there will be even less demand for an expanded mass transit system. What are your thoughts on the mass transit issue?
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared racism as a public health crisis and is appointing a committee to address this issue and has ordered implicit bias training for all state employees, including everyone in the administration. Should Oakland County be taking any special action or creating policies or programs to address this issue on the local level? Please provide details for your response.
A new regional transit plan must address the economic development needs of our communities, provide frequent and reliable service for workers, seniors and the disabled, utilize new technology and create flexible mobility options for communities in all parts of Oakland County. I believe that transit will make our region more competitive economically and attract younger people who want transit options. I am committed to finding a transit solution that will benefit our county and the entire region.
Our Oakland Together agenda holds at its core the values of diversity, equity and inclusion. This is not just one person’s responsibility, or one county initiative or program but rather the foundation upon which all of our efforts are built. Working with the board of commissioners we established the county’s first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer last year, and Robin Carter-Cooper is now part of our senior leadership team. We have also made permanent in our most recent budget the position devoted to implementing the board of commissioners’ resolution to make Oakland County a “Welcoming County” for immigrants and refugees. In coming months, we will undertake an internal effort to engage employees in cultural awareness, evaluate program delivery through an independent review and create hiring and contracting metrics upon which our efforts are evaluated and judged.
FUTURE COUNTY BUDGET ISSUES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Do you anticipate that the pandemic has created future budget problems for Oakland County? Please explain. If yes, how do you plan on addressing any shortfall?
Oakland County is the home to hundreds of inland lakes and sits at the headwaters of six major rivers feeding the state’s waterways. Should the county be taking a stronger role in protecting the environment through a more aggressive approach with ordinances regulating items and activities that threaten our natural resources? If so, what would you suggest?
Oakland County is in a strong fiscal position to weather the current COVID-19 crisis as we have past fiscal crises. We instituted belt tightening measures including a hiring freeze and a ban on travel earlier this year as we monitored state revenue sharing and other potential revenue impacts on the county budget. The good news is the third quarter projections continue to be positive for the year.The threeyear balanced budget that I introduced in June takes an important step and ensures that each department is living within its means without relying on any use of the fund balance. Oakland County has built up a $245 million fund balance and it is
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Our most urgent environmental threat is climate change. My administration is focused on developing a plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, utilizing renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency. We will also create a sustainability fund to assist local governments in their environmental sustainability goals and establish a county-wide leadership team to build consensus around bold strategies to 99
achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 for our county. Additionally, PFAS, lead, and other contaminants are a grave threat to the more than 1,450 lakes in Oakland County as well as the drinking water in every Oakland County home, school and business. Which is why, as county executive I’ve testified in Lansing and advocated for the need to strengthen state polluter pay laws and improve transparency around the sites that sit in our communities contaminated without adequate funds to remediate or even monitor. Protecting our lakes and water is a top priority for my administration. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Why should voters select you over your opponent? Please be specific in drawing your comparison. I have achieved results as county executive, maintained our AAA bond rating and led during a crisis. I was a unifying voice after the passing of L. Brooks Patterson and my collaborative leadership style has allowed my team to move quickly to achieve results and pull everyone together during the pandemic. I have demonstrated that you can stand up to President Trump’s agenda when it is wrong for Oakland County. When Planned Parenthood was defunded, I stepped into to ensure family planning was available to Oakland County women. When immigrants and refugees were demonized, I made Oakland County a welcoming county. The road ahead calls for a county executive who is already implementing the plans to address our challenges and seize our opportunities.
MICHAEL KOWALL REPUBLICAN
Kowall resides in White Lake and attended Oakland Community College and served a five-year carpenter apprenticeship. He was White Lake Township Supervisor from 2004-2010, State Representative from 1999-2003, State Senator from 2011-2019 and served as Senate Majority Floor Leader from 2015-2019. He had 100
also worked in the Brooks Patterson administration. STRUCTURE OF THE OFFICE While the structure is similar to that of L. Brooks Patterson, the assignments are different. I would better align the talents and expertise of each deputy executive, and spread out the responsibilities more equitably. Economic Development, Finance and IT are separate disciplines. I would also maintain department directors/managers to run the operations of each department and reserve deputy executives for the larger issues such as overall oversight, developing policy and planning the future direction of the county. Such realignments would be budget neutral. EXECUTIVE VETO POWER Yes. Not only is this costly to the taxpayers, they now have another day in November when they can’t access county departments or services. We already have Veterans’ Day on November 11th and then Thanksgiving Day weekend towards the end of November, and now an “Election Day” holiday. REGIONAL OUTLOOK Anyone elected to an Oakland County office – be it countywide or county commissioners – should put the interests of Oakland County people, who they represent, first. I think Brooks had the right philosophy when he stated, “If it benefits the region and it’s good for Oakland County, I’ll support it. If it benefits the region and is neutral for Oakland County, I’ll support it. If it benefits some in the region, but hurts Oakland County, I will oppose it.” Oakland County takes a bad rap for supposedly not being regional. We launched Automation Alley and the Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information Systems (CLEMIS), we helped to support and grow these initiatives well past our county’s borders to the benefit of the region and beyond. We came together with the region to establish the Cobo Hall (now FCS) Authority and the SMART/DDOT system. We come to the table as active members of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), and the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). We offer our eGovernment services and expertise to many local governments in Oakland County, the region and throughout the state. MASS TRANSIT I think you pretty much said it all. I do support the efforts by local government to establish transportation systems and authorities. These work for the areas they serve and could be expanded upon as needed. If there is to be any consideration of mass transit in the future, all parts of the
county must be included in the development of a plan, including meaningful input as to the service and taxation aspects of such a plan. I believe in local control and no local governments should be forced into a system they don’t want or benefit from. FUTURE BUDGET ISSUES The pandemic will no doubt create future budget problems. Well over 50 percent of Oakland County’s general fund revenue is generated through property tax. Residential property values are holding, but will homeowners - hard hit by the pandemic – be able to pay their taxes? I believe we could see an uptick in mortgage and tax foreclosures and overall growth in taxable values will be slower than forecasted. The real significant risk is in the commercial sector, with brickand-mortar retail businesses closing for good. That, coupled with the “work from anywhere” trend, will leave much open office space, leading to lower, income-based valuations and revenues. Also, as the state seeks to balance its budget and to fill COVID19 based revenue holes, Oakland County’s $27.5 million in revenue sharing payments is at risk. Also, the state is already “fund-shifting,” moving funds from such sources as the Convention Facility Fund ($10M) intended for substance abuse programs, to the state’s general fund. The Court Equity Fund and the Childcare fund could be at risk of cuts, along with many others. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS It would be hard to ignore the disparity in health, given COVID-19 numbers in more urbanized, minority populations. I believe we could best approach this from the communities up and not take a top-down approach. Let’s not just throw money at the issue, instead let’s be deliberative on how we go about eliminating disparities. First of all, we should start by having community conversations to discover where problems exist and what barriers are preventing minorities from accessing health care. Follow that up with collaboration on innovative, creative solutions having measurable outcomes. We must identify other organizations or agencies that have programs in place to see how we can partner with them, while avoiding duplication of efforts. At the same time, we need to evaluate the effectiveness of grants and programs already in place. There certainly is room for improvement in the implementation of existing programs. Current practice is big on talk and short on action. We need solutions and action, not just press releases and media events.
We do, however, have a responsibility to care for the tremendous natural resources we are blessed with. They are integral to our quality of life and our home values. The county can help monitor lake and water quality as it has in the past through various programs, giving early warning to algal blooms and other issues. We should also make sure our water level control structures such as dams and weirs are maintained and repaired to prevent an environmental disaster similar to the Midland dam failures. Situations such as the “green ooze” on I-696 pose a danger to our health and environment. Our water resources commissioner and our county health department should be vigilant to prevent or remedy similar situations. Laws already on the books must be enforced. The county executive could also play a significant role in convening local and regional governments and acting together on environmental goals. After all, invasive species do not know boundaries. There is much a county executive can do, also, to advocate at the state and federal level. WHY VOTE FOR YOU As a state Representative and Senate Majority Floor Leader, I was a cheerleader for Oakland County and always kept the county uppermost in mind during policy and budgetary decisions. During my tenure in the legislature, I served in many leadership roles and came up with creative solutions for complicated problems. I have successfully taken on many difficult legislative issues, such as the autonomous vehicle bills I spearheaded. I also stepped in to help out with controversial scrap metal legislation, bringing all parties together to enact responsible, sensible laws curtailing the problem of metal theft. I currently maintain many relationships within state government that will be beneficial to Oakland County. As White Lake Township Supervisor, I brought $95 million worth of new development to our township during the Great Recession. I worked collaboratively and have developed good relationships with most of Oakland County’s local elected officials and continue to do so, especially when we encounter an issue that unites us. I believe that in order to make Oakland County strong, we need to recognize and consider the input of each city, village and township in our county.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION First of all, the county cannot enact ordinances that supersede state law.
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COUNTY PROSECUTOR KAREN MCDONALD DEMOCRAT
availability of programs in Oakland County. As prosecutor, I will not only invest in veterans and treatment courts, but also establish new mental health courts to ensure that all Oakland County residents have access to treatment rather than funneling them into the criminal justice system. I will also establish first offender programs and diversionary programs for all nonviolent, low-level offenders so that they can receive the help and resources they need to avoid unnecessary incarceration and further run-ins with the justice system. By doing so, I will reduce crime, keep low-level offenders out of jail as much as possible, and provide defendants with the help they need to successfully reintegrate into society. MARIJUANA CHARGE EXPUNGEMENT
McDonald resides in Birmingham and obtained her undergraduate degree from Alma College and law degree from Wayne State University. She was an Oakland County Circuit Court Judge from 2012-2019. McDonald has held positions with a number of professional and community groups. REFORM OF BAIL SYSTEM Across the country we are seeing calls for reform of the current bail system. Is the bail system in need of reform? If so, what would you suggest? If not, why? Yes. Cash bail is a product of a racist, wealth-based criminal justice system. It inordinately affects women, poor people, and people of color who are less likely to be able to afford cash bail and risk losing their houses, jobs, and even families while awaiting trial. Meanwhile, wealthier people who commit the same crime are able to post cash bail and return to their jobs and families. If we ever hope to create a truly equal justice system, we need to end biased prosecutorial practices like cash bail. SENTENCING DIVERSION PROGRAMS Rather than jail time on some more minor offenses, we are witnessing the use of diversion programs. Do you agree with the movement for increasing use of these programs? For what types of crime would you support diversion programs rather than jail sentences? What limitations (types of crimes) would you not support for diversion programs rather than jail time? Our current prosecutor refuses to participate in treatment courts or diversion programs, despite the downtownpublications.com
With the legalization of recreational marijuana, would you support state legislation that would retroactively and automatically expunge charges of those charged in cases involving amounts of cannabis that are now legal? Why or why not?
and collaborate with other community leaders to make these changes a reality for Oakland County. BIAS TRAINING In light of the increased sensitivity to racial and ethnic bias with recent events, would you recommend that implicit bias training be part of the ongoing professional training in the prosecutor's office? Please explain. Absolutely. If we are ever to create a truly just system that treats all people equally under the law, the prosecutor must commit to properly training their employees. As prosecutor, I will not only require implicit bias training for all prosecutorial staff, but also work with local police departments and the attorney general’s office to ensure that all law enforcement officers in Oakland County receive necessary implicit bias training. As much as possible, I am also committed to creating an office that reflects the needs and demographics of the communities it prosecutes. OFFICE-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS
Yes. The state of Michigan has allowed recreational marijuana, and individuals should no longer be penalized for something that has been made legal. As prosecutor, I will cease prosecution of new marijuana possession charges and immediately recommend the expungement of all past marijuana possession charges involving amounts of cannabis that are now legal. CHANGING LAW CULTURE Because some of the suggested changes to the prosecution system could be viewed as actually pushing change in the culture of law enforcement which may be more accustomed to a heavier-handed prosecution of crimes, does the county prosecutor need to meet with law enforcement leaders to explain a change in prosecutor philosophy to avoid blow back to policy changes? Likewise, should there be a meeting of minds with judges of the district and circuit court system? Yes. In order for our justice system to work effectively in this transition to progressive criminal justice reform, it is essential that the prosecutor work together with policy makers, law enforcement officers and judges. Although the prosecutor has the most power to enact immediate criminal justice reform in Oakland County, we cannot hope to create a truly fair system without the involvement of all criminal justice stakeholders. If elected, I will work tirelessly to meet
Should the prosecutor’s office automatically appoint an independent investigator in cases of officer-involved shootings and should the results of that investigation be made public? I believe that all officer-involved shootings should be properly documented and released to the public, and that an independent investigator should be brought in when necessary. It is crucial that the prosecutor’s office remain fully transparent in all cases involving law enforcement so that – whether the officer is charged with a crime or not – community members have full access to all details of the case and are capable of understanding the decision reached by the prosecutor.
Instead, we should rely on statistics that reflect crime rate and overall community safety, such as tracking recidivism rates and reducing prevalence of racial and social inequality. When using these metrics to evaluate performance, prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officers are encouraged to fulfill their roles in a way that is best for the community as a whole, rather than for their respective careers or ratings. WHY VOTE FOR YOU What qualifies you for this position rather than your opponent? Over the past twenty years, I have served Oakland County as a circuit court judge (2012-2019), assistant prosecutor (1999-2004), and private practice attorney (2004-2013). I have seen firsthand that our broken criminal justice system is failing Oakland County residents – especially poor people and people of color. Our current prosecutor has had twelve years to implement criminal justice reform in Oakland County, but has failed to do so. I stepped down from the bench in 2019 because we need a prosecutor who will actively work to end mass incarceration and implement progressive criminal justice reform that will create a fair system for all people. With my background as a judge, assistant prosecutor, and attorney, I am uniquely qualified to lead the prosecutor’s office in this pursuit with experience and understanding in all areas of the court.
LIN GOETZ REPUBLICAN
ASSESSING PERFORMANCE Is there a system of metrics or performance standards that county citizens can use to gauge the performance of an elected county prosecutor? Although conviction rates and sentencing may provide some insight into prosecutorial performance, they cannot account for the complexities of sentencing on a case by case basis. Measuring performance in this way does not encourage just, fair sentencing that takes all facts into account, but instead puts pressure on offices to seek maximum sentences regardless of surrounding factors.
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Goetz resides in Lake Orion and obtained her undergraduate degree in criminal justice at Michigan State University and her law degree from Thomas Cooley Law School. She has been involved in various community groups.
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REFORM OF BAIL SYSTEM Our judges need every tool available to make bail decisions that fit the individual and the crime in order to make sure that the accused returns to court, and that the public and the accused are safe. This includes keeping cash bails in our system. Unfortunately, sometimes, money is the sole motivator, and risking the loss of same is one way to make sure a person returns to court. In New York, they tried no cash bonds with heavy use of tethers, and the result was an escalated crime rate, especially homicides. In Michigan, we have implemented Michigan indigent defense counsel being made available at the arraignment stage where bonds are set. They have the opportunity to meet with defendants before appearing on the record, and are making the right arguments to our judicial representatives to make sure that bonds are more appropriate for the defendant’s actual ability to pay them, while meeting the court’s bond obligations. Our citizens deserve better than just acting on some suggested policy without a closer review of the actual impact it will have on people. Therefore, every tool a judge can use to secure a defendant’s return should be utilized. SENTENCING DIVERSION PROGRAMS
SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER It does little good to sit on the couch and complain, then not exercise your voting rights. Registered voters have the power to decide who will make the policy decisions that set the public agenda. Your vote is the most direct way to communicate with those in power.
“Minor offenses” sounds innocuous. However, many “minor” offenses are correlated to other issues/crimes. This sounds good in sound bites. The reality is that a driving while license suspended could result in a major accident causing injury or death by someone who should not be driving on our roads (Remember the Red Wings). Possession of a drug may lead to thefts to pay for the habit, then home invasion with a weapon or homicide. We need to be incredibly careful of “minor offenses.” Having said that, I am extremely supportive of treatment courts. My husband and I believe these save lives. If a minor offense plus treatment court can save a life, a family, a future, we are so incredibly supportive. I am willing to consider reducing higher crimes one step if someone successfully completes these programs as they truly save lives and futures. That decision would be made on a case-bycase basis where the person chooses sobriety over addiction and crime. MARIJUANA CHARGE EXPUNGEMENT
So if you are not registered to vote in the November 3 general election, then call your local municipal clerk today.
A prosecutor does not usually advocate/lobby for legislation. Primarily, we are charged with enforcement of laws as they currently exist. There are still limits on amounts of marijuana, amounts of THC in marijuana possessed, etc. However, I will support legislation as passed by our congressional leaders.
Make sure you speak truth to power this election.
CHANGING LAW CULTURE
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The prosecutor, AKA chief law enforcement officer, should always be
in communication with law enforcement leaders. That includes changes in law. Prosecutors are not supposed to focus on blowback or not, as they fairly, and justly, apply the law. As a prosecutor, I will be meeting with various law enforcement, judges, community leaders, community groups, etc… to share with them how I see a law may be applied. In addition, I will implement a public integrity unit that will communicate with leaders and the public on how the office interprets changes in the law and court cases. BIAS TRAINING The current prosecutor, Jessica Cooper, implemented implicit bias training already. I will implement a zero-tolerance policy. No decisions (employment or charging through appeals) in my administration will be based upon any of these types of classifications in our society. Rather, I will hire based upon the best candidates available, and cases, other than ethnic intimidation charges, will be determined without any such considerations. People make good decisions, or bad ones (following the law, or not). Their actions and their impact on victims will determine charges and how cases are managed. Frankly, if sensitivity to race/religion/etc were the real consideration in public discussions and protests, we would be discussing why so many victims are minority groups, religions, races, etc, and not focus nearly as much on why certain groups of defendants find themselves in jail. Victims need our support after someone has harmed them. We should be focusing on victims even more. OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS There is already a system in place to review shootings. This has been there for quite some time, and I will honor those processes. I will consider every piece of evidence and believe in full transparency. Officers and the public both deserve that. ASSESSING PERFORMANCE First and foremost, the performance standards of assistant prosecutors should focus on the ability of the prosecutor, their training, and their honesty. I support a mentor program where a new prosecutor can learn from the experience of more seasoned prosecutor. Each assistant prosecutor will be reviewed on a yearly basis to ensure that they are following the guidelines of the office, and to review areas we can continue to develop our assistant prosecutors to be the very best. Additional trainings and resources will be greatly expanded. Further, the public will not have to wait to express concerns, or provide additional information on various cases, as a public integrity unit will be implemented to facilitate
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communications. Unfortunately, lately, the media has been put in a position to try cases in their forum, often on emotional claims of grieving families or advocacy groups, without all the information. Most times, they do not yet have the full facts or evidence which leads to a skewed perception for their viewers. Cases will be decided on all of the facts and all of the evidence at hand, as it continues to be developed, and will not be tried through initial public opinion(s) or emotion(s). However, the media will be able to request information, and hopefully get better information for our community through the public integrity unit, especially regarding high profile cases where it is necessary to dispel fact from fiction as soon as we can while not influencing later litigation. In addition, assistant prosecutors in the various courtrooms will be able to verify basic information about cases for the media to help ensure accuracy of news reports. I understand that some cases are devastating for victims, families or law enforcement officers. I will work with the media, victims, families and law enforcement to improve fact checking and communications so long as it doesn’t interfere with everyone getting a fair trial later. WHY VOTE FOR YOU The best qualification is that I am running for you, to keep you safe. A lot of these “policies” or “proposed changes” sound good for a sound bite, or if you are pandering for a vote. However, they can be flat out dangerous if implemented. Enough is enough. I won’t do that. I have been a respected, practicing attorney for over 28 years. When you are arguing a case before a court, your word (your honesty) as an attorney means something. That, honesty, hard work and integrity is what I am promising you because you have worked hard for your businesses, careers, homes, families, and safety. I will surround myself with the best talent I can find and will continue to fight for victims and good law enforcement. As a child, I witnessed domestic violence firsthand. I saw my mother be abused, and I watched her break that cycle of violence out of love for my brother and I. She later remarried a man who genuinely loved her (without violence). She is my hero and set the example for us. I will be there for victims. We (law enforcement and prosecutors who will execute the cases with good arrests) want to help your family too. Here, in Oakland County, we live here for a reason. We expect to be safe in our homes, work, businesses and to keep our families safe. I will be there for good law enforcement that fights for you. Together, we will be even better. For additional information, readers may go to LinforProsecuter.com
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november 3 general election voter guide
COUNTY SHERIFF OAKLAND JAIL CONDITIONS
VINCENT GREGORY DEMOCRAT
Gregory lives in Lathrup Village and has a degree in criminal justice from Madonna University. He has been a member of the Wayne County Sheriff Department, Oakland County Commissioner, State Representative and State Senator. ENFORCING GOVERNOR'S ORDERS During the current pandemic crisis, there are a half dozen county sheriff's in the state who have announced they would not be enforcing the governor's executive orders relative to stay-athome, social distancing, and business closures. Despite the fact that the oath of office for sheriff includes a promise to uphold the Michigan Constitution, several of these sheriffs have stated that they don't feel they answer to the governor and therefore would not be enforcing her executive orders, which have been upheld by the state attorney general and now the courts. As sheriff, would you enforce executive orders from the governor? Yes, as the Oakland County Sheriff, I would enforce executive orders from the governor relating to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The sheriffs who have declared that they won't comply with the governor's executive orders have a duty to respect and obey the law; they do not have the luxury to select the laws that they will enforce versus those that they choose to ignore. The sheriffs who have publicly declared that they will not enforce the governor’s executive orders have in essence given the citizens in their counties permission to defy the governor's orders as well. This is not the message that the top law enforcement officer in the county should send to citizens, especially when we are literally in the middle of a battle between life and death and the governor's orders are in place to protect and save lives. downtownpublications.com
A lawsuit on behalf of prisoners was filed in federal court, claiming that the sheriff has not adequately provided COVID-19 safeguards for prisoners. The federal judge has basically agreed with the plaintiffs and has called for changes plus a list of prisoners and their criminal history for possible release during the coronavirus crisis. Are you familiar with Oakland County Jail conditions and should more have been done in terms of prisoner protection from possible virus infection? Should there have been a more aggressive program of releasing prisoners to avoid spreading the virus? I learned about the lawsuit through researching and reading various reports. During my career as a deputy, I witnessed the efforts of attorneys on behalf of their clients who were inmates and grieved the conditions of the jail. During that time, I know for a fact that the attorneys worked diligently to secure remedies on behalf of their clients and filing lawsuits was generally a last resort resolution when they failed to reach an acceptable solution. The status of the court case against the Oakland County Jail and the restraining order that was implemented serves as evidence that the current Oakland County Sheriff failed to respond to the concerns of the inmates in a manner that would ensure that inmates were protected from the spread of Covid-19. PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT Oakland County is getting a small taste of the progressive prosecutor movement in the August primary for prosecutor, which nationally includes diversion sentencing programs rather than jail time for some crimes, lessened bail amounts or no bail amounts rather than jail time until trial, and other changes to the current system. Some say this movement will ultimately change the culture of law enforcement, moving away from hardhanded enforcement. Do you think this will impact the law enforcement part of the criminal justice equation? Is this good or bad? The job of the Sheriff is to protect and serve the public. Progressive prosecutors, who push for more diversion programs upon sentencing, decreases in bail amounts or no bail at all, instead of the accused being confined in jail until the time of their trial, are on the path to impacting law enforcement in a positive way and one that ensures that all citizens who are accused of committing crimes receive treatment that is fair and equitable. As a country, we are moving away from
hard-handed law enforcement and law enforcement professionals must adapt to and embrace these changes in order to be recognized as an ally to communities that we serve.
administration are proposing a number of reforms to guide the behavior of officers when interacting with the public. What reforms, if any, do you think need to be codified in law.
PROBLEM OFFICER REGISTRY
As a society, we are asking for more transparency as it pertains to law enforcement. This request for transparency has prompted change among police departments across the country. As change continues to evolve, I would like to continue monitoring the progress before addressing any thoughts on changing laws. However, I do believe that standardized criminal justice collection data and reporting in Michigan, is an area that needs to be included in the law.
The FBI has attempted to create a national registry of problem law enforcement officers, but not all departments report such information. Should there be a state and/or national requirement to report law enforcement officers who have been fired for problem behavior, such as excessive use of force, to prevent them from just moving from department to department? Please explain.
IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED I believe that there should be a national registry for reporting law enforcement officers who have been fired for problem behavior. If the federal government is not willing to commit to a registry, it is my hope that a registry would be implemented at the state level here in Michigan. Further, I believe that officers found guilty of excessive force, should face a hearing to determine if they are eligible to keep their law enforcement certification. In the case of a severe offense, an officer should lose their certification indefinitely. OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS Should an outside independent investigator be automatically appointed in cases of police-involved shootings and should the results of that investigation always be made public? Please explain. I believe an outside independent investigator should be appointed for the review of all police-involved shootings. This will add a layer of transparency which is important in building public trust. While all cases may not seem to merit a review, to investigate some while not investigating others would continue to create questions of transparency and doubt. Therefore, I believe that all police-involved shootings should require an independent investigation. Following a thorough investigation, the results should be made public if the shooting is found to be justified. If the officer is found to have been in violation of a law or department rule or regulation, the results should be held internally. These findings should be held internally until a trial or hearing occurs, at which time a determination as to the officers guilt or innocence is made. Then the results can be made public. LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORM State legislators and members of the
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What improvements do you feel are needed in the county sheriff’s department and how would you achieve these? Transparency: Oakland County sheriff’s are not required to wear body cams. This makes it difficult to ascertain the sequence of events when there are questions regarding interactions between officers and citizens. In an effort to increase transparency, I would require officers to wear body cams at all times. As a result, when there is a question or complaint regarding officer conduct, an explanation of the department procedures that were followed can be provided in a timely manner. This will provide clarity as to whether the officer was in compliance. In situations where the officer was not in compliance with department procedures, appropriate measures can be taken to address the infraction and hold the officer accountable for the action. Community Policing: Increasing the presence of officers in the community will result in a positive relationship between residents and officers. When officers are visible and interact with residents, trust is established. Additionally, officers will have a vested interest and concern for the citizens that they serve because they have connected with the residents. Equal Opportunity: I would promote a woman to the rank of captain. After 20 years, there are still no women serving in this capacity. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Tell us why voters should select you rather than one of your opponents? Voters should elect me as the next Oakland County Sheriff because I have a history of leadership experience that has placed me at the table in a position to negotiate and bring about change on the state and county level as an elected 103
official and within law enforcement as the leader of the sheriff's deputy union. A few of my accomplishments include: Lobbying and securing funding for secondary roads so that the sheriff’s departments across the state could increase their support of the local police departments; as a county commissioner I was instrumental in keeping Catalpa Oaks a green space instead of becoming another area of condos; as a State Representative, streamlining the absentee voting process for overseas service members; and as a State Senator, being a part of a subcommittee for expanding Medicaid to 600,000 more Michigan residents. I have a history of getting things done.
MICHAEL BOUCHARD REPUBLICAN
Bouchard has been Oakland County Sheriff since 1999; and is currently vice president, government affairs, Major County Sheriffs of America. Prior to becoming sheriff, he was a state Senator from 1991-1999, and Majority Floor Leader 1998-1999. He served in the Michigan state House of Representatives, 1990-1991, and on the Beverly Hills Village Council, 1986-1990. He has a degree in criminal justice and police administration from Michigan State University. ENFORCING GOVERNOR'S ORDERS While it’s true Sheriffs are independent and don’t take orders from any elected official, this is a misunderstood issue. Detroit police don’t respond to governor’s order complaints but refer them to the health division. Macomb County doesn’t respond and refers them to the state. During this pandemic, we’ve worked hard at keeping our residents safe. We respond to all complaints of a possible violation of orders. This ensures there is no escalating argument. A deputy investigates the complaint and over 92 percent of the complaints have been unfounded. Since there have been many orders from both the governor and the county, often times people are not even aware there was a new order. Frankly, many have quit reading the news and turned off the television 104
because they find it too anxiety provoking. Suicides and depression are up dramatically. For the small numbers left, if there is a violation, a report is forwarded to the health division. We’ve found most people were more than willing to comply with the orders when provided additional information. When our residents are stressed regarding schooling, employment, and their health, the sheriff’s office has attempted to be a source of information and guidance during these challenging moments. OAKLAND JAIL CONDITIONS First, the TRO which was filed in federal court was dismissed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and was deemed unfounded and unnecessary. Our discussions about COVID protocols in the jails began before the pandemic and included a proactive approach of sending lists of inmates to judges who we deemed to be non-violent and/or were considered to be medically vulnerable. Judges have to make the determination as to whether or not they choose to release. Hundreds were released. Releasing inmates from jail or modifying their sentences is not legally under the sheriff’s authority. This is why we proactively asked the courts. The lawsuit alleged people were in immediate jeopardy of dying. Now, months after the lawsuit was dismissed, the facts are even more clear. Not one inmate in the Oakland County Jail died and not one was hospitalized. The state has had over 68 inmates die with many more hospitalized. We have set the gold standard and the results confirm this. We once again received full accreditation by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. This means all correctional facilities under the direction of the Oakland County Sheriff have met all the requirements under NCCHC’s Standards for Health Services. PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT Oakland County has been implementing alternatives to incarceration for many years. We have to look at each person individually and determine who should be in jail. To boil it down, from my perspective, we need to utilize jail for those who we are scared of, not for who we are mad at. I have been active in the legislature with criminal justice reform and sought the legislation which was ultimately passed to let jails utilize compassionate release and medical probation for inmates who have serious medical issues or are near end of life. There are many alternatives to placing someone in jail, but we must keep public safety and our communities’ interest at the heart of the conversation. When I became the sheriff, we had an average daily inmate population of 2,200. There were discussions of building a larger jail. Through aggressive programming changes and working with our judges to keep more non-violent offenders out of jail, this population number dropped to between 1,200-1,300 in the following
years. We have closed jails and correctional facilities and have led the movement for years on developing standards and policy which focuses on who truly needs to be in jail. PROBLEM OFFICER REGISTRY Actually, the FBI created a National Use of Force list for agencies, not a problematic officers list. I was one of the national leaders on that and we voluntarily contributed our information. As to the idea of creating a registry, accountability is key to strengthening and maintaining the trust of citizens with law enforcement. Those who have been employees of the sheriff’s office who have been found guilty of misconduct, have been fired and held accountable for their actions. I sought and helped to pass the ‘wandering officer’ legislation as well, which allows agencies to disclose employee discipline records to outside agencies who are doing background checks on potential new hires. This stops those from going from agency to agency and having egregious use of force or disciplinary problems. A national database would support the Michigan statute by preventing someone from moving from state to state. As the vice president in charge of government affairs for Major County Sheriffs of America, we have been actively engaged in this proposed legislation and are working to fine tune it with members of Congress. The professionals in our ranks want to do all we can to remove those that do not belong there. OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS We have a separate special investigation unit that investigates police complaints as well as police shootings. I actually have a proposal to take that even a step further by creating a regional investigative team for police shootings. We present all officer involved shootings to the prosecutor and, of course, the results of the investigation should be made public. LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORM I have been pushing for years a whitepaper with proposals I wrote called Policing 2.0. It addresses implementing better hiring practices and how to greatly increase continuous real-world training. Better training and better hiring leads to better outcomes. It should include training on diversity, bias, ethics, and vulnerable populations to name a few. However, in regard to legislating how to interact with the public, one model will not fit all. The sheriff’s office directly patrols 15 communities under a contract, and they all are diverse and have their own unique personalities. Agencies need to respond to the needs and wishes of their communities in the manner appropriate for the residents of that community. What makes sense in Birmingham may not make sense on Mackinac Island. Basic best practices
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make sense everywhere. For example, we have had a ban on chokeholds since I’ve been the sheriff and have had a duty to intervene by each individual when they see or hear misconduct for decades. Also, if the legislature wants to help, fund efforts to recruit and hire a more diverse group of individuals in law enforcement. That also will help make better police agencies. IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED The sheriff’s office needs a new stateof-the-art training center and an emergency operations center (dispatch) very soon. As I mentioned before, better training leads to better outcomes and while we already require mandatory training every Wednesday, we need better technology and infrastructure to support this. We train as much or more than any agency in the state, but the infrastructure is woefully old. As an example, our shooting range built in the 1970s is extremely outdated and was built when only 150 deputies needed to qualify. Now, over 900 use this range each month to qualify and it does not match best practice training opportunities. Further, we have outgrown our emergency operations center which not only serves as the primary answering point for many police, fire, and EMS entities, but we serve as the backup answering point for all Oakland County agencies and beyond. It does not physically meet recommended federal guidelines and with technology evolving rapidly, including a new radio system which is being implemented, the time is now for the county to invest into both of these essential and critical parts of county operations and public safety. WHY VOTE FOR YOU In my over 20 years as the Oakland County Sheriff, I’ve strived to be the first to evolve and invest in what is needed for our changing environment. We’re a leader nationally on all fronts. As an example, we were the first dispatch center to implement Text to 911, allowing our residents another option to seek help in emergencies. My experience in the legislature and continued work in Lansing and DC on reforms which are being suggested for law enforcement have been policies I have touted and when legally allowed, implemented for years. Sadly, many proposals have fallen on deaf ears. There is a way to have both police accountability and reform, but at the same time, uphold and support those who put their lives on the line every day who do the right thing. We can have both. I will continue to make sure that Oakland County remains at the forefront of the best training, best technology, best policies, and best outcomes for all residents. As a result of our team’s success, I have been named National Sheriff of the Year (the only one ever from Michigan) and Michigan Sheriffs’ Association Distinguished Sheriff. I ask for your continued support. 10.20
november 3 general election voter guide
COUNTY CLERK LISA BROWN DEMOCRAT
provisions of the ballot issue been implemented or have there been instances where election officials have not followed the ballot proposal exactly, as recently outlined in a lawsuit by the League of Women Voters of Michigan? Election officials are obligated to follow and uphold the law, not interpret it. I can’t speak for other election officials but I have implemented the parts that fall under my purview. I supported 18-3 and was happy to see it pass with such strong support. Voting is a citizen’s right and there shouldn’t be so many obstacles to exercise that right. CHANGES TO ABSENTEE VOTING
Brown resides in West Bloomfield Township and has an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from the Detroit College of Law. She served two terms in the Michigan House of Representatives and has been the county clerk since 2013. Brown has been involved in a number of professional and community groups. VOTING FRAUD The Republican Party on a national basis has latched onto alleged “voter fraud” as a campaign issue, often times as a guise for voter suppression that has been documented in a number of states in the South and Western portions of the country. Has there been voter fraud in Oakland County, and, if so, how widespread? How would you counteract voter fraud if it exists on any measurable basis? The checks and balances that are in place in Michigan election law make it difficult to commit voter fraud and get away with it, which is probably why it happens so rarely. On the very rare occasion that I found voter fraud in Oakland County, I reported it to the proper authority. It is more often election fraud, like former Congressman McCotter’s petitions (which is still uncommon), rather than voter fraud. At the county level, after each election, every precinct is canvassed, which entails a long scrutinizing checklist, including verifying that the number of voters that voted matches the number of ballots cast and were tabulated. During a canvass is when I discovered a case of voter fraud. NO-REASON ABSENTEE VOTING Voters in 2018 overwhelmingly approved no-reason absentee voting. Did you support that? Have the downtownpublications.com
What legislative changes do you think are needed to the current absentee voting system to allow for improved administration of elections by clerks? I support allowing ballot preparation to begin before Election Day (opening the outer envelopes), however, the proposed legislation limits which communities would have this ability based on size. I believe every community should have the same tools to do the same job. I supported HB 5141, which was signed into law in June. This gave locals clerks the option to contract with one another. For the August primary, I signed contracts with 16 municipalities to tabulate their absentee ballots. We tabulated over 50,000 ballots and were done late afternoon. It was a very successful collaboration.
PANDEMIC IMPACT ON OFFICE If there was any lesson learned during the pandemic it was that some of the in-person contact that has been part of our past routines can now be replaced by virtual or online interactions. Is the county clerk's office up to date in terms employing digital/online applications to fulfill office duties? Please explain. We have expanded to allow notary applicants to have appointments via Zoom and pushed the state court administrative office to allow all court case types to be e-filed in Oakland County. Many of our services were already online, like ordering vital and property records, genealogy searches, property record searches, and CPL renewals, and many can be done by mail. The law still requires that new CPL applicants have to come in to the office. I also recently opened a satellite office to make it more convenient for those who need to come in. OTHER IMPROVEMENTS Are there other improvements that you recommend for the clerk's office? An electronic filing program for campaign finance reports is on my list for future improvements. There will be an updated program in the Register of Deeds office that we have been working on. Also, to continue collaborating with our local clerks to insure our elections are accurate, secure, fair, and efficient. WHY VOTE FOR YOU
BALLOT SHORTAGE IN 2018 In the primary election of 2018, a number of local communities ran short of ballots and local clerks took the position then that the county was responsible for the problem and had rejected requests from some local clerks for increased ballots prior to the election. What changes have been instituted to prevent this from occurring again? I conducted an internal investigation and found that no clerk was denied a request. However, the stress felt on that election day was horrible. To prevent this from occurring again, I have encouraged local clerks to contact me directly if they are having a problem with my staff. Also, because my office didn’t have the resources, I asked the board of commissioners for more money in my budget to allow 100 percent of ballots to be ordered for future elections and expand voter education to help reduce the number of spoiled ballots. I am grateful that they approved the request.
Why should voters support you rather than your opponent in this race? Please be specific. I ask for your vote to continue an accessible, efficient, and fiscally responsible office. I have lead my team of 100 dedicated staff members and worked within my multi-million dollar budget. I saved taxpayers millions of dollars while bringing more services and programs. I pushed for eliminating the fee for veterans cards, lowering the birth record fee for seniors, my fee reduction/waiver program for individuals facing extreme hardship, Property Records Notification (PRN), an award winning, first of its kind free alert system to empower homeowners against property fraud, held voter registration drives and local office visits around the county. Now more than ever, it is vital to have a clerk/register with knowledge and experience in every division of this office.
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TINA BARTON REPUBLICAN
Barton resides in Springfield Township and holds an undergraduate degree from Great Lakes University and a masters from Great Lakes University. She had been a deputy clerk in Bloomfield Township and is currently the city clerk for Rochester Hills. Barton has been involved in both professional and community groups. VOTING FRAUD I have been an election administrator in Oakland County for over 15 years and I am unaware of widespread voter fraud in our county. It is important to counter misinformation with fact. The fact is that no system is 100 percent foolproof; fraud could be committed at the precinct as well as through absentee voting. We must recognize and value the “gatekeepers” of the process: voter identification or signed affidavits, signature checks, receiving boards, canvasses, audits, and imprisonment and fines. As with any crime, a report would be filed, the police would investigate, and the prosecutor would prosecute if they had enough supporting evidence. Counteracting fraud could be a different approach for varied scenarios. My approach would be to isolate the incidents and determine what led to the fraud and how the fraud was carried out. The solution could be a combination of enforcement and education. NO-REASON ABSENTEE VOTING I do support no-reason absentee voting. No-reason absentee voting was introduced in 2015 by then Rep. Lisa Lyons and then Secretary Johnson. With the passage of Prop 18-3, it has been implemented under Secretary Benson. In response to not counting ballots postmarked on Election Day but received after Election Day, The Election 105
Officials’ Manual, Michigan Bureau of Elections Chapter 6, November 2019, states, “An absentee ballot must be transmitted to the applicant by mail if there is an adequate amount of time for the voter to receive the ballot by mail, vote the ballot and return the ballot prior to 8:00 p.m. on the date of the election.” Any contradictions in election laws or new interpretations of laws must be cured through legislative action or a court ruling. In response to whether clerks are meeting the 40-day deadline to have ballots issued/ready to be issued, you must recognize that the 60-day certification deadline becomes a challenge for proofing, printing, delivering, testing, and issuing AV ballots. In March, there were jurisdictions throughout the state that received their ballots much later than others. The timeline must be adjusted on the front end in order to allow time for the clerks to receive their ballots in adequate time to meet the 40-day deadline. CHANGES TO ABSENTEE VOTING
THE WASTED YOUTH VOTE The U S government reports, election after election, that the age bracket that turns out to vote less than any other is the 18-24 years of age group. The youth vote in 2020 could be one of the more powerful voting blocks ever. But you must vote. Call or visit your local municipal clerk’s office to register for the November 3 general election. Youth holds the power. Use it. 106
Voters approved no-reason absentee voting and a number of other changes in 2018 but with the challenges of the pandemic and changes taking place in the U.S. post office, there is serious question of whether voting by mail this November will mean some voters will be essentially disenfranchised if their mailed ballots do not arrive on time. There is also the question of whether local election clerks will be able to handle the increased volume of mail ballots expected to be cast in the general election. Legislation has been introduced to allow for ballot preparation for processing on election day to take place a day or days ahead of time. There has also been discussion of whether ballots postmarked on or before election day should be allowed to be counted in the returns even though they arrive after the election. We need to process ballots prior to election day. I have testified before the Senate Elections Committee and had conversations/meetings with elected representatives/senators. Processing absentee ballots days before the election is not new to our country; it is new to Michigan. This is an efficiency issue for clerks and a safety concern for our senior workers who will be working grueling hours. In August of 2020, Rochester Hills processed over 16,000 absentee ballots. We tripled the number of workers on our absentee teams, started processing at 7 a.m., used four high speed tabulators, and we reported our results at 11 p.m. We estimate we will issue nearly 30,000 absentee ballots for November. Ballots returned by mail are vulnerable to not being received by the deadline. The system is not perfect and warrants further discussions about the impact and the implementation of changes. As a member of the EAC Board of Advisors we will be promoting a hashtag of #mailitbackmonday for Monday, October 19th. We are asking election officials and advocacy groups to join us
in the promotion. I am supportive of ballot drop boxes located in secure and monitored locations to help limit the need to mail a ballot. BALLOT SHORTAGE IN 2018 As the Rochester Hills Clerk, I contacted the county weeks before election day with concerns that the number of ballots they were ordering were not enough. Many clerks were requesting more ballots, some asking to order more directly from the vendor and pay for them. We were told ‘no.’ We were told that they would look at the number of absentee ballots issued by the local unit and compare it to the number of ballots they had ordered and then determine whether more ballots would be ordered or not. The following lessons should have been learned: Forecasting turnout cannot strictly be based on formulas. You must consider the political climate, recognize the rate of absentee ballots being requested, and listen to the people who are doing the job. Respect must be shown to the local clerks and their expertise must be recognized. Former clerk of Milford and former member of the board of canvassers Elaine Skarritt, who has gone on to her reward, shared this wisdom with us clerks, “Never, I mean never, skimp on elections.” The budget should always include the ability to order 100 percent of the ballots needed to cover the number of registered voters in the county. PANDEMIC IMPACT ON OFFICE I am always looking for ways to work smarter not harder, as well as opportunities to provide better customer options. I value each person’s time and resources. I have been recognized nationally for innovation. I specifically received an Outstanding Innovations in Elections award from the Election Assistance Commission for an Election Day Precinct Support Portal. Other large cities in Michigan have adopted the portal successfully. Additionally, I just created an informational video about the 2020 absent voter process. This video has been shared by nearly 100 clerks across the state. One thing I would implement immediately is the use of several social media platforms to relay information. This is currently only being done on a very limited basis. I would create a Clerk’s Office Innovation Committee that would meet once a month and brainstorm ideas about how we can provide better service, utilize online tools, and save money by streamlining processes. OTHER IMPROVEMENTS I urge you to visit the Ottawa County Elections Twitter page to see the frequent quality communication and information that is being provided to their residents. In my 15 years of election administration I have never
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seen so much misinformation surrounding our elections as we are seeing now. As election officials, we should be doing everything that we can to educate voters and give them access to a source of information that they can trust. This office could be providing so much more. I campaigned for this position four years ago and one of my platform issues was that we needed a satellite office in the south end of the county. While the office has just been recently opened, I would point out that it took the current county clerk four years since I suggested this to implement it. We need a county clerk that recognizes the needs of the county, provides solutions to problems, and leads with a vision. The local clerks of this county need a partner. They unanimously elected me to be the 2020 Oakland County Clerks Association President to lead them. They trust me. WHY VOTE FOR YOU I have a healthy record of collaborating with clerks, election officials, and advocacy groups from across our county, state and nation. I am respected for my ability to reach across the aisle in order to get work done. In the last year, I have been a speaker at GOP events, for the DNC, as well as with the ACLU and Indivisible. There is no question that in August of 2018 the incumbent county clerk not only let the clerks of this county down, she let the voters of our county down. Voters and clerks in Oakland County deserve and should demand a partner and advocate in the county clerk’s office. We need a county clerk that is less concerned about partisan politics and more concerned about people and processes. We need a leader. We need a leader that has a vision for our county and not just for her career. I am the city clerk for the City of Rochester Hills and have served as an election administrator for over 15 years. I have an MA in Management and Leadership and a BA in Business Administration. I am certified by the IIMC as a Master Municipal Clerk and a Michigan Professional Municipal Clerk II by the MAMC. I serve on the Election Security Commission, appointed by SOS Benson. I also serve on the Election Assistance Commission Board of Advisors, appointed by the US Conference of Mayors. I have received a Clearie Award for Election Innovation. Under my leadership, Rochester Hills was the first city in Michigan to conduct a Risk Limiting Audit pilot. I have been honored by Leadership Oakland as a Leader of Leaders in Public Service and by the MAMC as the City Clerk of the Year. I am the President of the Oakland County Clerks Association.
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november 3 general election voter guide
COUNTY TREASURER ROBERT WITTENBERG DEMOCRAT
Wittenberg resides in Huntington Woods and holds a bachelors degree in business management. He is currently a State Representative, first elected in 2015. ROLE OF TREASURER What is the primary role of the Oakland County Treasurer's Office? What prior experience and skills do you bring to the job to fill the role of treasurer? The county treasurer is the banker for the county government, manager of county debt and steward of taxpayer dollars. The treasurer's office and staff, under the leadership of the county treasurer, have many roles within the county government, including the management of the property tax foreclosure process. As a third-term State Representative for southern Oakland County, I've demonstrated trustworthy leadership in the execution of my duties. In my previous career as a life and health insurance specialist, I garnered firsthand experience navigating the challenges of operating a small business. Additionally, I currently serve as treasurer of the community coalition for the Berkley and Oak Park school districts. I believe an effective public servant should be both fiscally responsible and socially conscious. As treasurer, I will be a compassionate steward of resources for all residents across Oakland County. INVESTMENT OUTLOOK FOR COUNTY In revenue terms, what do you see as the impact on county investments and investments for local communities that the county helps manage given the turmoil expected in the current economy? Over the past three years, downtownpublications.com
how has the county investment portfolio performed? Provide specifics.
office make to ensure that Oakland County maintains this high rating?
The county treasurer invests funds of the Oakland County Local Government Investment Pool using a conservative investing strategy outlined in state statute and the Oakland County investment policy. Through careful analysis of every investment decision, I commit to never losing a penny of invested funds under my fiduciary responsibility. Each month, the county treasurer's office generates transparent, publicly accessible reports spelling out their performance. Because the investment pool is well diversified with laddered maturities, the county's investments have been performing strongly in recent years, millions of dollars in interest being generated each month for our local communities and outperforming the benchmark. Simply put, our taxpayer dollars have been put to work to maximize return for the further benefit of the taxpayers, while still following the requirements of safety first in every investment decision, then looking to liquidity needs, then finally to yield. Markets presently continue to show resilience in the face of recent economic turmoil, and as treasurer I will be vigilant to ensure that we follow the Oakland County Investment Policy and swiftly adapt to any changes or turmoil the economy presents. OFFICE STAFFING PLANS A large part of the success of the Oakland County Treasurer's office has been that over the terms of the last three treasurers they were able to assemble a strong and experienced staff. Have you already started to assemble a staff and will some of your organization plans include key staff members already working for the county? I have a great deal of respect for the professionalism of the experienced staff in the Oakland County Treasurer's office. My organizational approach to managing the office includes incorporating as many staff members already working for the county as possible. It would be presumptuous of me to assemble a staff this far ahead of the elections, and I will wait until a more prudent juncture to set more concrete decisions in regard to staff. However, I can promise that if elected, I will ensure our office reflects the diversity of the residents of our county when staffing decisions are made. COUNTY BOND RATING Oakland County has for years maintained a AAA bond rating. What efforts can, and will, the treasurer's
Maintaining the AAA bond rating is one of my top priorities. Our strong rating helps save taxpayer money by reducing the county's borrowing rates when bonds are sold to fund capital projects within Oakland County. It has been and can continue to be put to work, benefiting our local units of government when partnering with the county. A critical effort by the county treasurer in maintaining the AAA bond rating is ensuring the county continues multiyear balanced budgets, strong tax collection and a diversified local economy. As county treasurer, I will be a strong leader on advocating for balanced, long-term budgeting and forecasting. TAX DELINQUENCIES Given the current economic challenges faced by many county residents, do you envision an increase in tax delinquencies similar in nature but not necessarily in scale as experienced during the recent Great Recession? What can the office of county treasurer do to assist county residents in terms of an economic downturn that is expected? It is very likely that we will see an increase in tax delinquencies, but I don’t think it will be to the level of the Great Recession. For most people, their home is the largest investment they will make in their lifetime. I will ensure that people are able to stay and thrive in our neighborhoods. I will actively engage with all taxpayers facing financial challenges to help address their needs and set them up with resources while developing collaborative plans to help prevent foreclosure. I will also leverage relationships in the private sector to implement public-private partnerships to create small business and homeowner relief funds to address the lasting impact of COVID-19. Currently, I am working with treasurer Meisner to draft legislation giving county treasurers more flexibility to help struggling homeowners stay in their homes. Either way, I am eager to proactively tackle the problem before it becomes an even larger issue for our residents. TAX FORECLOSURE RULING Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner lost a major Michigan Supreme Court case recently when the court ruled that the county could not sell a home in tax foreclosure and keep the proceeds of the sales beyond the tax amount that was due. Meisner says he was strictly following the law and would work to have the law changed to allow treasurers more
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discretion to avoid tax sales when small amounts of overdue taxes are owed. Would you support a change in the law? On smaller amounts of overdue land taxes, is there another means of collecting the overdue tax without forcing the sale of a property? Ultimately what will be the cost to Oakland County if this court decision is applied retroactively to past such sales and what will be the annual average loss from not being able to keep the excess sales money? Not only do I support changing the law, but as a state Representative, I introduced legislation to facilitate the change (House Bill 5935). Oakland County homeowners deserve a tax foreclosure system that serves them better. If enacted, my legislation will give county treasurers discretion to protect taxpayers from foreclosures due to a deminimis amount. I also introduced House Bill 5936 which would allow county treasurers to waive up to 75 percent of interest associated with delinquent property taxes for homeowners who lose their job and are facing financial hardship due to COVID19. Even if these bills aren’t enacted, there are innovative policies I would implement as treasurer to strengthen our communities. One example is a public-private partnership to create a relief fund to cover tax bills for homeowners in financial need. I will leverage relationships with organizations to offer grants that help cover tax balances for those facing financial hardship on the front end, preventing residents from needlessly losing their homes. Although we want everyone to be fiscally responsible, things happen that are out of a person’s control. While foreclosures are devastating to a family, they are also costly to taxpayers, and we should do all that we can to prevent them. The legal and financial implications of this suit are challenging — and also uncertain. My duty and promise as our next treasurer will be to safeguard the taxpayers’ funds, so I’d be committed to shielding and limiting any potential future liabilities or financial threats for Oakland County. KEY ISSUES What do you believe are the key issues facing Oakland County at this time? Why? How would you work to resolve the issues? I believe my top priorities as treasurer will address the key issues facing Oakland County. My priorities include the financial security and well-being of every resident, helping to recruit new businesses while supporting existing ones, and maintaining our AAA bond rating. I will be an innovative and proactive leader on these issues. 107
My plan as Oakland County Treasurer is to continue the proven, trustworthy leadership I've delivered as a state representative. For example, I developed innovative programs that can increase access to capital for small businesses in Oakland County – ultimately giving them a better chance to succeed. The financial security of many residents and businesses will be challenged by the lasting effects of COVID-19. That is why my plan to implement public-private partnerships to create small business and homeowner relief funds, will go a long way in helping people who are facing hardships. I intend to responsibly and thoughtfully make our taxpayer dollars work the absolute best for our residents. WHY VOTE FOR YOU How do your skills sets prepare you to represent the county better than your opponent? My proven track record as an elected state Representative, along with my experience as a licensed life and health agent and as treasurer for our multicommunity coalition, positions me best to serve as the next county treasurer. I love helping people, and that is why I am in public service. I believe our treasurer should be accessible, reliable, and trustworthy. These are all traits that I have exhibited as a state Representative. I have been on this campaign trail since September, and I am proud to have the endorsement of the current treasurer, Andy Meisner, all the Oakland County Democratic state legislators, and numerous county commissioners, mayors, and city council members. Being raised in Oakland County helped shape me into the person I am today. And as a current homeowner, husband, and father of young children in Oakland County, I'm committed to strengthening the quality of life for all residents throughout the county.
JOE KENT REPUBLICAN
Michigan. He has been involved with several local community groups. ROLE OF TREASURER The Oakland County Treasurer is tasked with receiving and safeguarding the nearly $1 billion in property taxes and fees collected by the county. A detailed record is also to be kept of all disbursements. A key function of the treasurer’s office is the collection of taxes deemed uncollectible by local municipalities, and advancing these amounts to the municipalities so as to ensure the continuation of day-to-day local government operations. The treasurer likewise decides if and when to foreclose on and seize properties. My education (University of Michigan MBA), licensing (US Treasury) and 25 years advising hundreds of county businesses and families as an expert in business management and taxation make me ideally suited. I am well known and proven as a highly capable, trusted, and prudent voice who loves Oakland County and is committed to protecting it for future generations. INVESTMENT OUTLOOK FOR COUNTY Investments under the Oakland County Treasurer are strictly prescribed to be of the most conservative possible. Specifically, they are limited to bank deposits together with obligations backed by the federal and state government. As such, current economic turmoil is not likely to cause any appreciable change in performance. Regrettably the public has insufficient tools with which to evaluate the performance of these investments. Indeed, the investment reports available through the offices of the current treasurer are especially unhelpful as they show only the allocation of the county’s funds without disclosing performance. Reported yields of employee retirement funds (not managed by the treasurer) serve only to further confuse uninformed observers. This lack of transparency is of great concern to me and calls attention to my future administration’s commitment to providing disclosures that set a national standard for clarity and thoroughness. OFFICE STAFFING PLANS
Kent resides in Oxford and has an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and a masters degree in business from the University of 108
I admire the standards and performance of the administration of L. Brooks Patterson. I likewise admire and am deeply proud of his administration’s commitment to providing levels of service that became benchmarks for county governments across the United State. The treasurer’s office is populated by a great many women and men who exemplify these standards. I similarly believe that stability is a hallmark of well-run organizations, especially those dealing with financial matters. I am in communication with current and past Oakland County government personnel so as to be in a position to ensure that taxpayers receive the highest possible caliber of service without disruption.
COUNTY BOND RATING I stand in firm opposition to tax increases. Oakland County’s AAA bond rating is a central concern. This rating bears directly on borrowing costs for the county. There is in turn a domino effect on local municipalities. If borrowing costs rise, then a case will be made for higher taxes – both at the county and local levels. The county’s past practice of issuing “fiscal notes” to disclose the cost of budget changes was greatly admired by bond rating authorities. Last year the new Democrat majority of Oakland County Commissioners voted to discontinue issuing fiscal notes. I will advocate for their return. It is unacceptable for a curtain to be drawn around the books of Oakland County government. It is similarly unacceptable to expect commissioners to make prudent and informed judgements in the absence of this information. TAX DELINQUENCIES While I do not expect an increase in tax delinquencies on par with what was experienced during the Great Recession, COVID-19 has caused financial devastation. I commend the Oakland County Treasurer in the establishment of the Oakland County Foreclosure Prevention Initiative in collaboration with United Way, Lighthouse of Oakland County and other entities. I similarly support the treasurer’s Taxpayer Assistance Meetings as a means of counseling with at-risk homeowners. We do not benefit as communities when people who wish to retain ownership of their homes are unable to do so. As treasurer I will seek to expand these services by placing a special emphasis on communication. Current practices allow months to pass and fines to accumulate when collection responsibility is handed off from local municipalities to the county treasurer’s office. Errors by homeowners and lenders go undetected far too long. I will enact new procedures to close this information gap. TAX FORECLOSURE RULING It’s important to recognize that even though Michigan law specifies the process that county treasurers have to follow when they sell a property to collect delinquent taxes, the law does not force treasurers to conduct such a sale. Otherwise treasurers would have zero discretion in how they collect delinquent taxes. This is clearly not the case. Options available to the treasurer include helping the owner set up a payment plan, or asking the taxpayer’s local municipality to get involved. I do not support a change in the law. As Oakland County Treasurer I will closely monitor the status of delinquent properties so as to protect the rights of property owners and avoid extreme remedies such as occurred when the county sold a property for which $8.41 was owed. I further believe it is unethical for county governments to profit by auctioning properties and
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retaining funds received over and above the delinquent tax. This practice incentivizes county governments to auction properties so as to produce an income stream above and beyond the property taxes and fees that are supposed to fund government operations. KEY ISSUES The key issues of the Oakland County Treasurer’s race are the protection of taxpayers, the restoring of integrity in county government and securing the county’s financial future. These issues rise to the top because they collectively represent a departure from the standards that Oakland County residents justifiably expect. The need to protect taxpayers is evidenced by the recent Michigan Supreme Court case over the seizure and sale of an Oakland County residence over an $8.41 property tax mistake. Integrity is called in question by steps to hide financial details. The county’s financial future is jeopardized by sharply increased spending. Disclosing financial data is the starting point for getting the county back on the path that L. Brooks Patterson so ably mapped out. The public has a right to know. Next comes a commitment to best practices as defined by the financial community rather than by political expedience. WHY VOTE FOR YOU My life is driven by a love for God, family, country and community. I built a thriving business based on the premise that customers deserve the highest caliber of service, and that no person should pay more in taxes than the law requires. I hold the tax profession’s most sought after license. I hold an advanced business degree from the university that stands for being “leaders and best.” I do the hard things that prove I’m committed to what I say. In 2015 I crisscrossed my township campaigning against Proposal One to increase Michigan’s sales tax. In 2016 my team and I knocked on 17,000 doors as I ran for the State House of Representatives. I came up 15 votes short, but was endorsed by L. Brooks Patterson, the Michigan Bankers Association and the MI Association of CPAs. I am the right person to be Oakland County’s next treasurer.
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november 3 general election voter guide
WATER RESOURCES COMMISSIONER TOXIC CHEMICALS
JIM NASH DEMOCRAT
Jim Nash is completing his second term in office. He was an Oakland County commissioner for Farmington Hills for eight years prior, and was the Sierra Club Southeast Michigan group chair before he became a county commissioner. Nash is a veteran. ROLE OF WATER COMMISSIONER What is the role of the county water resources commissioner? Simply put, we protect our water resources, ensure human health and support the public’s safety and convenience. Formerly Drain Commissioner, we oversee over 500 urban and rural separated storm drains, in all our communities. My staff of 370 positions, and budget over of $500 million, operates and maintains by contract 19 water and/or sewer services in 16 communities. We operate county and intercounty sewer interceptors serving over 800,000 people, combined sewer systems for over 200,000 people, soil erosion control programs for most communities, lake levels control structures for 53 county lakes and serve on 56 lake boards. We work with every community in Oakland County, our neighboring counties and cities, and our regulatory bodies in Lansing and Washington, to develop better stormwater policies, protect our precious water resources and ensure safe, affordable drinking water for all. We have been leading regional and state efforts to develop regional stormwater ordinances, use new technologies and techniques to limit stormwater pollution and extract energy from the wastes we process. We focus on public education, from fourth and fifth graders, to high school and college students, community leadership through an annual stormwater summit and national award winning library talks across the county. downtownpublications.com
How can the water resources commission office work to both educate and prevent the public from using toxic chemicals, and then once it does get into the water systems and wells, mitigate its damages? Should the county adopt a ban on the use of certain chemicals? Regulation of toxic chemical sites and pollution are not the jurisdiction of the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner (WRC). We do work with the Michigan Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) Department and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when spills and contamination are discovered. The toxic green slime that appeared on I-696 last fall was an example of cooperation from the city of Madison Heights, the WRC, the Oakland County Emergency Operations Center, EGLE and the EPA. As in most cases of toxic sites and pollution, this was an industrial site with a long history of chemical violations, in fact the property owner was sentenced to prison. At a town hall in 2019, a representative from EGLE mentioned that there are over 9,000 toxic sites in Southeast Michigan alone. The public has annual off-site opportunities across the county to turn in household toxic chemicals, electronic waste, old oil, paint and other dangerous wastes through the South Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority (www.socrra.org). My office helps with public education and advertising for these events. Our pollution hotline allows people to report dumping so we can clean it up and find the polluter, at (248) 858-0931. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Oakland County is the home to hundreds of inland lakes and sits at the headwaters of six major rivers feeding the state’s waterways. Should the county be taking a stronger role in protecting the environment through a more aggressive approach with ordinances regulating items and activities that threaten our natural resources? If so, what would you suggest? Protecting our Oakland County water resources is a top priority of the WRC. Our separated sanitary sewer systems and combined sewer systems are all designed and operated to protect our lakes, rivers and streams from pollution and have an excellent regulatory record. In recent years we have developed successful asset management systems to ensure our infrastructure stays in good repair. The last pollution sources to our water bodies in Oakland County are the separated stormwater systems that release contaminated runoff from
roads, parking lots and roofs without any treatment. We are working on a more efficient and effective way to design systems so the first inch of rain can be absorbed into the ground, bringing most pollutants with it. These cost saving new projects, technologies and techniques are called Green Infrastructure and seek to recreate how natural soils absorb rainwater before it reaches the storm systems. We also help communities develop these policies. We educate the public who live on water bodies how to build shoreline green buffers to absorb the fertilizers that otherwise bring nutrients into the water, which cause algae and bacteria blooms that close beaches. Together, residents, communities and institutions and are working to protect our water. SCHOOL WATER TESTING What more needs to be done on the issue of school water testing? Although the state has issued new requirements in recent years, do we need more regulation in terms of testing? When the issue of lead contamination of the drinking water in Flint broke, my office began working with the Oakland County Health Department to collect data, consult with authorities and develop policies. Oakland County investigated our internal infrastructure and looked at local schools and day care centers. Internally we found some lead issues and remediated them immediately. We discovered that no legal authority existed to regulate schools’ drinking water so they were tested across the county. We established that some schools did have lead in their plumbing, old drinking fountains or faucets. Where this was found plumbing was replaced, across many schools old fountains were replaced with filtered fountains/bottle fillers and old faucets were replaced. Day care centers were also subject to testing and remediation. The Lead and Copper Rule of 2016 mandates the replacement of residential lead and galvanized iron pipes, under public and private property from the main to the house, over 20 years. Our office is on schedule and progressing. Interior plumbing and fixtures can also contain lead. Our water systems have used corrosion control for years to coat pipes and limit lead exposure. For more information and simple safety suggestions, go to oakgov.com/water. REGIONAL SEWER/WATER SYSTEM Has the new regional approach to delivery of sewer and water services been successful? Provide details for your answer. My office, along with the Oakland
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County Executive, played a significant role in creating the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) from the old Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. Our concerns were addressed through the process and the system was set up to give the customer communities a greater voice in operations and control. The current GLWA board is made up of one member each from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne Counties, two from Detroit and one named by the governor. Since it’s creation the GLWA has built a committee system so all communities can have a voice in the direction of the system. These committees have been able to develop policies to run the system in a fair and balanced way. Not all issues have been resolved yet but we feel they are being worked on fairly and will benefit all communities. Each community individually contracts with GLWA for drinking water supplies and communities act together in regional systems to collect sanitary sewage for treatment at the Detroit wastewater treatment plant (the sixth largest treatment plant in the world). The four combined sewer systems that WRC operates also send their sewage/stormwater to Detroit for treatment. The system has been successful. IMPROVEMENTS TO OFFICE What changes or improvements would you like to see made to the office of water resources commissioner? In my first year in office I started a fiveyear strategic plan to realign how we operated. We have made a concerted effort to improve morale, with more staff involvement at all levels, more activities and events and better communications. We have improved our communications with all our communities and we are working on projects and new innovative ways to maintain our systems. I am very proud of our relations with communities across the county. We started an asset management system using closed circuit TV in 2013, that saves money and improves our aging infrastructure. My office is leading efforts to develop green infrastructure, an efficient alternative to expensive gray infrastructure like underground pipes, pumps and tanks to deal with stormwater. The most important thing I am working on for the future is mitigating and building resilience to climate change. We are extracting energy from the sewage we treat, reducing fossil fuels and building systems to deal with more rain. Extreme rain storms have been the largest impact of climate change in southeast Michigan. We need more state and federal resources, the ratepayers alone can’t pay for all the work needed to 109
keep us safe and our environment clean. WHY VOTE FOR YOU How do your skills sets prepare you to represent the county better than your opponents? Be specific.
FREEDUMB
I have been Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner since 2013, before that I was an Oakland County Commissioner from 2005 to 2013. In both capacities I have been a strong advocate for sustainable policies. I was the chair of the Southeast Michigan Sierra Club from 2002 to 2005. As county commissioner I organized and hosted six annual Green Building Workshops, bringing experts to help local officials and citizens understand the benefits of green building, energy conservation and environmental protection. As WRC I have hosted seven Stormwater Summits, bringing state and national experts to help regional leaders and local officials understand stormwater and green infrastructure as we deal together with climate change. I have lead regional efforts to develop more efficient and effective policies. We are opening a new process to create energy from sewage to get off fossil fuels and new policies to deal with excess rainwater from climate change. I have received the Environmentalist of the Year from the Michigan Sierra Club and the Public Utility Management Professional of the Year from the Michigan Water Environment Association. My office just received the Utility of the Future Award from the international Water Environment Federation. Collaboration and regionalism are my goals.
JIM STEVENS REPUBLICAN
want lower water rates, lower income families deserve reduced rates, I will work with the Detroit water monopoly to reduce rates or plan to build our own system at 50 percent reduction of current water rates. TOXIC CHEMICALS I plan to work with recycling companies on better ways to dispose of household chemicals. Our residents are the eyes of the community. I will always meet with anyone with concerns. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Our lakes are especially important for recreational use, our kids swim and fish in our local lakes. We need to educate on how important our resources are by keeping them clean. Our county will strive to enforce and punish polluters. SCHOOL WATER TESTING Testing is a good safety check for our children to ensure clean water. REGIONAL WATER AND SEWER Currently we are in a monopoly of the Detroit water system. We need better water rates or look to team up with Macomb for our own water system. I want low water rates for lower income families. Many families being affected by Covid-19, by job losses. The government needs to step up with assistance. If not, I will do everything possible to help. IMPROVEMENTS TO OFFICE I would like every citizen to have an update on water testing and a hotline number for reporting polluters. WHY VOTE FOR YOU I am a leader and plan to keep our rivers and lake clean. My opponent while in office, according to news briefs from local paper – January 1 to April 18, 2018 – a total of 95.4 million gallons of partially treated sewage were released into rivers. This needs to end. I will let voters decide if they like the current status.
Jim Stevens lives in Rochester Hills, and attended Macomb Community College. ROLE OF WATER COMMISSIONER The new role will ensure and provide proper drainage to landowners and developers to work together. The water commissioner will make long-term plans for sewage and storm drains systems. I 110
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10.20
november 3 general election voter guide Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township
COUNTY COMMISSION – 12TH DISTRICT KELLY DILLAHA DEMOCRAT
there, too. Investment in transportation attracts skilled workers and businesses and is good for our economy. Ridership in Oakland County was up before Covid. As Oakland’s office, retail, restaurant, daycare, home healthcare and nursing home workers return to work onsite, so will ridership. VOTING DAY OFF FOR EMPLOYEES
Dillaha of Birmingham has bachelor's and masters degrees in sociology from Wayne State University. She owns Fat Cat Concierge Services and has not held political office in the past. MASS TRANSIT The issue of mass transit for southeast Michigan has been a hotly debated topic for over four decades. More recently voters in this county have been less enthusiastic in terms of tax increases to support a system beyond what we now have through SMART or an expanded system that does not provide equal benefits for all Oakland County communities. At the same time, the future for the modes of personal transportation is a big question. Plus, one of the impacts of the pandemic crisis is the number of employees who have been working remotely, which raises a legitimate question of whether there will be even less demand for an expanded mass transit system. What are your thoughts on the mass transit issue? To remain economically competitive, Oakland County needs a transportation plan that addresses the needs of residents: getting seniors to appointments, workers to work, students to school. We need to consider both current needs and how those will change over the next 15 years. By 2035, 40 percent of our population will be aged 65-plus and will have unique transportation needs. Younger people care about negatively impacting the environment, and student debt makes it difficult to pay for and maintain a car. They still need to get to work, so they chose to live and work in cities with reliable and convenient transportation. The companies that hire them locate downtownpublications.com
The county board, controlled by Democrats, recently adopted a policy that gives county employees the day off to vote in an election, by some estimates an added cost of $1 million for the county and its taxpayers. In that state voters approved no-reasons absentee voting, some say this new policy is unnecessary. Do you think the county board policy change was necessary? Explain. By having Election Day off, Oakland County employees can now fully participate in our democracy and so can their families. Employees can choose to work for the day at an election precinct or count mail-in votes; they can assist relatives and neighbors who need extra help to get to the polls; or they can care for their young children while their partners do these activities. County employees performing essential duties will not be able to take Election Day off, such as clerk’s office staff, Children’s Village staff, and sheriff patrols. Those employees will be allowed to take a different day off in lieu. The cost associated with giving employees just two days off every two years is a fraction of the amount mentioned. BUDGETARY SAFEGUARDS Republican critics of the Democratically-controlled county board are claiming that Democrats have done away with a long-standing budget procedure of providing a cost impact analysis when proposing new programs, suggesting that ultimately this will threaten the financial picture and eventually the bond rating for the county. Your reaction to this criticism? I believe residents should be able to easily understand how their tax dollars are being spent and how resources are used. The board’s current practices provide the oversight and transparency we need. When new resolutions are introduced, today’s costs as well as long-term impacts are noted directly in the resolution. Additionally, during the Covid-19 crisis, the executive office provides weekly reports to the board with cumulative totals detailing spending to
keep our families safe and to support businesses. Oakland County’s 2020 AAA bond rating was reaffirmed and the 2020 three-year budget was approved with unanimous bipartisan support. As a business owner, I think it’s important to regularly review and tweak business practices to best serve my clients and remain on top of my game. Oakland County needs leaders who aren’t afraid of change and easily adapt to modern ways of thinking and doing business. I will provide that leadership. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Oakland County is the home to hundreds of inland lakes and sits at the headwaters of six major rivers feeding the state’s waterways. Should the county be taking a stronger role in protecting the environment through a more aggressive approach with ordinances regulating items and activities that threaten our natural resources? If so, what would you suggest? We deserve clean, safe drinking water. Oakland County has 80,000-plus residential and commercial septic systems. It’s estimated 10-20 percent of these are failing, exposing residents and groundwater to raw sewage, viruses and other health concerns. Currently, the county regulates septic systems for new buildings or renovations only. We need to add regular inspections of existing septic systems, and increase and improve nearby well inspections to detect contamination early and protect groundwater. I also want to prioritize replacement of lead service lines connecting water mains to our homes. In Birmingham alone, 730 houses have known lead service lines. Local municipalities are responsible for replacing these lines, but it’ll take years to complete and residents are exposed to lead in the meantime. We need to explore ways to help local municipalities make these repairs now county wide, such as low-cost loans and negotiating county-wide repairs to create economies of scale. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared racism as a public health crisis and is appointing a committee to address this issue and has ordered implicit bias training for all state employees, including everyone in the administration. Should Oakland County be taking any special action or creating policies or programs to address this issue on the local level? Please provide details for your response.
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Oakland County has an opportunity to take the lead in promoting diversity initiatives and addressing racism in the region. In my lifetime, Black and Brown residents have not always had the same access to or experiences with health care, housing, employment, transportation, education or the court system. At the same time, our county’s own workforce did not reflect the demographics of the community. In 2020, there is change in the air. Our county hired its first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, and expanded its nondiscrimination policy, indicating their commitment to change. Peaceful demonstrations (organized in cooperation with police from both Bloomfield Township and Birmingham) are taking place. Yard signs promoting inclusivity show that Birmingham and Bloomfield residents want our community to be a place where everyone feels safe, welcomed and valued. Oakland County is focused forward, and I am, too. Diversity not only strengthens our cultural fabric, it creates opportunities for economic growth that we need right now. I will fight to include the voices and experiences of all residents in promoting diversity and inclusion, so that every resident, worker or visitor in Oakland County is treated with respect. REGIONAL COOPERATION Do you feel Oakland County is doing all it can to be a strong partner in the southeast Michigan region as it applies to the issue of regional cooperation? It is essential for Oakland County to develop strong regional relationships with government, business, nonprofit, education and healthcare sectors. When we share ideas, data, best practices and resources, we can solve problems much more efficiently than on our own. Many of the services we rely on daily are a result of regional cooperation: clean drinking water and sewers are good examples. Looking to the future, there are opportunities to collaborate on clean energy initiatives, infrastructure improvements and more. The current COVID crisis also provides many examples of how the county is partnering regionally to solve problems: The public health division has established testing centers, contact tracing protocols, overflow hospitals, and public health notices. Hopefully soon, they will also distribute vaccines. Businesses are receiving help to reopen with access to loans and safety equipment. As families are struggling to work and 111
learn from home during the pandemic, the county is working with K-12 educators, internet providers and other businesses to identify areas that do not have broadband internet service, and establish short and longterm solutions. We need more regional cooperation – not less – to be able to solve modern problems and improve the lives of Oakland residents.
BUDGETARY SAFEGUARDS
CHUCK MOSS
Moss resides in Birmingham and has an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University James Madison College and a law degree from University of Detroit School of Law. He has been a Birmingham city commissioner, county commissioner (2001-2006), state Representative, and currently is a member of the regional transportation board.
Well, I’m one of the people making those criticisms, so I think they’re correct. The cost-impact analyses, or ‘fiscal notes’ were an important discipline to spending, as well as providing transparency and accountability. There are other budget safeguards done away with: the transformation of the finance committee, where all spending decisions were openly made and debated to a hodgepodge of steering committees, subcommittees and add in the county executive’s orders. Plus, the abandonment of the venerable “Gosling Amendment’ added to every program grant, stating up-front that when the grant money ran out, the program ended – so you wouldn’t assume endless ongoing programs with limited income. After almost 40 years of the Brooks Patterson era, things will inevitably change; but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Whoever is executive, and whatever the priorities, good financial practice and solid budget practices are a bipartisan reality that help whoever is in office, especially with revenue declines we’re already seeing as a result of the virus and the shutdowns.
MASS TRANSIT
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Mass public transit has been a deadend in metro Detroit for decades, between the ambitious visions of advocates and reluctance of voters to tax themselves to fund them. Add in the uncertainty of post-virus employment and commuting patterns. Add in economic effects of the virus crisis that will make extra money scarce. And add in a mobility future with autonomous vehicles. The good news is last month at the Regional Transit Authority board meeting we heard a report from an initiative which is best described as Uber-Meets-Dial-A-Ride. Using ‘Uberstyle’ programs and flexible scheduling, plus small multi-use transports, we might be able to jump out of the old fixed-bus-line model and directly match people to destinations. Instead of focusing on systems, we can focus on service and rides. I intend to strongly support this new direction, and move away from the old failed attempts to recreate transit maps of 1927 or 1950. Let’s use today’s technology to get people who need transit where they need to go.
Protecting water quality is a prime job of the county water resources commissioner, our independently elected czar of water issues. The board of commissioners can and should be good partners, making sure the WRC has the resources it needs and bringing specific concerns forward to protect and preserve our water quality. Now: I’m from Midland, and my particular issue is dams. My mother’s house was fine, but I have friends in town who got flooded, as well as others who live on the now disappeared Sanford Lake, when the Edenville and Sanford Dams gave way. Oakland County has hundreds of dams, and every single needs to be inspected and brought to code. Right now. I’d call this an urgent priority. If you don’t believe me, drive up on US 10 north of Midland, look over the Sanford Lake bridge, and imagine yourself downstream. This is a bipartisan imperative.
REPUBLICAN
KEY ISSUES What do you believe are the key issues facing Oakland County at this time? How would you work to resolve the issues? As county commissioner I will bring smart, forward-thinking, compassionate leadership to Oakland County. I will fight to keep families safe and rebuild our economy in the wake of Covid-19, ensuring businesses have information and protective equipment to reopen and operate safely, and the county has resources to fight future outbreaks. Stop the Oakland County “brain drain”: young people and families are moving away and taking their talents and skills with them. We need to ensure Oakland has the amenities that keep and attract a talented workforce, or workers will keep leaving and companies will follow. This will be devastating for our economy. Address the unique needs of our growing senior population, projected to make up 40 percent of Oakland County by 2035. I cared for my mom when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, so I know first-hand the challenges that seniors and their families face. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Why should voters select you over your opponent? Please be specific in drawing your comparison. Our twin sons, Aidan and Brady, recently graduated from Seaholm amidst the pandemic. The outpouring of well wishes reminded my husband Scott and I why we chose Oakland County for our home 20 years ago: caring neighbors, excellent schools, vibrant shops and safe streets. In a few years when our sons finish college, we want them to start their careers and raise their families here. I’m running for county commission because I want to play an active part in shaping Oakland’s future. Through professional and volunteer work, I have built strong relationships with community groups, business leaders, educators and government. I am proud of my reputation as someone who works hard to get things done on time and within budget. I’m not a career politician, and I don’t hide behind a computer. I’m active in the community as a business owner, a parent, and volunteer and a leader.
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VOTING DAY OFF FOR EMPLOYEES County taxpayers don’t get the day off to vote. Why should they pay for their public servants to do it? Besides, anyone who wants to can vote absentee, which has never been easier. Day-off voting is an expensive anachronism and we can use that $1 million to provide services to our citizens. Money is going to be tight after the virus crisis, anyway.
RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Racism is morally repugnant, and acting upon it is illegal, violating state and federal law. There should be no tolerance for treating one human being differently from another on the basis of race. If our county policies don’t reflect that, it’s time they were changed. REGIONAL COOPERATION This is an old issue. Regional success is not a zero-sum game. The rebirth and reclamation of first downtown, then neighborhoods of Detroit is one of the most satisfying developments in
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my life. All regional proposals should be judged on a ‘win-win’ formula. Wins for all the partners, in clearly defined ways, so the public support can be assured. Simply saying ‘what’s good for Detroit is good for all’ hasn’t worked in the past and is probably insufficient in the future. Caveat: under no circumstances should Oakland County taxpayers simply subsidize the Detroit city government. KEY ISSUES Oakland’s overriding issue is maintaining quality public health and safety services in the post-Covid environment. Managing a greater need for services with a diminished income will be the biggest challenge to come. I’ve done this before, as chair of Oakland’s finance and Lansing’s appropriations committees. Wonderful visions are no good without the resources to pay for them. Also, given the current attention on law enforcement practice, it’s now time to invest in proper training for the Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Bouchard has said for years that the county has shorted resources needed for training. I will make it a priority to get the sheriff what he needs to properly train our law enforcement. “Defund the police?” No way. In this region we learned long ago that nothing’s more expensive than civil disorder. Seniors. New York wasn’t the only state who sent Covid-positive patients to nursing homes, endangering seniors. Michigan did it, too. Covid lockdowns have been especially hard on isolated seniors. Oakland has many programs geared to seniors, but we need to reach out and double down on both physical and mental health. We have very fine senior programs with NEXT and Bloomfield Seniors. They need to be supported and enhanced. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Experience. My opponent is a very fine person but she has no experience or record at any elected level of government. Our county commissioners have all come with elected city commission/township trustee office or state-level, or a serious local board experience like planning. I’ve served as Birmingham city commissioner, mayor, county commissioner, state Representative, as well as boards like the 2016 Plan, SEMCOG regional board and officer, and currently the Regional Transit Authority. The county commission has never been a place for on-the-job training, and with a new or nearly-new county executive, it needs proven veterans more than ever. My specialty has been finance, budget and appropriations, and that’s going to be the key going forward post-Covid. Experience counts and I have the experience, the grasp of issues, and the record to show I can tackle county challenges from day one. Now is no time to send in a newbie. 10.20
november 3 general election voter guide Bloomfield Township
COUNTY COMMISSION – 13TH DISTRICT MARCIA GERSHENSON DEMOCRAT
we need, and improve the quality of life in southeast Michigan. VOTING DAY OFF FOR EMPLOYEES The county board, controlled by Democrats, recently adopted a policy that gives county employees the day off to vote in an election, by some estimates an added cost of $1 million for the county and its taxpayers. In that state voters approved no-reason absentee voting, some say this new policy is unnecessary. Do you think the county board policy change was necessary? Explain.
Gershenson, a resident of Bloomfield Township, is a former English teacher with a degree from the University of Michigan. Gershenson is the incumbent county commissioner for the 13th district, first elected in 2004. MASS TRANSIT The issue of mass transit for southeast Michigan has been a hotly debated topic for over four decades. More recently voters in this county have been less enthusiastic in terms tax increases to support a system beyond what we now have through SMART or an expanded system that does not provide equal benefits for all Oakland County communities. At the same time, the future for the modes of personal transportation is a big question. Plus, one of the impacts of the pandemic crisis is the number of employees who have been working remotely, which raises a legitimate question of whether there will be even less demand for an expanded mass transit system. What are your thoughts on the mass transit issue? I support improving mass transit in our region. Better transit is needed to transport workers to jobs, assist people who don't drive or own cars to appointments, get students to school and keep our communities connected. I support developing a transit proposal that will require the approval of our county voters to move forward and provide benefits to all. As residents age, the transit needs of our senior population will grow exponentially. While some workers can work remotely, workers in need of transit are generally in jobs that cannot be done remotely such as lower wage health care and service sector jobs. Improving transit is essential to sustain and grow our regions economy, attract the workforce downtownpublications.com
I support election day being a county holiday as it is an opportune time to celebrate our democracy. The Republican cost estimate is not accurate. and was corrected by our human resource department. Election Day is a holiday in over 30 states and there is legislation pending in Michigan. The day off provides an opportunity for many county workers to volunteer at local polls where there is a need. We currently have over 500 local precincts and absentee ballot counting boards. This year, with the pandemic, there is concern the traditional poll workers whose average age is 70, will be less willing to work. New volunteers and workers will be needed to support running our elections. Voting is one of our most important civic duties and a cornerstone of our democracy. BUDGETARY SAFEGUARDS Republican critics of the Democratically controlled county board are claiming that Democrats have done away with a long-standing budget procedure of providing a cost impact analysis when proposing new programs, suggesting that ultimately this will threaten the financial picture and eventually the bond rating for the county. Your reaction to this criticism? This is completely false. Democrats instituted a policy that requires all actions and resolutions spending any county money, have budget amendments included in the resolution. This reform enables commissioners and the public to fully understand county spending. All budget amendments are required to align with our three-year budgeting practices. Commissioners are committed to the long-term success of our county and unanimously passed a three-year budget. Another reform advanced this term, was a requirement that departments submitting grant proposals committing county resources, receive board approval at the beginning of the process. This was often done at the end of the process by the previous administration. Democrats led an effort to require contracts come before the
board for approval, a practice that had been ignored for decades. Our county's AAA bond rating was sustained this year, and the rating agencies affirmed our increased transparency, fiscal discipline and budgetary practices. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Oakland County is the home to hundreds of inland lakes and sits at the headwaters of six major rivers feeding the state’s waterways. Should the county be taking a stronger role in protecting the environment through a more aggressive approach with ordinances regulating items and activities that threaten our natural resources? If so, what would you suggest? Protecting our lakes, water and streams is a top priority. I led the creation of the Oakland County Safe Lakes Initiative that resulted in a 400 percent increase in lake testing across the county and joined a statewide effort to post data publicly. We are taking many additional steps to protect our environment. I support reducing Oakland County's carbon emissions 50 percent by 2030 and we are in the process of conducting a county energy audit to establish a benchmark to achieve that goal. I support creating a new county energy sustainability office to lead our efforts. Lastly, I believe we need to find ways to inspect firms that use toxic chemicals annually. Partnering with the state, we can do more to protect our environment. I want to prevent another “Green Ooze” disaster and lead in communities pipes from ever happening again. RACISM AS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared racism as a public health crisis and is appointing a committee to address this issue and has ordered implicit bias training for all state employees, including everyone in the administration. Should Oakland County be taking any special action or creating policies or programs to address this issue on the local level? Please provide details for your response. Racism has a negative influence in the areas of housing, education and employment and is a barrier to health equity. Public health studies have shown that racism can create stress that affects overall physical health. This can result in a higher prevalence of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, asthma and diabetes, and a shorter lifespan. I am committed to address the injustices caused by racism by promoting racial equality and inclusion. First, the board of
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commissioners voted to recognize racism as a public health issue. Second, we are making the largest expansion in our public health centers in decades to expand health care access – with a focus on expanding access to vulnerable populations and communities of color. Lastly, our newly appointed diversity, equity and inclusion officer will be assessing all our county operations, including our public health operations and making recommendations to address issues that contribute to systemic racism. REGIONAL COOPERATION Do you feel Oakland County is doing all it can to be a strong partner in the southeast Michigan region as it applies to the issue of regional cooperation? Regional cooperation is a priority for the county administration and the Democratic majority on the board of commissioners. Our current administration is a strong participant in the Detroit Regional Partnership. Our board’s leadership works closely with the board leadership in our neighboring counties. I remain committed to advancing regional transit in the next term, one of the greatest issues our region faces. Working together, I’m confident, as a region, and with the current leadership in place, we can work collaboratively to solve transit, affordable housing and infrastructure issues facing all of us. KEY ISSUES What do you believe are the key issues facing Oakland County at this time? How would you work to resolve the issues? I support protecting and expanding health care in Oakland County. I supported the largest expansion of our public health department in decades. I am committed to moving public health beyond the traditional clinical approach and integrate new services. This will include adding family planning, women's heath, family medicine, mental health and dental services. My second priority is to keep our drinking water safe. I supported replacing all drinking fountains in our schools with filtered bottled water refilling stations. I am committed to work with our local communities to replace lead service lines to protect our drinking water. We have a growing senior population. It's imperative we fund the necessary resources to support seniors so they can lead independent and productive lives. I actively participate with our county's senior advisory council and I eliminated the wait list for critical senior 113
services at our largest county senior service agency.
system the most, rather than gentrification projects which do little to help the community.
WHY VOTE FOR YOU
VOTING DAY OFF FOR EMPLOYEES
Why should voters select you over your opponent? Please be specific in drawing your comparison. Never before has experienced leadership been so important. I’ve worked hard to understand the needs of residents and am very active and accessible in the communities I represent. I use my experience to help people access vital services during this pandemic. I am a strong advocate to dispense the federal government's CARES money to help get businesses operating again. I advocated to use this money to assist non-profits, schools, libraries and senior centers and give financial assistance to our most vulnerable residents. I worked with a bipartisan committee to support safe and responsible gun ownership, advance women's issues and secure more local funding for roads. I am determined to expand opportunities for all residents, make our communities stronger and continue to practice strong fiscal discipline. I am proud of the work I have done over my tenure and have much more to do!
While making voting easier by having no-reason absentee voting has made the need for a day off seem not necessary, There are still reasons to allow employees to take the day off. Michigan has had a poll worker shortage problem for many years that I have experienced serving as a poll worker since 2012. Oakland County workers should be allowed to have a day off, if they sign up to be a poll worker for the day in order to assist residents in the voting process.
SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER
REPUBLICAN
It does little good to sit on the couch and complain, then not exercise your voting rights. Registered voters have the power to decide who will make the policy decisions that set the public agenda. Your vote is the most direct way to communicate with those in power. So if you are not registered to vote in the November 3 general election, then call your local municipal clerk today. Make sure you speak truth to power this election. 114
Rohtbart, a resident of West Bloomfield, has an undergraduate degree in political science from Oakland University and is studying for his law degree at University of Detroit Mercy Law. He has been involved in Republican party organizations. MASS TRANSIT Having a functional and effective transit system should be a goal for the future of Oakland County. This means having a transit system that is run effectively, is organizationally sound, and responds to community demand. Having various transit agencies is a waste of government resources when we should have a single united transit network. We also need to fund projects that benefit the people who depend on the transit
KEY ISSUES
Protecting the natural beauty of our county is something I take very seriously. While I would need to thoroughly view any individual proposal, I describe myself as a “green” Republican because of having environmental issues as a centerpiece of my campaign platform. My general test for such proposals is they need to be innovative, not regressive, and have a greater benefit than their cost to implement/sustain.
Clean Water. This is comprised of two key issues, one, lead pipes and two, the pollution of the Great Lakes. Lead in pipes is not an issue confined to Flint, Michigan. Oakland County also has had a history of lead contamination issues. Just snapping our fingers and saying the issue is solved is not possible. To understand how much lead is in our water system the very word “plumbing” derives from the Latin word for Lead. A phase out plan of lead pipes should be our goal focusing first on schools and public buildings, moving to commercial regulations, and finally moving to eliminating all lead water pipes in Oakland County. Two, Oakland County dumps hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage into the Great Lakes because of our combined drainage and sewage system. I am not a water engineer, nor do I claim to be an expert in the area. We need to establish a panel of experts in the area to discuss options and move to a resolution focusing less on blame and more on solutions. This next County Commission will be responsible for redistricting the commission for the next 10 years. I will only support a map in order of priority that follows all applicable laws, respects existing community boundaries, and avoids unusual shapes. I am against gerrymandering, drawing a map for partisan advantage is wrong and will not have my support or vote.
RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS
WHY VOTE FOR YOU
Having an educational background in history, it is impossible to separate racial tension with the history of Michigan. While we never had Jim Crow laws in Michigan, we did have many discriminatory practices either allowed or encouraged by government. We need to have greater educational outreach to teach the history of racial issues in our area. Specifically, where we have failed on racial issues and how those failures impact our community to this day. We also should support criminal justice reform efforts in Oakland County to focus law enforcement on preventing violent crime and start to end racial disparities in our justice system.
I am a candidate who brings people together. First being elected as a precinct delegate in 2010 on a platform of relentless positive action. Some may dismiss me for a lack of experience, but that discounts the fact that I have been in grassroots and party politics for over a decade. I will not be a deer in the headlights on the county commission. I know how to fight for my principles. Fighting homophobia, islamophobia, and defending refugees (like my late grandfather). These are all things I have gone on the record to stand for in my career in public service. If you want to vote for a decades long incumbent who votes the party line, support my opponent who I have enormous respect for. If you want something new, if you want real change, and someone who will work to end the partisan fights on the commission and bring our community together, maximize your vote and support Max Rohtbart for county commission.
BUDGETARY SAFEGUARDS This policy change is a surrender of the oversight and government accountability responsibilities of the board of commissioners by eliminating safeguards that protect our community. The board operates as the county’s legislative branch of government. Making sure the people’s representatives are transparent and provide full oversight of county operations is a key part of the foundational role of having a legislative branch. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
MAX ROHTBART
Oakland County has a reputation of not being as strong of a regional partner as we could be. Oakland County should be a team player, but it is important for our regional partners to also be team players. If there is a program that benefits one of our regional partners but has a negative net impact on Oakland County that is not acceptable.
REGIONAL COOPERATION If our region succeeds, we all succeed. While we must protect the interests of the people who we represent, it is important to understand that it is in the interest of all people in my district to have a strong regional economy.
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november 3 general election voter guide
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT
DANI WALSH DEMOCRAT
Walsh is a business consultant who received a kinesiology degree from University of Michigan. She is completing her first term as a trustee in Bloomfield Township. She also serves on the township's zoning board of appeals and was an alternate on the Design Review Board. SUPERVISOR RESPONSBILITIES As one of three full-time elected positions in the township offices, along with the clerk and the treasurer, the supervisor is essentially the CEO of the township. What are the duties of the township supervisor? What skills and experience in Bloomfield Township do you possess to assure residents that you would be the best CEO they could hire to run the township? I have spent 20-plus years working for global corporations and honing my skills in strategic planning, organizational management, process and budget efficiencies, procurement, training and workforce development, and management. As a business consultant, I help businesses redefine or reinvent themselves to improve and succeed in a changing business environment. My vast business experiences developed an arsenal of innovative business ideas that can bring the township business practices out of the 1980s and into the year 2020. Streamlining processes, adjusting the way we approach our finances, changing the structure of government, could lead to savings that would then be passed on through increased services. In my four years with Bloomfield, I have sat on the board of trustees, zoning board of appeals and Preservation Bloomfield. As your supervisor, I will provide leadership you can trust. Bloomfield will thrive again once we focus on transparency, responsibility, and inclusion to our community. downtownpublications.com
This past year, a township trustee has introduced the concept of a township superintendent, who would supersede the supervisor and act similarly to a city manager in running the township. What are your thoughts on this idea, and why do you think it would, or would not, work for Bloomfield Township? When supervisor Savoie and treasurer Kepes rallied that the treasurer position be reduced to part-time in 2015, it opened the conversation of updating the township structure. In addition to making the treasurer part-time, I agree with making the supervisor role part-time as well. The current financial issues we face with OPEB debt being ignored for decades, asking for a new SAD tax before making a single budget adjustment, operating without a master plan, curbing the voice of the community in public meetings, withholding information from some trustees, and locking in long-term contracts with raises and generous benefits amidst the financial uncertainty of a pandemic, may have been avoided if the township had been run by a superintendent with a masters degree in public administration that reports to the entire board. By changing the treasurer and supervisor to part-time positions, we would have the funding available for a superintendent. TOWNSHIP FINANCES There has been a tremendous amount of debate the last several years over the state of Bloomfield Township's finances, and now in light of the COVID-19 crisis, there is concern once again that there will be even greater budget concerns. Moving forward, how would you provide the services residents expect from Bloomfield Township while dealing with necessary financial decisions and budgetary concerns? Doing a full financial audit to find areas to reduce expenses, improve efficiencies, and planning ahead with a master plan, will help end the reactionary spending that currently occurs. I asked that we implement shared sacrifices and budget cuts before asking for new taxes, like the SAD in August of 2019. Instead, the majority voting bloc spent about $250,000 on Plante Moran, resident survey, and special election to realize my suggestion was correct. That wasted money would have been enough to save the animal shelter, hazardous waste, shredding, and open house. More recently, we spent $117,000 for an employment compensation and staffing study. That money was wasted since the administration rushed through longer six-
year contracts with higher raises and lucrative benefits during financial uncertainty of the pandemic and before the study was received. Ending waste and choosing fiscal responsibility will leave us more money to provide services to citizens. MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES How familiar are you with your community's master plan and zoning ordinances? Is there a part of the master plan or an ordinance that you feel needs to change? I am on the zoning board of appeals. We deal directly with zoning ordinances and variance requests. We find balance between the character of the respective neighborhoods and the requests of the homeowners. Unfortunately, there is no current master plan for our community. It expired about six years ago, under the current administration. As a business consultant who focuses on long-term sustainability, it is frustrating that my requests for an updated master plan falls on the deaf ears of the majority voting bloc. A master plan is an asset that protects against short-sighted decisions, such as crowded condo style developments replacing green spaces and larger lot sizes, or financial issues caused by ignoring long-term debts. As Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.� As supervisor, I will create a committee of citizens, community leaders, and employees to update our master plan. REUNIFYING COMMUNITY There has been an increased lack of civility at township board meetings and social media postings, contributing to a divisiveness and lack of respect and cordiality. Given the very public struggles that have taken place in the township, what would be your plan to unify the community and the staff? As a citizen I was shocked for years by the fighting on the board. As trustee, I realized it was caused by the antagonistic and autocratic management style of supervisor Savoie and gets worse each year. Information is withheld from trustees and citizens for power plays, the community voice is reduced, budgets are passed without being balanced in hopes a tax or outside force saves it. Recently, the supervisor did not provide trustees the customary four days to review details of contracts to be voted on. Instead, we received contracts moments before the vote. This is a typical power play of the administration. Their overt lack of transparency, inclusion and respect, and the constant pitting of employees against citizens, is a direct cause of the divisiveness on the board and with the community. My transformational
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management style will provide avenues to rebuild bridges with the board, community, employees, and schools. SERVICES VERSUS CUTS Many residents choose Bloomfield Township for its beautiful neighborhoods, excellent schools, good public safety and other strong services. All of these amenities cost money, which taxpayers have consistently been willing to fund, approving millages for public safety, safety paths, senior services, and in recent primaries, $195 million and $200 million bonds for improvements at Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills schools. Why is there then such a strong emphasis to cut taxes and services by a vocal group when obviously a majority of residents, who may not attend meetings or actively speak out on social media, are happy with the township and want services to continue at the level they have been? Although there are vocal citizens who oppose all taxes, we also saw the silent majority join them on the SAD issue. This showed the lack of confidence citizens have in the current leadership. That majority sentiment was proven again in the supervisor race during the primary election. Our citizens are an intelligent brain trust that saw through the smoke screens of the administration who tried to pass on 100 percent of the OPEB burden to the citizens and disguised it as a public safety issue. Voting no on the SAD was not about cutting services to the citizens; it was about forcing a refocus on fiscal responsibility and holding leaders accountable to standard business practices. When the SAD failed, it forced the administration to renegotiate vendor contracts, investments, and other areas that went unchecked for decades. They were able to quickly find the $4 million needed and all services were maintained without raising taxes. I voted yes on both the March public safety millage and the school bond, but I voted no on the SAD. Much like the silent majority, I am not anti-tax or anti-services, but I am antidishonest and poor leadership which caused the SAD fiasco. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared racism as a public health crisis and is appointing a committee to address this issue and has ordered implicit bias training for all state employees, including everyone in the administration. Should Bloomfield Township be taking any special action or creating policies or programs to address this issue on the local level? Please provide details for your response. 115
Implicit bias and systemic racism are a crisis that has reached a boiling point in this country. Every day we see the unthinkable unfolding on TV, and within the comments and posts on social media that show us the prevalence of racism in our society. I participated in the Solidarity March on June 15th sponsored by Dawn Campbell, a local citizen, and the Bloomfield Township Police Department to support an end to police violence. I was filled with hope as both sides came together to say enough is enough. The next thought was, where do we go from here? Although the gender barrier was finally broken in the fire department a few years ago, we still have not passed the racial divide when hiring within our police, fire and administrative staff at the township. The hiring of mostly white employees is not reflective of the true diversity in our township and shows that there is an implicit bias present within the current hiring process. The supervisor is the HR director, so the bias needs to end there. I will source bias training for all employees, especially those in hiring capacities, to recognize and end the current implicit bias in hiring. KEY ISSUES What would you consider the top three issues facing the township and how would you address those issues? Financial concerns – liabilities, spending and accounting practices are an issue. Our OPEB liability was only funded at four percent, lowest tier in the state. New concerns surround the contracts negotiated before the compensation and staffing study was completed. I would find opportunities for efficiencies and reduction in spending while maintaining services and end pitting employees against citizens. This should be a great place to live and work. No master plan – implementing a master plan would end the knee jerk decisions being made that are taking away from the vision and character of the township. I would implement a committee filled with leadership, employees, and citizens coming together to help. Outdated structure – “That’s the way it's always been done” obstructs improvement. A part-time treasurer and part-time supervisor would allow funds for a superintendent that reports to the entire board. With about 400 employees, we need a human resources department. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Why should voters select you over your opponent? Please be specific in drawing your comparison. As a trustee, I see the lack of transparency and outdated business practices that risk the sustainability of Bloomfield. As a public servant, whether it was going public with the OPEB and spending concerns, approving a land swap to save the nature center to the detriment of my property, or bringing citizen perspective to board decisions, I always put the citizens needs first. As 116
supervisor, I will bring successful business acumen and leadership you can trust to make Bloomfield stronger and rebuild the bridges with our schools, our employees, and our community and within the board.
DAN DEVINE REPUBLICAN
TOWNSHIP FINANCES I do not favor higher taxes. Through the development of a new Resident Focused Strategic Plan, we will prioritize the exemplary services most crucial to maintaining and enhancing our community driven by the needs and desires of the taxpayers. Efficiencies can be explored in that process through the public discussion of the Plante Moran study done last year and the Comprehensive Compensation and Staffing Study that has yet to be completed by the current board although commissioned in January 2020 in the wake of the defeated SAD tax request in August 2019.
bond rating in great part due to the strategic plan developed and implemented from 2009 through 2014, I have the experience to craft balanced budgets, balancing the needs of residents and employees fairly within the tax rate already in place. As a Certified Public Finance Administrator (CPFA) and municipal law expert, I have the background and experience to balance the budget without increasing taxes. See www.DevineBloomfield.com for my 10point plan to reform our local government with the first point being the creation of a resident focused strategic plan to guide our township’s future. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS
MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES
Devine is a Notre Dame University grad with a degree in psychology, a law degree from Detroit College of Law and is in private practice. He was the Bloomfield Township Treasurer from 2000-2016, and an Oakland County Commissioner from 1995-1999. SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
I have participated in updating Bloomfield Township’s master plan over the years. It is a different legal instrument than a strategic plan and will have to be integrated into the thought process of the new board of trustees with full involvement of our residents. It is the backbone of our community’s essence in maintaining the beauty and value of our residential properties. We will take our direction from the new Resident Focused Strategic Plan to determine which areas of the plan or which ordinances need to be revised. I will form a new advisory committee comprised of experts in all areas dealing with real estate and residential property rights in the process of developing our new Resident Focused Strategic Plan to assist the updating of the Master Plan.
I agree with the last two sentences contained in the Endnote of your Downtown newsmagazine dated August 2020: “Locally, residents are fortunate to have police departments that have brought their operating policies up to date. But it’s time for adoption of laws that mandate improved policing activity for all departments, rather than relying on the proactive regulations to be implemented on a piecemeal basis at the local level.” All departments of Bloomfield Township should continue to adopt and implement best practices to address this issue at the local level for consistency, fairness and compassion in serving and interacting with our residents, businesses and guests in our township while following laws and protocols as they are developed. KEY ISSUES
The supervisor is required to support the Constitution of the United States and the state of Michigan. Free Speech is the most crucial right being smothered by the current administration. MCL 42.10 lists 15 duties of the Township Supervisor, all important but most relevant to the current election: Enforce all laws and township ordinances; prepare and administer the annual budget; and efficient administration of all township departments. As township treasurer, I worked with former supervisor Payne to achieve our AAA bond rating by prudent investments and strategic planning. That rating is vulnerable now due to policies of the current board which is why I pledge to develop a Resident Focused Strategic Plan like the one that lapsed in 2014. As a Certified Public Finance Administrator (CPFA) and a municipal law expert, I am experienced in employing best practices to formulate balanced budgets and longrange financial planning for Bloomfield Township.
REUNIFYING COMMUNITY The last few years of my tenure as treasurer were marked with constant personal attacks upon me generated by the current supervisor because I opposed his policies. Since then, he broadened his personal attacks on any trustee or resident courageous enough to question his policies. He just sued certain residents and a social media platform called Nextdoor to silence dissent. The root of the problem stems from refusal to provide verifiable documentation in a timely manner (if at all) to the board and our residents so that discussions devolve into angry arguments rather than cooperative efforts to solve problems. I pledge to only present agenda items that have been fully researched, documented and shared with our residents and board members well in advance of meetings where action is required. Board meetings will allow for respectful involvement by the trustees, residents and employees without fear of retribution.
TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT SERVICES VERSUS CUTS I pledge to fully investigate the pros and cons of the concept through the Resident Focused Strategic Planning process with the new board of trustees and the taxpayers as the first order of business. I believe my experience and skills make me the best suited candidate to serve as township supervisor but I would embrace the concept and find the most efficient way to implement it if that is the direction the new board and our residents choose to go.
We must seek to maintain and enhance our exemplary services for our taxpayers while living within the means provided by fair taxation and reasonable water and sewer rates. In August 2019, voters emphatically rejected the current board’s attempt to exceed the lawful cap on taxes in the proposal for a Special Assessment District (SAD) tax as the way to balance the budget. During my 17 years as township treasurer having earned our AAA
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I pledge to re-prioritize residents as job number one again. We will re-open Township Hall with a five-day work week and prohibit free luxury cars for elected officials and department heads. I pledge to straighten out the water and sewer department’s poor business practices involving exorbitant and unfair billings to resolve the issues called out by Judge O’Brien in the lawsuit lost by the current administration. The case could have been settled for $2.5 million but is now costing the taxpayers over $12 million in damages, interest and attorney fees. I pledge to provide full financial transparency and encourage respectful public participation in all we do before decisions are made. We will establish free online access to all accounting records in real time to track revenues, expenses, debt and all water, sewer and road projects. WHY VOTE FOR YOU I have the patience and desire to respectfully listen to all participants in the discussions required to lead the township board and our residents as we navigate the future in these troubled times. My experience and track record of honesty, integrity and success involving the appropriate management of Bloomfield Township sets me apart from my competition. I grew up here and raised my children in Bloomfield Township. We need to work together as a community to ensure a bright future for generations to come. 10.20
november 3 general election voter guide
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP CLERK MARTIN BROOK DEMOCRAT
firm with 24 years of experience practicing labor and employment law. I am accustomed to performing the functions required of our clerk and leading people through very difficult situations whether they work in the boardroom or janitor’s closet. Also, during similarly contentious times, I successfully served the community as trustee and president on the Bloomfield Hills School Board, a governmental organization with more employees and a larger budget than the township. ABSENTEE VOTING
Brooks has an undergraduate degree and masters degrees in labor and industrial relations from Michigan State University and a law degree from University of Michigan. He is an attorney and partner with Ogletree Deakins, and previously served on the Bloomfield Hills Schools board. CLERK DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES As one of three full-time elected positions in the township offices, along with the supervisor and the treasurer, the clerk has a full load of statutory duties. Explain what the duties of a township clerk are. What kind of experience and qualifications does an individual need, besides the basic requirement of being a resident over the age of 18, to be a good township clerk? The clerk leads a department of public employees to administer elections, provide community services, administer legal duties, and create/maintain official township records. Leading this department requires experience supervising employees, managing projects, establishing and adhering to budgets, document/reporting management, and solving/avoiding complex business/legal problems. The clerk also is one voting member of the township board. Boardmanship requires working collaboratively with other elected officials and being an open and transparent leader who listens closely, advocates effectively, builds coalitions, and displays the creativity to think anew about difficult problems. This question points to the heart of the voter’s choice – the relative qualifications of the candidates. I am the candidate with the experience that this job demands. I am a partner at an international law downtownpublications.com
Michigan voters in 2018 approved changes to state voting law. What are the key changes that voters approved? Have local communities like Bloomfield Township adhered to the new voting changes? Please be specific. I believe democracy is the founding principal of our country and that voting is a central right and duty of all Americans. I supported Proposal 3, which the voters approved in 2018. The changes it made to the constitution were to provide for straight-ticket voting, automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, and no-reason absentee voting. In essence, it expanded access to voting – a core tenant I strongly support. The proposal requires that clerks open their offices at least eight hours on the Friday and/or Saturday before election day. Our current clerk exceeded that minimum and I will continue that tradition as well. Bloomfield Township has a history of strong voter participation and I will personally take it upon myself to set the conditions for even better registration and voting numbers while also diligently ensuring the accuracy of voter files and compliance with all legal requirements. PROPOSED ELECTION LEGISLATION There are several pending bills in the state legislature which could potentially assist municipal clerks with the increase of absentee ballots, coordination with local post offices, and ability to process them before election day. What is your perspective on each of the bills, and why or why do you not support them? Please elaborate. I am running to be clerk because of its role in administering democracy in the township. I will take the clerk’s role in administering our elections as a sacred duty to you, our state, and our country. To protect democracy and voting, we must (1) entrust administering elections to competent
professionals; (2) provide the tools and resources necessary to run secure and efficient elections; and (3) design voting rules that both prevent/detect fraud and allow all Americans to participate. I will support and advocate for passage of current and future proposed legislation that accomplishes these goals. I am currently aware to two pending bills that meet my test. Both are introduced by State Sen. Ruth Johnson and have bipartisan support. SB 756 will allow absentee ballot election workers to take shifts. Also, I support SB 757 which will allow opening absentee ballot return envelopes the day before the election. It is important to note that opening ballot envelopes does not mean counting votes – that must still happen on the day of the election. MICHIGAN FOIA Many changes have been made to the Freedom of Information Act over the last few years. What are your views on government transparency? Does FOIA go too far or not far enough? FOIA is the bare minimum and not nearly enough. Conversely, I would resist anyone who wants to weaponize FOIA to damage or hinder township services. The central problem right now is that the township engages in compliance transparency when proactive transparency and true openness are what citizens expect and deserve. Therefore, I would make the clerk office a model of transparency with a “transparency first – transparency always” motto. Specifically, I would establish a community committee that would help define/design what information will be proactively shared on an annual basis because residents should not need to use FOIA to learn about the inner workings of their government. I would ensure meeting agendas and premeeting materials are timely and thorough enough so board members and citizens alike can participate. I would push more information to the community through listserves where residents can sign-up for to receive agendas, pre-meeting materials, and minutes directly from the clerk. Accountability is the true purpose of government openness and transparency. Citizens deserve to have access to the information about their government so they can hold it accountable, re-elect those deserving and vote out those underserving. MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES How familiar are you with your community's master plan and zoning
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ordinances? Is there a part of the master plan or an ordinance that you feel needs to change? I review the township ordinances from time-to-time. The one glaring omission that I will advocate to correct is adoption of an ethics ordinance. Many townships and cities have such an ordinance, including Birmingham. This ethics ordinance would replace the toothless ethics policy. Importantly, this ordinance would have the force of law, plus a complaint and enforcement mechanism. The definition of “ethics” is best left to the community – that is why I advocate for a community committee to address this issue and create a common understanding of the ethical boundaries. The master plan is not a strategic plan. The master plan concerns land use and it was last prepared in 2007. While the master plan has been updated from time-totime, the community should be reengaged and our master plan should be redone to be sure the balancing of land use interests remain consistent with current resident goals. Additionally, Bloomfield Township needs a strategic plan that addresses all functions of the township. The township prepared a strategic plan during the great recession, but it lapsed years ago. TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT This past year, a township trustee introduced the concept of a township superintendent, who would supersede the supervisor and act similarly to a city manager in running the township. What are your thoughts on this idea, and why do you think it would, or would not, work for Bloomfield Township? Moving the township from a supervisor governance model to a superintendent model is legal. Whether this would benefit the residents should be studied and not rejected or adopted out of hand. Plus, we need time and distance from the ongoing acrimony that have inflamed the politics surrounding the township board be ensure this decision is not personal or emotional. I will advocate for a study for two reasons. First, school districts work under this arrangement and from my six years on the school board and term as president of the board, I thought this arrangement worked well. Second, Michigan cities have a nonpartisan elected city council that hires a city manager. Since cities and school districts do this, why not townships? I do not know the answer, but like all major decisions I will undertake as clerk, I will not reject or commit to it without a fully open and 117
thorough investigation to determine if the change would benefit the residents.
done correctly, it improves performance and compliance while also reducing legal risk.
REUNIFYING THE COMMUNITY
WHY VOTE FOR YOU
There has been an increased lack of civility at township board meetings and social media postings, contributing to a divisiveness and lack of respect and cordiality. Given the very public struggles that have taken place in the township, what would be your plan to unify the community and the staff?
Why should voters select you over your primary opponent? Please be specific in drawing your comparison.
Bloomfield Township police officer and realtor. CLERK DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
When it comes to bad conduct, there has been more than enough to go around. At times, certain township board members have been tone deaf and demonstrated contempt for community members. On the other hand, certain community members have been extreme, inflammatory, and down-right mean. This acrimony started years ago and has been allowed to fester. Few stood-up, called time-out, and had the strength to practice the nearly lost art of compromise. To heal and restore, everyone needs to be more respectful, more collaborative, and must be willing to compromise where possible. Reducing the current level of acrimony will not happen overnight, but voters can kick-start the healing by electing new independent voices unassociated with the divisiveness. As clerk, just as I did as a school board trustee during acrimonious times, I will model civility, lead with empathy, listen first, and insist upon openness/transparency/ effectiveness. I will operate the clerk department impartially with passion and cool efficiency. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared racism as a public health crisis and is appointing a committee to address this issue and has ordered implicit bias training for all state employees, including everyone in the administration. Should Bloomfield Township be taking any special action or creating policies or programs to address this issue on the local level? Please provide details for your response. A well-run government solves problems and provides services that make our lives better. People are elected to deliver on this promise of good government; impartially and with integrity. That is done largely via public employees. I salute all public employees; whether a teacher, a police officer, or a janitor. My nearly 30 years of experience in human resources and employment law will be an asset to the township in managing employees. On the board, I will work to ensure employees receive training on an ongoing basis. I emphatically believe that includes implicit bias training. I have gone through such training. I have conducted it for my clients. When implicit bias training is 118
I am an independent voice with the experience necessary to run the clerk’s office and influence the board of trustees. I am an accomplished and highly recognized labor and employment partner in a global law firm. I am accustomed to leading and influencing people, advocating and mediating critical disputes, interpreting/applying the law, designing business processes, managing massive projects, and providing excellent client services. I believe in community service and have dedicated substantial time to volunteer inside and outside of our community. My volunteer experiences include: trustee and president of the Bloomfield Hills School Board; secretary to the board of the Friends of the EL Johnson Nature Center; Michigan Chamber of Commerce, HR & Benefits Committee member; and the BHHS Forensics Team and Michigan Forensics Association. When on the school board, I was part of decisions that include preparation /adoption of a strategic plan, tightening of financial controls, restructuring facilities, hiring a new superintendent, and preserving/ enhancing the EL Johnson Nature Center and the Bowers School Farm. I feel blessed to have been able to contribute to our community in these ways. I would feel blessed and honored if you elect me to be Bloomfield Township Clerk. For information: BrookforBloomfield.com or call 248-408-9322.
TOM SMYLY REPUBLICAN
I’ve had the distinct honor of protecting and serving the residents (my neighbors) of Bloomfield Township as a police officer for the last 12.5 years. The role of clerk, similarly, is largely non-partisan with a focus on providing excellent customer service and treating every resident respectfully. The clerk’s office provides a host of support services across a broad spectrum including, but not limited to, running elections, voter registration, passport and notary services, and handling FOIA requests. The clerk position, therefore, requires personal integrity, the ability to multitask effectively, the willingness to listen and work diplomatically with others who may hold opposing views, while always conducting oneself professionally. Having a lengthy, proven track record of serving the public well is extremely helpful and reassuring. Additionally, the Clerk maintains the minutes and also casts one of the seven votes at Bloomfield Township board meetings along with the supervisor, treasurer, and four trustees. ABSENTEE VOTING No Reason Absentee Voting was approved in 2018. Michigan voters can now vote absentee without providing a reason for their request on election day. Moreover, voters can request to be placed on a permanent absent voter list to be mailed an application for absentee voting for every future election. Bloomfield Township, under the steady leadership of retiring Clerk Jan Roncelli, has complied with and made residents aware of the new changes, with approximately 10,000 residents asking to be put on the no reason absentee list. This election cycle, however, is quite different with the concern about COVID-19. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson decided to send out an absentee ballot application to every one of the 7.7 million people on the Michigan voter rolls. This action has caused significant controversy and raised concerns about the possibility and potential for voter fraud. PROPOSED ELECTION LEGISLATION
Smyly graduated from University of Michigan with a degree in psychology and Grand Valley University Police Academy. He is a
The electorate expects quick and accurate results the night of an election. SB 757 is the most pertinent piece of possible legislation to facilitate that goal in this new era of increased absentee voting. SB 757 would allow election workers to conduct absent voter ballot preprocessing activities beginning at 9 AM the day before the election, consisting of opening absentee return envelopes while keeping the actual ballot itself in the secrecy envelope. Being able to open the thousands of
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return envelopes one day ahead of time would drastically increase the ability to process the thousands of absentee ballots in a timely manner. I support this bill as it seeks to streamline the reporting process while maintaining election integrity. Second, many residents are concerned about potential voter fraud with the incredible volume of absentee ballots expected to be received in the November general election. SB 977 would make it a felony to either knowingly submit an absent voter ballot application using someone else’s information, or with the intent to obtain multiple absent voter ballots for a single person. I also support this bill. As a society, we must dissuade dishonest individuals who threaten our sacred electoral process in the strongest possible terms. MICHIGAN FOIA I believe government at every level is employed by and works on behalf of the citizenry, not the other way around. To that end, I strongly support the individual citizen’s right to be informed of most government action with the exception of high-level security or legal issues which must be kept classified. I believe it is in the best interest of government to have this view as well, since transparency is essential to citizens’ ongoing trust in governmental institutions, while holding them accountable for improper actions or potential overreach. Simply put, darkness does not exist in the constant presence of light. With that said, however, I do not support abuse of the FOIA process where individuals or political groups may attempt to create havoc with a constant stream of vindictive FOIA requests done simply to slow down or hinder a government entity. MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES Bloomfield Township passed its initial master plan in 2007, the same year I began my career with the police department. I found it essential to familiarize myself with the master plan over a decade ago, while more recently studying the updated 2018 addendum which addresses the rezoning and redevelopment of the large parcel of land at Squirrel and South Boulevard. As a realtor and homeowner association president, it’s essential I understand the zoning ordinances and be able to answer many questions that come from both clients and other residents. One thing I greatly appreciate about Bloomfield Township is its leadership has historically adopted ordinances which protect and support individual property rights of residents, as well as safeguarding the peaceful enjoyment of the community. I believe it’s important to maintain this approach in the future.
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TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT I worked the night shift as a Bloomfield Township police officer for almost 10 years. During that time, I often enjoyed the assignment of providing a police presence during township board meetings on Monday nights, which provided me with the unique opportunity to observe our local government in action. While there are occasional disagreements among government officials and residents, and sometimes among board members themselves, I do not believe the answer is to jettison decades of established precedent and a proven government structure which has worked well in creating the wonderful community my family, friends, neighbors, and I enjoy today. I am not against innovation or changing with the times when needed but history has shown Bloomfield Township is consistently ranked as one of the best municipalities in the state. Bloomfield Township is not broken, and I don’t see the need to overhaul it. REUNIFYING THE COMMUNITY This focuses on an issue I believe Bloomfield Township residents care deeply about. I know I do. While disagreements will occur, as is the nature of our democracy, there is simply no reason to disrespect another individual in any venue, whether publicly or online. Robust discourse and the free exchange of ideas can be accomplished without personal attacks. This is the exact reason I’ve made the phrase “Serving Every Resident with Excellence and Respect” a central focus of my campaign and why it's listed on every piece of literature I’ve produced. I will always listen and show respect to every individual, even those I may disagree with. As a long time Bloomfield Township resident and police officer, I have always been dedicated to helping my fellow citizens regardless of political party or individual differences. My outlook as clerk will be a simple continuation of what I already believe and practice in my daily life.
negative attitudes or stereotypes which affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an involuntary, unconscious manner. To this end, the Bloomfield Township Police Department already mandates ongoing, regular training on implicit bias which I most recently attended this summer. Understanding the concept of implicit bias can be viewed as educational and positive, even if an individual may disagree with it's merits. Training can be done to make Bloomfield Township employees aware of this new field of research, but it must be done tactfully, acknowledging no group of individuals is more “guilty” of implicit bias than any other.
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WHY VOTE FOR YOU I have an unmatched history of public service and dedication to Bloomfield Township and its residents. Simply put, public service is in my DNA. While being a police officer over the last 12.5 years, I have been recognized for two lifesaving awards, multiple MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) awards, have trained new officers, and participated in our empowering self defense classes for women. As a homeowner association president, I provide leadership and help serve over 350 homeowners in Hickory Heights. I am competent, personable, detailed oriented, committed to customer service, and able to multitask while never sacrificing excellence. I have come to love this community as both a resident and employee, and I look forward to serving in an even greater capacity as Bloomfield Township Clerk. You can see a short video, and learn more about me, my platform and vision for Bloomfield Township at ElectTomSmyly.com.
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RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS I disagree with Governor Whitmer. COVID-19 is a public health crisis. Racism is a condition of the heart. The word racism, however, is thrown around so often in the wrong context it often loses its true meaning. Racism is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities, and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. That is not at all what I experience among my fellow residents, or alongside the employees I work with in Bloomfield Township. Implicit bias, however, is another idea entirely. Certain researchers have suggested every person has both positive and downtownpublications.com
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november 3 general election voter guide
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES Four Democrats and four Republicans are running for four total seats on the Board of Trustees.
STEPHANIE FAKIH DEMOCRAT
City. I know what issues face the township and I have the ideas and skills to help solve those issues and keep the township a place we all love to live. FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE A great deal of time as trustee is spent going over the township's budget, finances, special assessment districts, and other economic and investment issues. What is your background, and what qualifications would you bring to the table that would be an asset on a sevenmember board?
Fakih is an attorney with First Rights Law. She earned her undergraduate degree at University of Michigan and her law degree at Fordham University. She has not run for political office before. TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES Unlike the full time positions of supervisor, clerk, and treasurer, trustees are part-time positions, one where you in essence stand in for your constituents, the residents of the township. What do you think is the role of trustee? What qualifications do you have to perform in this position? A township trustee has many roles. A trustee must oversee township operations and be a policymaker for the township. A trustee must be a leader for the township, familiar with the township and having a vision and solutions for the township. A trustee must work effectively with constituents and other elected township officials, listening closely to concerns and helping advance the needs of the township both effectively and ethically. I have the qualifications to fill all of these roles. As a criminal defense attorney, I routinely have to challenge and investigate policies and procedures to ensure both effectiveness and high moral integrity for the justice system. I work with legislative committees to help advance the interests of justice and am familiar with policy-making. I have the interpersonal skills to work with different stakeholders while advancing the interests of the township. I grew up in Bloomfield Township and chose to move back after graduating law school in New York 120
I started my law firm, Rights First Law PC in 2014. Over six years later, I have a thriving criminal defense practice in Birmingham. I know how to find solutions to problems, whether it is for a client or for my business. I can review and analyze data to help meet identified goals. I utilize available resources and critical thinking to find resolution. We live in a township full of resources, including our excellent township employees. As a trustee, I will work with township employees, elected township officials and other advisors to make sure every financial or investment decision bears in mind the best interests of the township and its residents. MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES How familiar are you with your community's master plan and zoning ordinances? Is there a part of the master plan or an ordinance that you feel needs to change? Bloomfield Township has an extremely rich, long history and as such has many established homes and properties. It is different from other neighboring areas in that it has little development opportunity. There is not a part of the master plan or a township ordinance that needs to change, but the township needs to work to encourage homeowners to continue to invest in their properties creating more robust neighborhoods. The township should also continue to explore the possibility of creating a park space within the township. TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT This past year, a township trustee introduced the concept of a township superintendent, who would supersede the supervisor and act similarly to a city manager in running the township. What are your thoughts on this idea, and why do you think it would, or would not, work for Bloomfield Township?
I do not think hiring a township superintendent is necessary or appropriate for Bloomfield Township. A township superintendent signals a lack of confidence in the board of trustees. Bloomfield Township residents and those running for elected office in the township are sophisticated, well educated, highly regarded members of society. Residents should have confidence in their elected officials and should not require a township superintendent to oversee township operations. Bloomfield Township residents deserve to feel secure about the township’s future and have a board of trustees they can trust in and be proud of. PLATFORM ISSUES What is your vision of Bloomfield Township? If elected as trustee, do you see yourself working towards reforming one area, with a specific goal in mind? If so, what is it? If you have a platform issue, how do you expand your vision beyond your goal to understand and represent all of the residents of the township and their interests, which may not be the same as yours? My campaign slogan of Take Back the Township is about keeping Bloomfield Township a place we all love to live, something every Bloomfield Township resident can support. Bloomfield Township is a desirable community, but we must work to ensure the township continues to be a financially stable community with low taxes, excellent public services and a beautiful landscape to match. In recent years, Bloomfield Township has seen a lack of confidence in its elected officials. Whether misplaced or not, my goal is to unify the community and work to resolve the problems facing the township. REUNIFYNG THE COMUNITY There has been an increased lack of civility at township board meetings and social media postings, contributing to a divisiveness and lack of respect and cordiality. Given the very public struggles that have taken place in the township, what would be your plan to unify the community and the staff? It is important for Bloomfield Township residents to have a board of trustees that speaks with one voice, respectfully and ethically and acts only in the best interest of the township and the residents. It is unseemly for a township of the caliber of Bloomfield Township to be in the news for a lack of civility. If elected as Bloomfield Township Trustee, I will work with all elected
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officials and constituents to create a township that works for everyone. We all have the same goals for Bloomfield Township – keeping it a top-rated, oneof-a-kind place to raise families and grow old. The township has it all and when we remind people of the things that make this community great, we can all unite to work around those common goals. A united citizenry is integral to maintaining an advanced and desirable community. SERVICES VERSUS CUTS Many residents choose Bloomfield Township for its beautiful neighborhoods, excellent schools, good public safety and other strong services. All of these amenities cost money, which taxpayers have consistently been willing to fund, approving millages for public safety, safety paths, senior services, and in recent primaries, $195 million and $200 million bonds for improvements at Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills schools. Why is there then such a strong emphasis to cut taxes and services by a vocal group when obviously a majority of residents, who may not attend meetings or actively speak out on social media, are happy with the township and want services to continue at the level they have been? Bloomfield Township is an exceptional community known for all of the things mentioned – beautiful neighborhoods, excellent schools, good public safety and other strong services. I am running to become a Bloomfield Township Trustee to ensure the community where I grew up and continue to live remains a community to love to live. Residents in Bloomfield Township expect a premium level of service, and are willing to pay for it, but residents also expect to receive value for their tax dollars. In order for the township to remain the community it has been historically, elected officials must set the township on a path forward that includes fiscal responsibility, transparent government and a dedication to residents and township employees. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared racism as a public health crisis and is appointing a committee to address this issue and has ordered implicit bias training for all state employees, including everyone in the administration. Should Bloomfield Township be taking any special action or creating policies or programs to address this issue on the local level? Please provide details for your response. 10.20
The Bloomfield Township Police Department recently underwent an accreditation process with the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP). The accreditation by MACP is granted to law enforcement agencies engaged in de-escalation training and implicit bias training. The Bloomfield Township Police Department should continue to engage its officers in these kinds of trainings to help ensure fair and effective policing in our community. These trainings should be conducted routinely to update law enforcement as necessary. Bloomfield Township elected officials and others in leadership roles within the township should also participate in implicit bias trainings. Educated leaders, committed to best practices within the township, can implement policies and procedures for Bloomfield Township as necessary. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Why should voters select you over your primary opponent? Please be specific in drawing your comparison. I want to take back the township for township residents. I have no special interests. I am just a township resident, ready and able to serve my community. I want Bloomfield Township to continue its tradition of being a township with robust services, outstanding fire and safety, good financial health and a beautiful residential and neighborly community. If elected as Bloomfield Township trustee, I will bring fresh ideas and a new energy to help solve issues facing the Township. If elected to be Bloomfield Township trustee, I will work to encourage continued investment in township properties. The township is in a unique position with little development opportunity. Bloomfield Township has established properties and we must strive to maximize the value of those properties and other investments. As township trustee I would also work to expand and enhance township services like electronic and hazardous waste recycling, while ensuring the township remains one of the safest communities for families. It is also important to create volunteer opportunities for township residents, increasing engagement with elected officials and with other members of the community. Encouraging community engagement helps strengthen neighborhood bonds and ties to a sustained township.
REUNIFYING THE COMMUNITY
MITSUAKI MURASHIGE DEMOCRAT
I would suggest and push to try new technology and trends, so that our future generation are informed and are driven to be involved. We need to listen more, so establishing an easier way for the community to express issues and concerns will be necessary to unify. SERVICES VERSUS CUTS
Murashige, a project manager at NAGASE America, has a B.A. in visual arts from the University of California, San Diego.
These services are what defines our township and brings value to our homes and community. Everyone has a right to their opinions, and freedom of speech allows everyone to be vocal about their opinions. But, as proven through past elections, our residents are happy with these services, so continuing to have an organized election process will allow everyone to make the best decision for themselves. We also need to strive to inform our community with all options in a fair and objective manner.
TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS
I believe the trustee’s role is to provide a fair voice for the community. I have experience in various industries and fields to bring diverse insights. Also, I am a problem solver in nature, and meticulous with my approach of deriving at the best solution for the communities.
Systemic racism needs to end. We all deserve to feel safe and accepted in our community. People need to be accepted for who they are and not based on their genetic or physical attributes. Our country is a cultural melting pot of various cultures where we can benefit from each other. We all need to remember that each family was an immigrant at one point, and we all deserve to dream and fulfill our American Dreams.
FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE My experience working as project managers and working within pre-set budgets, and my years of experience as operations manager required indepth understanding of expected outcomes and finding the issues and reasons for when the result varies from the expectations. MASTER PLAN/ORDINANES I feel the zoning ordinances need to be aligned with the needs of the community and potential community members. We need to evaluate our community to avoid and correct any systemic racism and other rights for equality.
WHY VOTE FOR YOU I am honest and fair, and I am willing to serve the community at the best of my ability. Although, I consider myself a Democrat, I also have Republican values, and I am willing to listen to everyone’s side to make the right decision regardless of political party lines.
VALERIE SAYLES MURRAY DEMOCRAT
TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES I have served six terms as a board member on my subdivision board, going back to 1986 serving alongside neighbor (and former Supervisor) Dave Payne. I learned a lot representing my neighbors, especially the year I was chosen to be road paving chair where I coordinated our streets getting paved from dirt roads to asphalt, carrying petitions, and coordinating with the county and township. A trustee would be an even greater level of resident support, following the issues, voting openly and honestly for all proposals or considerations for the very best for everyone. Since the township is 94 percent residential, I would like to see residents input welcomed and greater involvement. As a 20-plus year public school employee I have a good feel for the pulse of the township, and understand the importance of a positive community. FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE I have a BA from Michigan State University in communication, majoring in advertising. This a business degree, including emphasis on economics, marketing, management and statistics education. I’ve also worked in advertising in the Birmingham and Bloomfield area as a media buyer/planner and operations manager. When the state was in a recession, I volunteered to learn bookkeeping in the evenings to wear two hats to help the firm through difficult times. I understand balance sheets, payroll, and definitely watching the bottom line being closely involved in bill paying and budgeting for the business, along with buying media within budget for large and small companies. In the 1990s my husband and I started a small company, where I handled creating the articles of incorporation, and served as marketing manager and treasurer. I am also skilled and performed tax returns for this corporation, as well as our personal returns.
TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES I feel that there is potential for this to work, but any delegation of power needs to be aligned with any overall plan for improvements. We need to avoid any selfish direction which may isolate the township. PLATFORM ISSUES I do not come with my own agenda for reform, but I will have a broad eye to understand what our community needs for a better future. My initial goal is to understand better of the needs of the community. Murray, a retired school IT support staff employee, has a communications/advertising degree
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from Michigan State University. She is a political advocate with Voters Not Politicians and Promote the Vote, and has been a member of her subdivision board.
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Unfortunately the township no longer has a strategic plan. Years ago we had one to follow, but about six years ago, under this board, it was allowed to expire and not be renewed, which I believe has led to financial difficulties. You need a solid, structured plan as a foundation for budgeting appropriately. I’d call for a full forensic audit of the township finances, and create a new, sound strategic plan for our financial future. This process would be transparent to the residents, so they would clearly understand shortfalls, and any reason should adjustments in budgets be necessary. Again, it seems ordinances were enforced more in the 121
past. I’ve have had residents complain to me about huge signs allowed in residential lawns, signs too close to the roadway, and odd advertising signs on roadway corners which are not only in violation, they are often unsightly as well. TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT David Buckley made this presentation, and I wholeheartedly agree. In our township, there are no checks and balances, and the candidates for office are not required to have any special background or training for their position. For example, Dan Devine voluntarily attended treasurer classes, however, Brian Kepes never did. In our township the supervisor can suggest for example raises, or free cars, and vote to give them to themselves and others. Cities often utilize a professional manager or superintendent. This person is responsible for proposing budgets, purchases, etc. and makes a solid presentation to the board, which the group of seven votes on. This person is hired, and not elected. It’s a much better way to govern, having checks and balances on decisions, while limiting the power of the supervisor to help avoid conflict of interest, and abuse of power which I believe this board has taken advantage of. PLATFORM ISSUES My top priority, would be to establish a strategic plan, create a balanced budget that we can afford, taking into account all of the expenses, long-term liabilities and OPED debts of the Township. It is my belief, if the current board continues in their lavish spending, the township will become insolvent, and may have to default on long term promises made to retirees, which would be devastating. We owe it to the residents and employees to have a sound plan, and spend every tax dollar wisely. One of the incumbents mentioned wanting to keep taxes low, that’s a rather striking comment since we are at the highest possible taxation allowed by the state, and this board made no concessions. After the tax was passed, they passed six-year employment contracts, but only a one year budget? There is no plan or proposal to demonstrate how they can afford this. REUNIFYING THE COMMUNITY Residents are entitled to make public comment. However, it is very clear that resident input is not welcome. Board members rebuff our ideas, look away from residents, unless it is a compliment. If I am elected, making residents welcome and informed, is extremely important. We have a very intelligent community who have insightful suggestions. Free speech is a First Amendment right. Sharing posts online of factual information, informing other residents what’s happening in our community is part of our constitutional 122
right. Keep posts factual, civil, and if you don’t agree, no need to be unfriendly or attack, either share your honest facts, or move on. I am personally being sued by the supervisor and treasurer for sharing a difference of opinion on social media. This is a baseless attack by elected officials, and coincidental to confirming myself as a candidate for trustee. An abuse of the legal system. SERVICES VERSUS CUTS I believe the majority of residents are not happy with the way taxes and services are handled in the township. Evidence of this is in the fact the supervisor was voted out in the primary. This resounding loss speaks volumes. The treasurer only won by a very narrow margin, not a sign of confidence from voters. Sadly most residents don’t follow what is happening, and when they do attend meetings are treated poorly. There is a lack of trust, clearly evidenced by the high voter turnout, in a pandemic, they wanted their voices heard. Services for the road and safety path repairs have been reduced, whereas, last year we were told they cut the grass medians “extra” ie more than the county. Why not cut back overgrowth on roadways and sidewalks that make it dangerous to safely travel. I believe residents are fed up with the constant need for more money, the highest millage rate already in force, and their solution was to do a SAD for more money. Threatening public safety has become all too common, when in fact, often the money is not used for public safety at all, but raises and benefits which is disingenuous to residents. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Yes, I believe the township also needs to address this issue. It’s important to have a good rapport and relationship in dealing with residents and employees all across the board, from the receptionist in the office, to the elected officials sitting on the board, as well as all public safety staff. In the township, interacting with the public is a daily, continuous event. It’s critical that everyone is regularly briefed or attends some form of diversity training and awareness. I also believe it’s ideally important for the staff to more closely resemble the community in which they serve. I feel it also helps with employee relationships, to be aware and respective of everyone’s differences. As a retired 20-plus year employee of BHS and BPS school districts the same is true, and we regularly covered these issues to better serve our students, parents, and our overall interactions even with our own staff.
to be a wonderful place to live, and raise a family. I was elected six terms on my sub board, earning the respect of my neighbors. Ten years as an Adopt-a-Highway volunteer in the township, plus six years as a volunteer foster home for over 100-plus rescue animals. I am recently retired from 20-plus years in public education, and have the time and desire to work for the community I so love. I’m dedicated, honest and heartfelt. I feel the two incumbent trustees have done very little, during their time on the board, showing little input, while voting for whatever the supervisor wants, whether it’s in the best interest of residents or not. Time for a change.
LINDA ULREY DEMOCRAT
destroys our faith in governance and shortchanges what our community can be for all. I will focus on creative and new ideas for achieving financial recovery and solvency – that don’t rely first on more money from the taxpayer. Solutions must come from the board – asking residents for more money is a lazy way to govern. We are a community of incredibly talented and educated people, yet little input from this community is sought in any of the board’s important decisions. I intend to change that. My experience as an operations/plant manager has exposed me to business’s harshest financial realities. The road to recovery is always paved with a solid plan and resourcefulness of the stakeholders. MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES
Ulrey, the director of the Ulrey Family Charitable Fund, has a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and MBA from University of Detroit Mercy.
A master plan is a dynamic, long-term plan that guides community growth and development. Our township has not referenced using a master plan in over six years. This is not about just about zoning laws or deed restrictions – it’s a vision for how to want our community to look and develop. Our community leadership should have made a master plan a priority a long time ago – but hasn’t. The result is a hodge podge of building and development decisions that do not serve the community in a sustained way. Creating a master plan would be a top priority but it must include many members of the community to participate in creating a vision and a community that we want to live in and raise families in. I have heard residents call for parks and more open community spaces – we had several opportunities to consider those ideas in the last several years that weren’t pursued.
TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT
Statutorily, township trustees are required to vote on all issues, and are responsible for the fiduciary health of the community. I am sorry to say our current trustees are frequently left out of the information and voting loop on important community decisions. I am knowledgeable of township government operations, have the interpersonal and leadership abilities to engage the community proactively and have policy making skills. My 30-plus years in business and industry in various executive roles have prepared me well. But most importantly a trustee must communicate and listen effectively to the people one represents and possess knowledge of what constitutes ethical behavior. All residents are equal in my eyes and have a right to express their opinions freely and without fear of retribution.
Unlike the successful cities that surround our township, Bloomfield Township residents elect our leaders as partisan politicians who have wellfunded PAC’s. I support the concept of a city manager for our community. City managers are professionals who are trained/experienced in municipal management. The concept of a city manager was presented to our board by trustee Buckley, and the board refused to discuss the proposal. It is my belief that many of the township’s fiscal issues would have been more transparent and managed if we had this form of leadership. City managers report to a board of elected trustees so it provides the professionalism of city operations with the representatives of the community to craft the best way forward. Currently it is my view too much power and authority is vested in the township supervisor position with few checks and balances. This is an untenable situation and must end.
WHY VOTE FOR YOU
FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE
A 35-year resident in the township, I truly love this community, raising my three sons here. They had a great environment and excellent education which I value. I want to continue this
Bloomfield Township has serious financial debts that haven’t been dealt with sufficiently or honestly as I see it. If we can’t trust and believe in those who govern us at the local level, it
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PLATFORM ISSUES My vision for our community: create a master plan with extensive community 10.20
involvement and input; provide answers to escalating water and sewer bills and be honest – tell residents what’s going on; we have a $5 million road department and crumbling roads – an unsustainable situation; township debt is one of the highest, annual budgets and spending keep escalating – a deteriorating situation that requires immediate attention and resolution; respect the residents and taxpayers – they pay the bills – stop the name calling and suing residents for speaking out; treat contractors fairly, publicize all contracts and cost overruns; require board approval for spending and stop unilateral decision-making by supervisor; open up the books as other communities have done – stop behind closed doors dealmaking; stop the game playing, hiring consultants for studies that are never produced or used; and restore checks and balances. REUNIFYING THE COMMUNITY The tone for civility in a community is set by the top elected officials. When residents feel disrespected, are unable to have a forum for open, honest dialogue, when requests for information are met with “file a FOIA”; elected leaders have set the stage for divisiveness with their management style and speaking tone. When the supervisor is heard cursing residents and saying he doesn’t like them – there is little hope for improvement. When the top officials pit residents against the township employees that are compensated by the taxpayers, it's nothing more than poor political drama to divert attention away from real problems. I have spoken with several township employees who are saddened they have been used in this way. Respect and fairness for the role we each play in this community is the key to restoring good relations. We all need each other to make this community work. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Our local police department is well trained and professional; however, there are many opportunities to alter any negative behavior of police officials in addition to bias training. I would encourage our police department officials to recruit more widely and seek candidates that express openness to and acceptance of ideas that might strike many older officials as unconventional. A healthier work life balance for police staff would address the stresses of the job and impact stress related behaviors. Most important I would like to see and help develop more interactions between the police officials and our community, young and old, that creates advocacy and appreciation for the job they do and a culture of mutual trust and interdependence. Thank you for the chance to respond to this important issue. SERVICES VERSUS CUTS Downtown’s statement regarding township community activists speaks to downtownpublications.com
the magazine’s surprising lack of insight of the concerns of township residents. Residents elect local leaders; then trust that these leaders will make decisions that are in the best interests of those residents in an ethical and financially sustainable manner. Too often, these leaders, become complacent, cease engaging in two- way dialogue with the community they serve and lose touch with what is important to the very people who elected them. I care about this community deeply, and know that there is a better way to deliver enhanced, top notch services, spend our resident dollars wisely and lead ethically. Too often, bumps in our township’s financial road ends up in a request for new taxes. I would explore all employee and resident ideas of possible savings before asking our community to dig further in their pockets. There are so many exciting, new ideas and services to explore to enrich our community, make it a fun place to live and encourage the next generation to settle and raise their families. I appreciate the chance to state my views on this issue. WHY VOTE FOR YOU I have lived in the township and know it well having served on the board of my association for over 25 years, as well as a director, secretary and treasurer of United Homeowner Associations of Bloomfield Township. I understand the issues and challenges in detail and have been vocal about recent tax proposals that were not in the resident’s best interests. It's time for fresh faces and new ideas on the board. I am also an advocate of board term limits – let's give everyone a chance to consider serving their community. I sense complacency among many of the current board members who seem to just go along with whatever is presented – rarely is there serious discussion or dissent. Board members are difficult to engage – emails are rarely answered. I want to talk to members of the community and what they want to see happen. I don’t consider the position a burden; I consider it a privilege to serve.
NEIL BARNETT REPUBLICAN
we need to have a stronger tree ordinance and emphasize development of more green space. I am receptive to modifying the master plan and zoning ordinances as needed. TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT The township has been successful with its current governmental format. Over the history of Bloomfield Township, the residents have voted in supervisors with excellent management skills. I did not support the concept of a superintendent when it was first introduced to the board because I believed the proposal was based more on emotion than on any factual and logical foundation. A superintendent would provide an unnecessary governmental layer and an additional financial burden to the residents.
Barnett, an attorney with Sills Charboneau Sills P.C., received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Michigan State University, a master's degree in clinical psychology from Oakland University and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School. Barnett has been a Bloomfield Township Trustee since 2004, sits on the township's planning commission, election commission, is an alternate on the design review board, and has served on the zoning board of appeals.
PLATFORM ISSUES My vision for Bloomfield Township is to continue to provide exemplary services to our residents and to provide a safe, stable and secure community to all residents. I am proud that I have been an advocate for the further development of our safety paths and believe they have helped to provide a sense of community. It is important to offer services to our seniors so that they can continue to live in their homes and to make Bloomfield Township an inviting place for young families.
TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITRIES REUNIFYING THE COMMUNITY The role of a trustee is to represent the concerns of residents to the board. The role includes participation in policy development, finances, budget, investment issues and ensuring that outstanding services are provided to our residents. I have been a Bloomfield Township Trustee for over 16 years. I have been on the Planning Commission for 15 years, was previously on the zoning board of appeals and am a member of the Bloomfield Township Financial Sustainability Committee and the election commission.
Now more than ever, it is important that the board acts with respect, civility and dignity towards each other and with the residents. In turn, the residents need to act with respect, civility and dignity towards the board. Such conduct cannot be forced, but it should be expected. As Justice Scalia said, “We are different, we are one, I attack ideas not people, some people have bad ideas.” In addition, the township should conduct more public forums to receive resident’s suggestions.
FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE
SERVICES VERSUS CUTS
As an attorney, my focus is on asset protection and finances of my clients. I manage multimillion-dollar trusts and estates and work with numerous financial advisors. I have been a member of the Bloomfield Township Financial Sustainability Committee for the past four years and was an advocate for its creation.
Bloomfield Township is a premier community, a thriving place where people love to live. Bloomfield Township’s exemplary services are a model for other communities. A recent survey indicated that ninety-five percent (95%) of Bloomfield Township’s residents are satisfied with the quality of life in Bloomfield Township with sixty-nine percent (69%) being very satisfied. Then why is there a strong emphasis to cut taxes and services by a small but vocal group of residents? This group is not unique to Bloomfield Township. Communities throughout Michigan and across the country have groups that are anti-tax, anti-government, anti-authority, do not trust government officials, see conspiracies where there are none, and are often rude and disrespectful when their demands are not met. You
MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES I am extremely familiar with the township’s master plan and zoning ordinances. I was a member of the zoning board of appeals prior to being a trustee and as a member of the planning commission was involved in the development and updates of the last master plan. I believe the master plan and zoning ordinances represent the township well. However, I believe DOWNTOWN
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cannot have it both ways. You cannot cut services and sustain Bloomfield Township as a premier community. Most residents get it. They love living here, enjoy the services, appreciate the staff that provide them and understand that you get what you pay for. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS I am not sure if racism is a public health issue or a socio-economic systemic issue, but that is less important than the fact that racism is real and unfortunately is part of the fabric of society. I agree with Gov. Whitmer’s order to provide bias training for all state employees. Bloomfield Township has become a more diverse community over the years. Bias training is something that would be beneficial to all employees and administration in interacting with other employees and our residents. I strongly endorse that Bloomfield Township implement a bias training program. WHY VOTE FOR YOU I have been a trustee on the Bloomfield Township board for over 16 years. I provide the institutional knowledge and understanding of the township that the other candidates lack. I have a strong financial background. I have always been nonpolitical and look out for the best interests of our residents. I have been respectful and civil to board members and residents. I have been an advocate for public safety, spearheaded the township’s involvement in maintaining green space at the E.L. Johnson Nature Center and have emphasized the importance of providing exemplary services to our residents.
TIMOTHY ROBERT MEYER REPUBLICAN
executive to the late L. Brooks Patterson for economic development and community affairs. TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES While a township trustee serves many roles, there are several which stand out in my mind. Above all, a trustee is the voice of the people. To do so requires generous listening to understand values, interests and desires of the community, and be able to build consensus even when there may be considerable conflict to bring to the township meetings. A trustee’s role is to work well with other elected officials, whether it is with fellow trustees at township meetings, or those at the state or federal level, since it is the collective body of government which brings ideas into action. And finally, a trustee is a steward of public resources to ensure appropriate use and accountability. FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE Academically, I hold an earned MBA. I also have proven executive leadership in public service under the most difficult circumstances. As president of Sault College, I led the institution out of immediate insolvency to one of the top performing educational institutions in five years. Financially, the college went from near bankruptcy to a balanced budget, and holding a reserve of nearly one half of annual operating. This was accomplished through a practical strategic plan containing priorities, an effective budgeting process, and accountability for action. As the longest serving chancellor of OCC, I shepherded the college through the Great Recession while continually balancing the annual budget during a time of dropping millage revenue and ever increasing enrollment. Careful fiscal management resulted in providing the lowest tuition in the state while maintaining the highest fiscal credit rating. MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES As former Deputy Executive of Economic Development and Community Affairs for Oakland County, I am very familiar with a variety of community masterplans from the 62 cities, townships, and villages which make up our county. Each one reflects the values of the local community. What is vital is for the plans to continually be reviewed against future opportunities. Without a solid economic and residential development plan, a community will cease to grow. TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT
Meyer received degrees in plant pathology from North Dakota State University, an MBA from Lake Superior State University and a PhD in environmental epidemiology from University of Florida. He is semi-retired after being chancellor of Oakland Community College and a deputy 124
While I have led several major institutional restructurings, I have found it is the person in the position, and the relationship to those around them, which determines leadership success. Currently, the supervisor is elected by the public, whose actions they are accountable to. The proposed superintendent position would put that choice in the hands the trustees. I strongly believe operational leadership
should not be selected by a trustee majority. The supervisor should be of the people and have the latitude for innovation and independent thought, including the people they choose to support them. The supervisor is held accountable to fellow trustees through majority support of motions at public meetings without having to ‘work’ for them. Trustees should have a stronger oversight role and set measures of success through the strategic plan. PLATFORM ISSUES I feel the public and political gridlock the township faces is divisive to the vital public debate which our democracy is founded on. What is the value of freedom of speech if no one is listening? The public needs to be heard and the elected officials need to be respected. I feel I can bring the needed civility through my many years of public boardroom experience as a CEO during the most difficult of times. The township needs a strategic approach to resource management and to keep ahead of changes in external funding sources, including the county, state and federal government. There will be many financial changes in society following the Covid19 pandemic which impact both revenue and expenses. The strategic plan for Bloomfield Township needs to be comprehensively reviewed though this new perspective. The social unrest the country is facing needs to be carefully examined as it relates to township policies and practices. Now, more than ever, we need to carefully examine how we relate to each other to ensure justice and equity, while providing appropriate community protection. We need to move in measured and thoughtful ways, and thoroughly engage in community dialogue. REUNIFYING THE COMMUNITY If people don’t feel they are being listen to, then they stop listening. The greatest attribute to leadership is generous listening. Much of what I have heard at the township meetings are actually a heated agreement, just from different perspectives. The first order to bring civility into the discussions is ensuring a forum where strict rules of engagement are understood and respected. Personal attacks are not acceptable, nor should they be given media attention. If discussions on issues are larger than regular meeting times, then one-on-one meetings, special meetings or town halls can extend the dialogue to help seek consensus. Any change requires extensive communication, and the trustees should be prepared for that provision. Accordingly, I would hold regular town halls to gather a broad perspective and attempt to build common understanding and consensus. I would faithfully serve the role as a representative of the people through communication.
residents enjoy one of the highest qualities of life in Oakland County and Michigan, if not the nation. As former Oakland County Deputy Executive of Economic Development and Community Affairs, I can attest to the first two. This comes from a stable local government and a strong education system, willingly supported by residents. This lifestyle continues to be challenged by a small vocal group who clearly do not understand organizational culture and the representative form of government. For example, employee benefits in the public sector are seen as a part of toal compensation. They are long term commitments to employees who provide the services that define our community. (The recent compensation study clearly shows a much higher level of comparative productivity per employee, while total compensation is in alignment.) Local education, as a fundamental community value, was recently affirmed with the passage of property taxes worth nearly half a billion dollars ($190 million and $200 million) without the rancor caused over a $4 million millage to comply with changes in the state law to the township pension plan. These unfounded attacks on Bloomfield Township employees and services, with questionable savings, clearly undermine our future and quality of life. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Tragically, racism is, and always has been, part of our society. It is often ‘baked’ into our everyday lives and takes incredible effort to identify, understand, and properly address discriminating acts, which may not even be intentional. Over my past 25 years of public service leadership, I invested myself in promoting racial equity and social justice through policy development, commissioning institutional inclusion and diversity programs, authorizing racial awareness and sensitivity training programs, and serving on community boards such as Oakland Family Services, etc. The greatest weapon against racism is enlightenment. I am also founding chair of the Pontiac Promise Zone Board where over $1.5 million has been awarded in higher education scholarships. The program received the North Oakland NAACP Community Service Award in 2019, where I am also a member. Racial awareness policies and programs serve as organizational shields, but often do not adequately address individual acts and subtle forms of racism. Beyond traditional policy review and sensitivity programs, my recommendation would be for regular exchange programs, including job shadowing/sharing/ exchange opportunities, for Bloomfield Township employees with their counterparts in minority communities. Cultural immersion is the best form of racial justice enlightenment. WHY VOTE FOR YOU
SERVICES VERSUS CUTS Without a doubt, Bloomfield Township
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Without a doubt, great social and fiscal change is upon us. As a community, we 10.20
have two choices: To react to the moment, or respond by anticipating those changes and then adapting them to our advantage. Management is a process, leadership is understanding this opportunity. For over 20 years as a CEO, I have led strategic change in large public service organizations. I am skilled in strategic planning and have a solid record of success in fiscal management. I am very experienced in the boardroom working with peers, and understand consensus and compromise well. I am socially aware and respect all voices of the community. I know when to listen and then to act. Academically, my PhD research is in environmental epidemiology. I have a particular understanding on the biology and impacts a newly introduced disease can have on a population. From this background, I can provide a unique perspective on how we as a community can best protect ourselves through effective practices and policies provided by local government. In particular to Bloomfield Township, I understand the power of economic and community development as former Deputy County Executive of Economic Development and Community Affairs. It isn’t by accident Oakland County is among the top five most prosperous counties in our nation. I can bring this understanding to the businesses and citizens of Bloomfield Township as a trustee.
MICHAEL SCHOSTAK REPUBLICAN
Schostak earned his bachelors degree in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and his MBA from the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan. Schostak is the managing partner of Schostak Capital Advisors. He is completing is his first term as trustee. He also serves on the township water resources stakeholders task force, cable commission and is an alternate member of the Bloomfield Township Election Commission. TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES The job of a trustee is to safeguard and promote the excellent quality of life expected by the residents. A downtownpublications.com
trustee is one of seven votes that sets policy for the township government, approves the budget, and considers changes to ordinances. This requires information gathering and analysis, and consensus building as all action is decided by a vote of the majority. A trustee also has an investigative or oversight function. In this capacity the trustee acts as the “eyes and ears” of all township residents in ensuring that the staff and officers are fulfilling the mission and responsibilities of government. This requires the ability to review and analyze information, ask questions and maintain an impregnable integrity. Trustees must also communicate findings with the residents and maintain an open dialogue on issues that arise. My experience in both the private and public sector has prepared me to effectively serve as a trustee. While a contractor in the U.S. Department of Defense I learned how to analyze an issue from both financial and policy perspectives. Tasked with validating proposed defense programs, I cultivated the ability to dig into the weeds of an issue, to ask detailed questions and to formulate a factbased conclusion. Moreover, I have worked on teams and led teams throughout my career and have built a reputation as a pragmatic problem solver who can “see the forest through the trees”. FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE I believe that I have the strongest financial credentials of any candidate in the race. I earned two degrees in economics and finance. I spent two years performing financial analysis on defense programs at Booz Allen Hamilton and three years in investment banking at a top tier Wall Street firm before moving back in 2007. Since then I have held leadership positions in corporate finance for private and publicly traded companies. I currently provide advice on financial and strategic matters to small and medium-sized businesses and for five years I was on the finance department faculty at the Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State. I am just as comfortable diving into the weeds and reconciling numbers as I am presenting high level concepts. Whether the issue is the budget, investment policy, or other economic issues, I bring unmatched financial bona fides to the board of trustees. MASTER PLAN/ORDINANCES Over the past four years I have become very familiar with our ordinances and the master plan. I think the master plan is in good shape, however, I would like to find opportunities to open up more green space and parks. In terms of zoning ordinances, one that I have worked to change is the requirement that a resident seek a variance from the zoning board of appeals to put up a swing set or basketball hoop. If we want to be a community that is
welcoming to families, recreational amenities like these should not be regulated by the township. I have worked on this for two years now and the amendment to the zoning ordinance has passed the planning commission and I expect full board approval this summer. TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENT I think there is a reason that no township of our size has moved to this governance model: residents want to be able to hold their township administration directly responsible at the ballot box. In fact if you look at some of the larger cities, they have full-time “working mayors” similar to our township supervisor. In smaller communities I think it can make sense to have a city manager and a part-time council or board. In a community like ours, I believe the residents want to know they have the ability to directly affect who is running the local government.
departments, public works, treasury or clerk’s office, we have dedicated staff who deliver the highest quality service to our residents with the utmost respect. I strongly believe that township residents are appreciative of these services and are willing to continue funding them as long as we do so in a cost efficient way and continue to meet all of our long-term financial obligations. With the balanced budgets we’ve approved over the last few years while I’ve served on the board we have been able to do just that. Also, the compensation and staffing study that I led showed that our government does more with less – we have fewer employees per services delivered than comparable communities we studied. I think residents understand that their quality of life here in the township depends on the local government delivering these services and that the value of their home is greatly enhanced by the high quality of our local school districts and the outstanding services delivered by the township.
PLATFORM ISSUES RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS I believe that Bloomfield Township is an exceptional place to live, where our residents expect and pay for worldclass services. We need a world-class workforce to deliver those services and we need to make sure they have the resources they need to accomplish their jobs. That said, I also believe that our residents expect us in leadership to operate as efficiently and costeffectively as possible. We must be transparent in all affairs of governance and responsive to the needs and requests of our constituents. In terms of goals for the next term, I would like to see us work to find creative ways to reduce the legacy retiree obligations we have – both pension and healthcare. I also think it is time for another multi-year strategic planning process, with our township bicentennial coming up in just eight short years. REUNIFYING THE COMMUNITY Regardless of who gets sworn into office in November, I believe the single most important task facing the new board will be ending the divisiveness and corrosive rhetoric currently pervasive throughout the community. I believe the board needs to exhibit positive leadership by holding more frequent town hall meetings (live or via Zoom) and by working to address some of the lack of trust that exists. Social media can be an effective mechanism for disseminating information and enabling direct feedback and dialogue between residents and those in leadership. SERVICES VERSUS CUTS In my experience in talking with township residents, there is overwhelming support for the worldclass services that our municipal government provides. Whether it’s the building department, the police and fire
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Bloomfield Township has taken many steps to address this issue, most importantly starting with our police department. We have been way ahead on this by requiring both implicit bias education and de-escalation training be included in our regular training program for all members of the police department. I think we can roll this type of training out across all township employees. But I am proud of our staff as we continue to set a high bar in treating all people with dignity and respect. WHY VOTE FOR YOU This election presents a stark contrast between candidates who espouse nothing but doom and gloom about the township and are driven with an irrational hatred of the current supervisor, Leo Savoie. They believe that they can cut their way to making Bloomfield “better.“ Cut salaries, cut benefits, eliminate the road department and animal shelter, or the shredding and hazardous household waste events. They want to end the requirement that our police officers must have four-year college degrees. They’ve even suggested making our excellent fire department volunteer. Their goal is lower taxes. But it would cost us the very essence of what makes Bloomfield exceptional. I believe we can maintain the world-class services that we currently deliver while keeping costs down through efficiency and creativity. That has been a hallmark of steps taken by the board in the last four years. I bring years of financial work experience, in both government and the private sector. I approach this position with the optimism and positivity of building on what’s been great about our community, and not the negativity and hostility that others are expressing. 125
november 3 general election voter guide
BIRMINGHAM SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION Four candidates are running for two seats on the Birmingham Schools Board of Trustees. Each seat is for a six-year term.
LORI AJLOUNY
Lori Ajlouny is a former Birmingham Public Schools teacher who taught in the district for 31 years. She has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wayne State University, and is currently completing a term on the Birmingham Schools Board of Education. STUDENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS Michigan has fallen in nationwide rankings educationally to 37th out of 50 states, with over 50 percent of third grade students failing at reading. More alarming, for affluent white students, who had ranked 17th in the nation for fourth grade reading levels in 2003, they came in dead last in 2015 – one of only five states that had actual reading performance level declines. What do you believe has attributed to this stark deterioration in reading and education levels, and how would you work to turn around your district? What can be done to best prepare students to compete in a global world economy? In many high-performing countries, educational success is achieved by curriculum or syllabus-based instructional and examination systems, around which everything is aligned. These countries with higher scores tend to invest in teachers and provide time and opportunity for collaborative work among teachers and other staff within or across schools to raise the quality and consistency of classroom instruction. Whatever approach a nation or state uses for its success, one thing remains apparent about ours: the educational system in 126
Michigan needs reform. It must come through vision, leadership, high standards, and commitment to equality which are crucial starting points, supported by creativity in how we allocate our funds. Yet, no reform takes place unless it positively impacts teaching and learning in the classroom. This also includes classroom-level interventions like focus on early literacy and math support. Our system also needs to provide a variety of family and community supports outside of school. To best prepare our students to compete in a global world economy, we have to look at the most successful practices. Whether they lay with other countries, states, or districts is for us to research and learn. If I were to prioritize what has to be done, I include this list: Be sure BPS consistently funds and provides affordable and high-quality First Fives and early childhood opportunities for families. High-quality would include programming with a focus on ageappropriate exploration where learning through play is prioritized along with early literacy. Culturally responsive educational practices must be prioritized. We have amazing teachers at BPS and supporting their growth as educators to better meet the needs of all students must be prioritized and explored. Continue to attract and recruit high-quality educators with competitive compensation packages and attractive working conditions that provide quality professional development opportunities for all staff. This includes teachers, administrators and support staff. Social emotional needs of our children must be prioritized. Prioritizing the mental health of our children will not only improve academic success but also support safer working conditions for all. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared racism as a public health crisis and is appointing a committee to address this issue and has ordered implicit bias training for all state employees, including everyone in the administration. Over the last decade, there have been a number of racial incidents in Birmingham Schools. Should Birmingham Public Schools be taking any special action or creating policies or programs to address this issue on the local level? Please provide details for your response. As a long-standing member of the Birmingham Community and 31-year veteran teacher with Birmingham Public Schools, I have had much
insight into the dynamics and problems that have plagued our schools, indeed our society as a whole surrounding racism. Building relationships and creating opportunities to develop true understanding of all others is the foundation to addressing this plague. To merely tolerate is not enough – we must work towards understanding one another. Birmingham has engaged many resources outside and within our community to combat racial discrimination. For the past four years, BPS has made a commitment to train every staff member in Culturally Responsive Teaching. CLT is a pedagogy that recognizes the importance of including students’ cultural references and differences in all aspects of learning. We have also provided both staff and students with the opportunity to learn about different religions, cultures, and traditions through a program called Religious Diversity Journey. Staff have been trained and practiced Response to Intervention and Restorative Practices to prevent the number of suspensions and other escalating causes of tension. We have supported outreach and mentor programs to address students’ needs at every level. My proudest moment in my tenure as a BPS Board Trustee was when we passed the Eradicate Racism Resolution in May 2020 to established zero tolerance for racism. I believe through these programs, which has been a central part of my service, we have empowered teachers and students to advocate for mutual understanding and respect of human dignity. CONTROL OF REFORMS Should educational reforms spring from local boards of education or from the state department of education and the state school board? If this is a local determination, why should it be made at this level? What immediate educational reforms do you support, and which will you seek for the district if you are elected in order to maintain the district's high performance level? States outline educational standards. However, the state levels are broad and must be adapted with specific input at local levels to match expectations of the school community. The fact is standards are created and it is our job to make these standards equitable and accessible for all. That is where collaboration between the state and local levels becomes an effective strategy to provide the necessary means to meet individual student needs. I wholeheartedly
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support reforms that build long term vision, help students achieve ambitious standards, provide a commitment to equality, and pledge to hire diverse high-quality teachers and school leaders. Common Core State Standards are a good first step towards higher performance but won’t become the real standards in the classrooms unless curriculum, teacher preparation, professional development, and assessment are all aligned and consistent. Reforms should also include attracting the best people into the profession. The teacher shortage is bad and problematic. As a board member, I shall continue to work with my colleagues in the educational sphere to create and improve working conditions so that high-quality teachers and staff are attracted and retained. SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS With the rise in school shootings in the last few years, has the district done enough to safeguard students and staff? Should there be more security guards and liaison police officers at schools? What can and should the district do to better prepare teachers and staff for the possibility of a rogue individual with a weapon? Should more attention and dollars be spent on mental health awareness and help? It used to be schools were considered one of the safest places for students. Sadly, we have come to a new reality of having to safeguard our children from school shootings. Under my tenure as a trustee, Birmingham has taken a variety of measures to protect our schools, students, and staff. Every building has a redesigned front entrance security system with locked doors and security cameras. There are strict policies in place for anyone entering a building. We have also passed a resolution to adopt ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate). In partnership with our local police departments, the ALICE program has educated and trained all staff in every building to be proactive in any emergency situation. We have also installed in every building a Blue Point System which notifies the police and provides alerts to every classroom. In continuing my service to the community, my next effort is to direct the district to invest in more training, resources, and support for the mental health and well-being of our students. I believe student learning and safety are intertwined and our approach must be holistic, where the mind, body, and spirit of a child can thrive. 10.20
SCHOOL IN THE COVID ERA After initially presenting a hybrid plan to offer half-days of in-person education along with a virtual option for families who preferred that for fall 2020, the current board of education discarded the in-person option and is starting the entire district on-line. Do you agree with that decision, and why or why not? I loved being a teacher; I have always connected with kids. I wouldn’t have stayed in my profession as long as I have if I didn’t. I know first-hand the importance of being in a classroom. What takes place in a classroom cannot be emulated in a virtual setting. Having said that, I also am keenly aware of our current worldwide pandemic that has turned everyone’s lives upside down and sideways. In a pandemic, priorities must shift. Safeguarding our children, staff, and community as a whole became our number one focus. We as a district knew we had to provide and maintain not only a standard of educational excellence but see to the safety of our children, our families and all building staff. The pivot in our decision was made for that reason alone. We currently sit in Phase 4 of the governor’s Roadmap to Schools, where at any time, especially with the approaching flu season, we could regress to Phase 3 where all schools would have to close their doors. Our thinking was to concentrate on one school program, the virtual school for now, in order to maintain Birmingham’s high standards of excellence. We simply did not have the resources to open two programs of schools. Attempting to set-up and manage both an in-person and virtual school simultaneously would have left students either unfulfilled and unsafe. It comes to a point of trust. People who choose Birmingham Public Schools are trusting our educational community to not only provide for the academic and social emotional needs of our children while virtually learning but also trust the education professionals to pivot and address and course-correct to the learning needs of all our students when we safely return to in-person instruction. The world is adjusting to pandemic education structures and we are working hard, doing our best with the science and information available to us as we consider this decision. I have full confidence in our district at every level, that we can meet this challenge with professional excellence. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Why are you the right person at this time to be a member of your local school board? As a BPS alumni, parent and former teacher, I have a personal attachment and dedication to our school community. I am passionate about access to high-quality public downtownpublications.com
education as a cornerstone of our democracy and our community. As a former educator, I have the knowledge and skills to understand and consider the intricacies of our high-performing school system and what is needed to continue our journey to excellence for all. I have the heart, determination, dedication and integrity to prioritize the needs of our BPS educational system. I have the passion for education at every level, be it the classroom or the boardroom. Any decision I make for the children in our BPS community, I would make for my own children. We are in this together, collectively. Serving on our school board these past three and an half years has given me not only experience, but insights of where we need to go and what must be done. I have learned so much that I would not require a “learning curve” and can hit the ground running. During these uncertain times, my re-election would serve our community to maintain some semblance of consistency and cohesiveness. This can and should be used as an advantage. I believe for all of the above stated reasons, that my continued service on the board qualifies me for another term to best serve the entire Birmingham School District Community.
LUKE JOSEPH
Luke Joseph is the controller at a construction firm. He has an MBA from University of Phoenix and a masters in taxation from Walsh College. He has served on Birmingham's Housing Board of Appeals. STUDENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS I believe that there are multiple reasons to why there was stark deterioration in reading and education levels between 2003 and 2015. The biggest one I believe is the lack of parents and family involvement. Parents need to be involved at all levels from academics and athletics, to just simply a family night outing. Parents cannot just wait for once or twice a year for teacher-parent conferences to find out how their students are doing. Teachers need to
voluntarily communicate with parents on constant basis on the positives as well as the negatives and suggest any possible improvements. Have families do for example a 5K walk/run as fundraiser and a networking event where people meet. Offer PTA after work hours so more parents can attend those meetings and maybe offer extra credit for their kids if they attend. Private schools force parents to volunteer and do community work, I think that would be wonderful to adopt in one way or another in public schools as well. Another reason is the ratio between students and teachers. Children need more attention to succeed and to have a thorough explanation of various difficult subjects. Children should also be able to socialize which is extremely critical. Many children get left behind because they do not fit into a clique. The best way to tackle that is (a) Every so often change the seating in the class, (b) form a group of friends where they work as a team and change that group every so often and (c) establish and motivate students to buddy up with a Special Needs child to help them. Third main reason is to continue to educate and evolve teachers to keep up with all the changes that our society experiences from one year to the next. Extend a merit for all teachers to meet for their students and help them to do that. Talk to teachers from other school districts from all over the country to get possible ideas on various issues that would help us improve our educational levels. Finally, text materials. We need to be competitive and keep up with rising schools over the last few years and see where they went right and use that to help us to stay competitive and remain in the top notch of school districts in the nation. Offer International Baccalaureate for example, have various actual career oriented people come in and tell them about the real life of that career. Have a few students from high school to guide 8th graders throughout the whole 8th grade and of course when they actually get in high school in the 9th grade. Do the same thing for 8th graders and 5th graders. If we create a program like that, it will be the talk of town. Offer more sports in elementary and middle school, for example soccer if there is not enough demand at one school, combine two schools together and I am sure there will be enough interest to form a team. Offer opportunities for Special Need children to be in sports as well and give them that pride to be part of the team. We need to have everyone play a role, nobody should be sitting out because we are not offering enough educational/sporting/rewarding programs. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS Racism is extremely critical, but so are multiple other things like bullying, discriminating based on ethnic background, or just the fact that you
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are not cool. We cannot just take one issue and create a special extra policy just for that one. Racism is and will always be included in the continuing education for our teachers. The education of all these issues should also be extended to students and their parents. This is where communicating with parents is also critical. Involving students in community services as a requirement will help them be around other less fortunate people financially and physically. In conclusion, Birmingham Public Schools should not be taking any special actions or creating a special policy to address this issue on the local level. CONTROL OF REFORMS Educational reforms should start at the local level. Every district has their own needs and Birmingham is no different, they have their own needs and goals as well. An immediate education reform that I would support is to immediately visit our curriculum standards and compare them to others from around the country and to offer International Baccalaureate for our high school students. There has to be a long-term vision for the district, sustain strong leadership, have ambitious standards, continue the high quality teachers and school leaders and make sure that only the best of the best are recruited, motivate and engage students, and be connected nationally and globally. We must stay competitive and this is the way for our students to be able to go into the “real world” after graduation. Birmingham School District should be Number One and we need to do everything possible to achieve that standard. SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS I do not think the answer to any question would be “Have we done enough.” We can always improve and be better. We need to increase access to mental health services and pay more attention and dollars on the mental health awareness to students and their families. One of the biggest reasons for violence like shootings is because of bullying. We must stop bullying once and for all. Create a clear discipline policy that addresses various issues for students who are “testing their limits” and establish a zero-tolerance policy. We can prepare teachers and offer them continuing programs to help them to deal with situations like this. We need to have students and their families be more educated and be more aware of their surroundings whether it is a gun or kidnapping. Establish a buddy system for example, be in groups. Partner with Neighborhood Watch programs and local police. Mental Health is especially important and should have constant educational programs to teachers, staff, and students alike. One possible suggestion is start of school have students wave a fob to unlock the doors, doors should always 127
be locked and avoid crowded situations in beginning of the school and the end of the school. Having guards might make people act out, so that would not be the answer. Finally have a set schedule for various staff to walk the building on various times of the day which would allow monitoring for things not just violence, but graffiti, bullying, running around. Once again parents involvement is important here as well.
and representation at the highest level, and not just tokenism. Leadership needs to reflect the incoming class diversity. This is one of the reasons why I am running for the board of education. In the fight against racism, you can’t fight evil with evil but evil with good; hate with kindness; ignorance with education.
SAMUEL OH
CONTROL OF REFORMS
SCHOOL IN THE COVID ERA I do not agree with the decision of making it entirely online. Everything is getting political now and the children are suffering because of it. How would you educate special needs children virtually? How do relay the same explanation that you have in class with all the interaction versus virtually? How do you tackle the mental health of the students? If the students are safe from Covid-19 going virtually, they are not safe from having a mental health issue which lasts a lifetime. The current plan is to go virtual until November 1, then what? Why do I have this feeling they will keep delaying it? Everything in life has a solution including safely going back to school. Offer various times of the classes, for example the hybrid was great idea with one addition make the school full day with the same classes offered twice so the number of students will be less (example students who attend math in morning will attend science in afternoon). During the duplicate classes, have Band/Gym/other and alternate that between the two groups. Going back to school, face to face is a MUST and has to happen ASAP. November 1 is way too long to wait. WHY VOTE FOR YOU I am the right member for the Birmingham School Board because of many things. First, I am a father of two boys who are enrolled in the district. I am an accountant who knows how to budget, how to handle the money and how to raise funds for the school without increasing taxes. I am a licensed real estate agent that understand a good school district only increases the value of the homes and the demand for the district. I am very motivated and driven to make Birmingham number one school district not just in Michigan, but the nation. I will serve with honor and dedication to every single member of our district. A vote for me is a vote for your child.
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Samuel Oh received his BFA from Harrington College of Design, and his masters in architecture and real estate from the University of Michigan. He is the family office manager of an investment firm. STUDENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS Ironically, data has shown that by focusing more on math and reading, this has actually caused our educational level decline versus improving it. Rudimentary reading and math skills will not develop reading comprehension. Our students need to go back to spending more time learning about science, history, and the arts. A deep and wide knowledge base is required as a foundation for reading comprehension. This will also improve student engagement as they can explore and discover what they are interested in. We need to capture our students’ imaginations and motivate them. I would suggest establishing a reading program where our students choose and explore from a carefully teacher-curated option of books. By implementing this program by virtually incorporating technology, we can enable instantaneous choice. For example, one week they could choose from a list of historical fiction and the next from a choice of science articles. One becomes a good reader not by learning how to read, but by discovering the joy of reading itself. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS There is a famous quote by Nelson Mandela that can be paraphrased “No one is born racist.” Racism is rooted in ignorance and the solution to combat that is through education. I believe diversity education should be incorporated and woven directly into curriculum via deliberate planning and thought from leadership and staff. Last year my son’s kindergarten class was more than one-third minority, and more than half of them were Asian. However, there are no Asians at the principal, superintendent, or board of education level in the Birmingham Public Schools system. Nothing ever changes unless there are numbers
Schools are not robotic factories and therefore should always have a handson evolving human perspective. However, the local policies must not go against any state mandated policies. To maintain the district’s high-performance level, I propose that we look at some of the most successful examples in the district’s educational system and look to expand the models. For example, Birmingham Covington’s Choice Program provides rich, after school supplementary education for students that goes beyond standard after school care. I would explore how we implement this at other schools. Additionally, there is great pent up demand for admittance at BCS itself. How can we creatively increase the school population to accommodate more families? SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS I believe safeguarding our students must take a multi-pronged approach. Technology such as surveillance cameras could be used to deter incidents. Also, from a human behavior standpoint, there have been studies that showed that almost 50 percent of school homicide perpetrators showed warning signs such as social withdrawal, discipline problems, outbursts of anger, etc. Raising awareness of both staff and students of these warning signs coupled with training staff on how to communicate and diffuse in these situations are two additional proactive measures that I would promote. Finally, and most importantly, we want to get ahead of even ideas of such violence. We can do this by fostering an environment of tolerance, inclusivity, acceptance, and diversity.
tracing, temperature scanning, physical environment adaptation, offering hazard pay for on-premise staff, etc. We should tap into the incredible volunteerism of intelligent, resourceful, and passionate experts of this community to come up with the safest most effective solution. We are in a war against a common enemy and everyone must adapt a wartime mentality. We have zero chance of winning the war if we do nothing and wait for someone else to solve our problems for us. WHY VOTE FOR YOU The recent events have shown that Birmingham Public Schools is woefully ill-prepared for the future in technology applications and infrastructure. For example, when COVID-19 first hit, virtual learning was an embarrassment. Even now there are still glitchy issues.This small example is indicative of an overarching future problem – Birmingham Public Schools needs to be laser-focused on growing population density. BPS is in a unique situation in that we need to compete with private schools as well as other districts. Unless we strategically take steps to achieve population density, the school district will become a diminishing asset, overstaffed and underfunded. My family having moved to Birmingham in 2013, I consider myself more of a recent resident. I have no political agenda and only care for what makes strategic sense for our schools and children, including my two elementary sons. Coming from a corporate background and family full of teachers, professors, healthcare professionals, and technology experts, I hope to bring a new perspective, positive change, and valuable bestcase practices from other industries to the BPS community.
NASH SALAMI
SCHOOL IN THE COVID ERA I disagree with this decision to only offer online education. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem. Our families need to be provided choice. In some ways the 100 percent online approach is the path of least resistance. There is some futility in sitting on our hands and waiting for things “to go back to normal.” Even with a vaccine, experts predict 50-70 percent efficacy. So a new operating model must be identified sooner or later. This is the new normal and we must adapt. If hospitals and businesses can stay open during COVID, the schools should adapt best case practices wherever possible. We need to study and consider the same precautions taken by those entities – be it contact
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Nash Salami is a recent graduate of Seaholm High School, and is currently attending Oakland University, majoring in political science. He is also an executive with the Stepping Stone Foundation.
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STUDENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS Michigan was among the first states to embrace charter schools as an alternative to the very public education system which has been the backbone of the American economy for generations. Now, the negative effects of years of charter schools siphoning money from the coffers of our public school districts are being felt. A decline in funding for public education is directly to blame for this stark deterioration in reading and education levels. There is some work to be done on the local level to encourage state reforms. I would work directly with our district leadership to ensure that we are effectively and responsibly putting our dollars to work in the classroom to equip our kids with the best resources necessary to prepare them to compete in the global world economy. This would include our board of education taking into account factors like test scores and reading levels when determining the effectiveness of our superintendent. We should also keep in mind that our kids are best prepared to compete when they’re well-rounded students, experienced in multiple areas of interest. I would promote and advocate educational extracurriculars to build skills and character to set our kids apart from the rest. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS For me, this is personal. I’ve been a student at Seaholm during some of the most appalling racial incidents that have occurred in our district. Racism within our school district is not and should not be tolerated under any circumstance. As a trustee on the board of education, I would support the formation of a special committee on diversity to review our policies as they pertain to ensuring a safe and welcoming school community for all students and families. I would also support the review of how our schools are funded, how much we’re allocating to schools that serve more underserved families, and how we’re making sure we bridge the gap for those underserved communities. I also support more restorative action and the implementation of restorative justice at our schools, including more access for our students to see school psychologists and social workers to prevent troubled students from falling through the cracks. CONTROL OF REFORMS Local boards of education are more acquainted with the communities they serve and more familiar with the individual needs of their constituents, therefore more capable of making decisions tailored to those needs. The state board of education cannot possibly make one-size-fits-all policy decisions given the vast diversity of needs of school districts across our downtownpublications.com
state. For these reasons, I believe most educational reforms should be entirely left to the discretion of local boards of education. While some determinations, such as the way our schools are funded, are made on the state level, the board does have jurisdiction of the money once it’s allocated and can direct the superintendent to focus it on one area. As a member of the board of trustees, I would like to see more of a focus on career and college readiness, so I would support measuring the success of the superintendent based on things like overall grades, the graduation rate, and how many of our students go to college or join trade apprenticeships. SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS Being a student during a point of time when we would hear of another school shooting virtually every week, I know the sinking feeling of fearing that my school might be next. I’ve been an advocate for proper legislation on the state and federal level to reduce these risks, and until action is taken from state and federal lawmakers, all a school district can do is be prepared for if a rogue shooter does enter our schools. I think we should take any necessary actions and precautions to ensure the safety of our students and staff on campus. As a district, I believe we should put a lens on mental health and focus on how we can get kids the help they need in school to prevent a troubled future. A cornerstone of my candidacy, one of the reasons I got into this race, was to push for more of a focus on mental health services for students and a more robust, cooperative restorative action plan for troubled kids.
going to listen to the needs of our community. Someone who will join the board and be a bridge between parents, students, teachers, and the board of trustees. I’m proud to be able to offer the perspective of a recently graduated Seaholm Maple to be a guiding light and connecting bridge while we navigate the tough times ahead of us. My deep connection to student groups at our schools gives me a direct inroad to the culture, relevant experiences, and perspectives necessary to make decisions that are best for our students. Being the brother of a Seaholm Maple and a Derby Dragon, I only want the best for our kids, because strong schools make strong communities. As a trustee, I’ll not only be your advocate at the board office, but I will actively represent and advocate for the best interests of our community. I’ll be a cooperative partner with all groups in our community, and I’m committed to being an efficient member on the board. I have complete faith that I am the best advocate for our kids, and our kids deserve nothing short of the best.
SCHOOL IN THE COVID ERA As the brother of an incoming Derby Dragon and a Seaholm senior, we were sad and disappointed, as many families were, that we could not get back into the classroom this year. The start of the school year was incredibly difficult for us, just as it was for so many families across our district. Whether we agree or disagree with the decisions that were made, we must now plan for how we will go forward. I believe that it’s extremely important that board members take a direct approach to examining the data, expert opinion, and accurately analyze opinions from parents and community stakeholders on the decision. As a board member, my top priority will be the safety and wellbeing of our staff and students. If we’re able to develop a plan to safely get our kids back to the classroom, I would support it. WHY VOTE FOR YOU
THE WASTED YOUTH VOTE The U S government reports, election after election, that the age bracket that turns out to vote less than any other is the 18-24 years of age group. The youth vote in 2020 could be one of the more powerful voting blocks ever. But you must vote. Call or visit your local municipal clerk’s office to register for the November 3 general election. Youth holds the power. Use it.
Right now, what we need on our school board is someone who is DOWNTOWN
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november 3 general election voter guide
BLOOMFIELD HILLS SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION Seven candidates are running for three seats on the Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Trustees. Each seat is for a four-year term.
DIMA EL-GAMAL
are passing the elementary grades are successfully mastering internal guidelines. We do not need to reinvent the wheel, we have a great system in Bloomfield that allows us to compete in the global world economy with the PYP and IB programs. It is important to continue to improve on, advance, and polish the implementation of our PYP program. We also need to improve and make use of our IB program by conveying its availability and it’s importance to the students. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS
Dima El-Gamal holds masters and PhD in civil and environmental engineering from Wayne State University. She is the managing principal at Stantec Consulting Michigan and is a West Bloomfield Planning Commissioner. STUDENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS Michigan has fallen in nationwide rankings educationally to 37th out of 50 states, with over 50 percent of third grade students failing at reading. More alarming, for affluent students, who had ranked 17th in the nation for fourth grade reading levels in 2003, they came in dead last in 2015 – one of only five states that had actual reading performance level declines. What do you believe has attributed to this stark deterioration in reading and education levels, and how would you work to turn around your district? What can be done to best prepare students to compete in a global world economy? I am not a firm believer in standardized tests being a true indicator of students’ academics levels. Per NICHE Bloomfield Hills School district ranked the third best district in Michigan. Our students reported an average 29 on ACT score, an average 1230 SAT, and 58 percent of the students scored above proficiency level on their state assessment tests. I think that there is some inherent unfairness to the students and teachers nationwide in the standardized testing process in general that is not really in our control to change. However, all districts should endeavor to identify student needs and improve literacy at an early childhood age. Focus should start in elementary and a sincere effort should be invested to make sure students who 130
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared racism as a public health crisis and is appointing a committee to address this issue and has ordered implicit bias training for all state employees, including everyone in the administration. Over the last decade, there have been a number of racial incidents in Bloomfield Hills Schools. Should Bloomfield Hills Schools be taking any special action or creating policies or programs to address this issue on the local level? Please provide details for your response. Racism is a cancer that eats communities from the inside and impacts the overall vibrant and healthy practices within. Unfortunately, it sometimes can make its way into the school environment through many avenues. For many years, the Bloomfield Hills School district has been actively involved in debunking racism. While I personally believe that adopting policies and creating programs at a local level are some ways to address racism, I also see the need for implementation plans and follow ups in order to measure the outcomes. Adopting policies and creating programs alone are not enough since racism is rooted outside school as it is a community wide issue. Therefore, solving this problem will take effort and patience. Adopting a districtwide curriculum infused with debunking racism from the early childhood stage is key to raising a generation that is educated in the classroom about equity, inclusion, and diversity. Furthermore, nurturing staff members who are well trained, comfortable to standup to handling bullying, racially biased, and discriminatory incidents in the classroom is critical. The staff needs to be well versed in unconscious bias and educated about cultural sensitivities related to their classroom populations. CONTROL OF REFORMS Should educational reforms spring from local boards of education or from the state department of education and the state school board? If this is a local determination, why should it be made at this level? What immediate
educational reforms do you support, and which will you seek for the district if you are elected in order to maintain the district's high-performance level? Given the current and historical political divides between communities, I doubt that relying on the state for education reform is a realistic expectation. I believe that each local school board should be working to address the specific needs of its community. If elected, I would like to address mental wellness and inclusion in the curriculum. I want to work with the school administration on developing a curriculum that supports mental wellness and nurtures an inclusive and healthy environment for all students. An environment that reduces stress, solves problems and is sensitive to students’ challenges. One of my goals is to work with the superintendent and board (including Mrs. Southward and Mr. VanGemert, if also elected) to have BHS pioneer incorporation of mental wellness as a graduating requirement. With the superintendent leadership, BHS District can become one of the first districts in the nation to have a graduating class that has gone through mental wellness programming. With this programming we prepare our students to face life with all its challenges that allows our graduates to face the world and its problems. I also want to examine the district’s curriculum and infuse it at all levels through an equity and inclusion lens. SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS With the rise in school shootings in the last few years, has the district done enough to safeguard students and staff? Should there be more security guards and liaison police officers at schools? What can and should the district do to better prepare teachers and staff for the possibility of a rogue individual with a weapon? Should more attention and dollars be spent on mental health awareness and help? The rise in school shootings is a sad reality that is generally caused by two major factors in my opinion, the first factor is individuals having access to weapons while the second factor is that these individuals are struggling with mental health. While I care about the safety of students, teachers, and staff, I do not believe that increasing the number of guards, police officers, or training teachers to carry weapons are effective methods to improve security at schools. I do believe in the deter and detect methods, which is why I supported the bond proposal for the district. The bond proposal included school improvements which allow for improved physical security measures at the elementary and middle schools. I believe in mental wellness education and it being a path for reducing possible
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internal threats. Please refer to my answer to education reform question above for my proposed mental wellness plan. Last but not least, I would like to clarify that I put the burden on our elected officials in Lansing and Congress to adopt gun control reforms to further minimize the internal and external risks from mass shootings in general and school shootings in specific. SCHOOL IN THE COVID ERA After initially presenting a plan to offer five days of in-person education along with a virtual option for families who preferred that for fall 2020, the current board of education discarded the inperson option and is starting the entire district on-line. Do you agree with that decision, and why or why not? I commend the administration and staff for the tremendous effort that was put into planning for the next school year as I know that the plan will continue to be refined as the dynamics of this pandemic continue to change. It is sad that lack of leadership at the state level is forcing local school boards to make hard decisions that impact the future of families and students. While I sympathize with families with working parents or parents of different learners, I cannot underestimate the burden of safety or risk to public health that comes with the in-person option. Leadership is using the trust that people give us to make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions in the best interest of all. This is exactly what the board has done weighing in public health and safety. I do understand that the distant learning decision is not permanent, and it could change based on COVID levels. Unfortunately, the dynamics of this pandemic continue to challenge everyone. Please before people disagree with the board, I ask that they hug their loved ones and remember that one lost life in the district is one too many. WHY VOTE FOR YOU Why are you the right person at time to be a member of your local school board? As a resident of the district since 2004, my goal is to give back to the district that gave my two kids an excellent education and a safe environment. In addition to my over 25 years of engineering expertise, if elected I plan on focusing my energy on mental wellness and inclusion. I learned the hard way that I needed to work with allies to promote equity and inclusion in every aspect of life. My 21-year-old son was called a terrorist in third grade. To me the phrases such as privilege and unconscious bias spark action that should be associated with measurable 10.20
outcomes for every organization. I actively work as an education liaison on combating racism and debunking misconceptions through interfaith work and have been active in the various committees in the Bloomfield District by working with Global Education Teams, Multicultural Committee, Bloomfield Youth Assistance, Scope and Design, and many more. I am passionate about educational excellence that fosters mental wellness and creates inclusive environments for all students. I plan to drive advancement by translating that passion into action, and I would be honored to win the district residents’ vote in November.
RENITA JAMES
arenas of global development. When it comes to education, one of the quotes I firmly stand by is; “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Nelson Mandela). RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS I believe Bloomfield Hills Schools should be taking any special action or creating policies or programs to address this issue on the local level by having more inclusion and changing the narrative of disenfranchisement. Our district needs to have annual training on anti-racism within our schools, communities, and organizations. Dialogue should be encouraged through role play, via presentations and participations. The policy should provide clarity on what is considered racism as a health crisis and how to identify and address the issue head-on. Finally, I believe the district needs to be more transparent with the outcome of the student(s) that committed any forms of racial incidents. This will potentially help to deter other students from repeating the same incident. If elected, I will get into the trenches and work with the district to get to the root of the issues and rectify them, for the sake of our youth. CONTROL OF REFORMS
Renita James is a former elementary teacher who currently is a departmental analyst with the state of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. She has an undergraduate degree from University of Detroit and an MBA from University of Phoenix, and is a literacy tutor with Oakland Literacy Council. STUDENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS In Michigan, I believe the stark deterioration in reading and educational levels is due to the lack of funding in early literacy. Literacy in the early stages is a crucial component for a student success, otherwise by the time a student reaches 3rd and 4thgrade level, it may be too late for resolution. The district has addressed the literacy issue by placing students into smaller groups based on their reading levels. Preparing students to compete in a global world economy would be beneficial by exposing them to diverse learning. This includes preparing them at an early age to diversity and inclusion. Students should be taught (recommended at preschool level) what different cultures are learning through curriculum. Another ideal to discover is what career skills are in high demand, and how to utilize training in that field. Lastly, for consideration what qualifications will they need to compete in a global market? Having that knowledge and expertise will put them at a higher level for success in all downtownpublications.com
As a district, educational reforms should spring from local boards while following the guidelines established by the state department of education and the state school board. They know the needs and wants of their students, schools and communities as they are residents of the district themselves. One of the silver linings during this pandemic is that virtual learning was necessary to meet the needs of our students. I support, and will seek if elected, teachers receiving online training to teach virtual learning. As we veer into the new century of technological and informational advancement, one must consider that online learning will be very important now and in the future in meeting the terms of societal standard.
aspect of each student. More attention and funds should be spent on raising the awareness of mental health as many Americans are impacted by this chronic illness. “Mental illness awareness means acceptance and love rather than judgement and shame; it means an end to the stigma and the beginning of hope” (Annie Slease). The overall goal is to improve and prevent mental illness. SCHOOL IN THE COVID ERA In this evolving situation, I support the current board of education decision to start the entire district online. We all have to work together to keep every student and staff safe. Having schools reopen too soon could lead to a potential outbreak, which would cause a new school closure. However, I do understand online learning does not provide the same level of human interaction as in-person learning, but this is a short-term substitute for classroom learning during a pandemic. WHY VOTE FOR YOU As a former elementary school teacher, I knew early-on that I had a passion for education. Making a difference in the lives of youth was and is still my top priority. Now as a proud parent of a thriving nine-year-old daughter, I have kept this same tenacity by dedicating countless hours to ensure the success of her education. My parental engagement has included (but not limited to), being hands on with homework, attending monthly PTO meetings, and being an advocate for education. Currently, as a public servant for the last 18 years, I understand what it takes to have integrity, character, be diversified, compassionate, and be a voice for the voiceless. If elected, my top commitment will be ensuring that not only my daughter’s best interests are being heard and met, but the community as a whole. “Follow your passion. It will lead you to your purpose” (Oprah Winfrey).
SIVA KUMAR
SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS I believe the district is doing enough to safeguard students and staff, however there is always room for improvement. There should be more security guards and liaison police officers specifically at the high schools. Having more safeguards in place will prevent escalated matters from occurring. As for Pre-k to middle schools, I believe there is enough adequate staff in place to stagger schedules to monitor school safety. School shootings is a significant issue that has increased in recent years. What the district can and should do to better prepare teachers and staff for the possibility of a rogue individual with a weapon, is to hire more school counselors. They help to foster and develop the social and emotional
an engineering degree from Wayne State University and an MBA from University of Michigan. STUDENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS I have not seen the exact report that you are quoting from, but I believe your statistics are directionally correct. Michigan is facing an education crisis. Successive elected legislatures in Lansing have woefully underfunded education over the last few decades and we are seeing the result of that underfunding. For Michigan to thrive in the future global economy, we need to make funding for education as one of our top priorities. In today’s world, our students at BHS have held onto our lead versus Michigan’s other school districts. For BHS students to thrive in the world of tomorrow, we need a combination of academic achievement along with a focus on development of social and behavioral skills. RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS I believe BHS has made strides in improving policies to address racial incidents when they occur. However, there are explicit events on which action can be taken. My bigger concern is whether there exists an implicit bias in the school system which may be driving significant disparities in academic achievement among students. Students of color, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, special ed students and all students continue to perform significantly below average levels. We need to do more work to identify the reasons for such disparities and have concrete, measurable actions to eliminate such gaps. CONTROL OF REFORMS I think educational reform should go both ways. Clearly, funding for education is decided by our legislature, based on recommendations from the state board of education and the state school board. I see funding as well as a guideline setting coming from the state level as a top-down decision. I also see some reforms working their way up from local school districts. I support immediate educational reforms on a) closing gaps in student achievement for underperforming groups, and b) concrete steps for improved of social, emotional and physical well- being, and c) increased focus on post-high school readiness. SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS
Siva Kumar is a senior director at DWH, a consulting firm, and has 30 years in strategy and finance. He holds
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The safety of our students and staff should always be our number one priority. While there is always something more we can do to improve safety of our students and staff, I know that BHS has a great working relationship with the police departments in Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield and the city of Bloomfield Hills. During these budget constrained times and particularly when we have a SRO (school resource officer) on campus at BHHS and security officer 131
dedicated to BHS on deputation from the Bloomfield Township police, I think we are best served by holding current spending levels for security.
JONATHAN VANGEMERT
SCHOOL IN THE COVID ERA I am a strong believer of in-person learning, whenever possible. However, I also believe that one has to evaluate risks carefully when the well-being and lives of our students and staff are at stake. There were many recommendations and guidelines from the Governor’s office but few hard rules. The BHS School Board chose to lean on the side of caution and BHS administration reworked their plan to develop a hybrid model for in-person instruction which increased distancing to six feet per student from the original proposal of three feet. I support the current plans developed by BHS administration and approved by the board for offering both virtual learning as well as a phased approach to move students from distance teaching to inperson instruction in line with a decline in risk levels.
CONTROL OF REFORMS Jonathan VanGemert received his bachelors degree in economics and management from Albion College and his law degree from University of Detroit Mercy. He is an attorney with Zausmer PC.
Statewide, the reading scores on the third grade MEAP went from a mean of 430.3 in 2010-2011 to 433.6 in 2013-14. From 2014-15 to 2018-9, reading scores were not specifically identified on the M-Step, however the mean ELA scores were consistently in the 1290s for those years. In 201314, 70 percent of third graders were proficient at reading. In 2014-15, we switched to the M-Step, which was taken online as opposed to pencil and paper, and has been a bumpy road in terms of technology. In Bloomfield Hills, a similar story – 446.3 in 2010 to 448.3 in 2013-14, and consistently around 1310 in the years from 2014 to 2019. From 2010 to 2014, proficiency rates went from 84 percent to 90.6 percent. Following the switch to M-Step, Bloomfield has maintained a 70 percent proficiency rate despite technological issues with the test. Calling this a stark deterioration is disingenuous, and factually inaccurate. Improvement is always the goal though, and I would seek the superintendent’s assistance in determining what specific deficiencies in our curriculum are leading to less than perfect proficiency.
The state should concern itself with general educational standards, school funding and specific science-based guidance regarding return-to-school plans. On a local level, school boards can work with or suggest reforms to the superintendent. The two initiatives that candidates, Dima El-Gamal, Michelle Southward and I, will work to spearhead should we be elected, are mental wellness across the curriculum, and continued expansion of diversity throughout the curriculum. Specifically, our plan would require students take a course in mental wellness, including curriculum designed to teach students about dealing with stress, anxiety, internal and external expectations, success and failure. In addition to a course, the goal would be to discuss mental wellness throughout the curriculum. We need to use evidence to build and expand upon what works best for students and teachers when it comes to developing essential conceptual skills. We also need to take stock of what we are already doing that is impacting students and/or staff in a way that improves student achievement, student mental and physical health, and educator innovation. I would look for ways to support students who are not being provided with the correct tools to overcome obstacles that are placed before them; and on the opposite side, on those students who need a more challenging educational goal or a different type of goal altogether.
RACISM AS HEALTH CRISIS
SAFEGUARDING STUDENTS
Bloomfield Hills is taking action and will continue to take action. Bloomfield Hills currently offers multiple Global Education opportunities for students, staff, parents and community members. Examples include Global Champions training, Dismantling Racism retreats, and Student Global Leadership workshops. Each school in Bloomfield Hills has a Global Champions Team consisting of administrators, teachers and parents. These teams support and brainstorm initiatives that ensure educational equity. Additionally, the district has
With the passage of the bond, plans are in place to supplement the security features at all district buildings. At present, the response time of the Bloomfield Hills Police Department and surrounding police departments has proven to be quick and proficiently coordinated during our mandated drills. I don’t think additional officers would make our students and staff feel safer, nor would they be safer. When it comes to better preparing teachers and staff, preventative measures such as bullet resistant glass, and more efficient locking mechanisms
STUDENT EDUCATIONAL LEVELS WHY VOTE FOR YOU We have been fortunate that our children received a great education going through Bloomfield Hills Schools and I chose to run because I would like to give back to the community. Our two children graduated recently from the IA and both attend college at the University of Michigan. I am a senior director at DWH Corp, a consulting firm. I also serve as lead advisor at Inventev, a startup based in Detroit. I have over 30 years of experience in strategy and finance, and I’ve served in leadership roles at firms including Meritor, Ford & Tenneco. I’ve successfully managed large projects and built up businesses while working with boards to manage interests of multiple stakeholders. I came to the US as a graduate student over 32 years ago, have MS in engineering from Wayne State and an MBA from the University of Michigan. My priorities are: Equitable education for all, including students of color, economically disadvantaged students, special dd and all students; work with BHS on prudent investment of our $200 million bond approved by residents and prioritize spending in a post-Covid world; and effectively implement the BHS strategic plan with a focus on mental well being and post high school readiness.
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been trained in and utilizes Restorative Practices when handling conflict, which aims to repair harm and rebuild relationships. Regarding diversity across the curriculum, Bloomfield Hills has made a concerted effort to ensure representation and the inclusion of multiple perspectives and backgrounds in its curriculum. This is done both implicitly and explicitly through book studies, awareness and respect of cultural observances, robust classroom libraries/media centers, and speakers. Specific subjects such as history (social studies) are infused with perspectives and contributions of all backgrounds throughout the curriculum and not just in specific months of the year. We will support that essential and ongoing work.
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throughout our school buildings are a start. As discussed above, our plan is to require mental wellness as part of the curriculum, which would focus attention on appropriate responses to stress, anxiety, loneliness, and a variety of other factors that contribute to anti-social behavior. SCHOOL IN THE COVID ERA I agree with the decision for the basic reason that taking stock of what happens in other districts throughout the country is invaluable, and to wait, perhaps for a short period, is prudent. I fully understand that virtual school imposes a severe hardship on working families and students’ mental wellbeing. School is not going to look like it did before March, 2020. When our kids do return to school, it will not be a return to normalcy, at least for a while. The argument that working parents need a place for their kids during the day, and that kids need the social and emotional interaction that school provides is one that I understand – very personally. I can only say that I will take that need into strong consideration if I am tasked with making such a decision in the future, as the consequences of the decision affect me as well. WHY VOTE FOR YOU I am a parent of three children – a four year old, an eight year old, and an eleven year old. I have a personal interest in the curriculum and success of our district through at least 2035. My vision is long-term, not shortsighted. I have a background in economics, accounting, and the law, which means that my insight into the budget and bond will be invaluable. I am data-driven and have a unique ability from my years as an auditor and attorney to find solutions in the details of the data. My wife, Laura, has been a teacher in the district since 2005, which gives me a unique perspective of the workings of the district. In making decisions, I will focus on whether each decision and/or expenditure benefit students now, and whether it benefits future students. Finally, I think this board needs a new voice of reason, someone who is pragmatic, and someone who understands the ethical responsibilities of the board. Dima ElGamal, Michelle Southward and I, if elected, hope to carry forward the legacy being left by the retiring board members, and work in concert with the present board to continue making Bloomfield Hills Public Schools a district that we are all proud of, and that prepares our students for whichever direction they choose.
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“Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a president and senators and congressmen and government officials but the voters of our country.” FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT 32ND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
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