Republican
High School Teacher and Author
I have served and continue to serve on multiple boards and have made some tough decisionsfinancial, relational and spiritual. I have been a manager where I have hired, fired and supervised personnel, managed payroll, budgets and planned organizational long term goals and strategies. I am a proven team player where, as an author my editor once said of me, 'You were really easy to work with' I was raised in a low income region of Detroit but, through hard work, my faith and my family, I have now realized my dreams as a high school teacher and proud home owner in Pittsfield Township. I have taught overseas, circumnavigated the globe, and led hundreds in small groups, community organizations and on outdoor adventures.
Bachelor of Science in Education;
Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling
Salvation Army Soup Kitchen Volunteer, Crossroads Christian Counseling Center Executive Board Member, Meadowview Neighborhood Executive Board Member, High School Recycling Director, Prison Ministry Leader, 'Plastic to Trees' Arbor Program
I have been married 17 years to my beautiful and talented wife, Lora
I have two great children, a daughter and a son
Forthcoming
SEMCOG is an out-dated layer of government that may not seem to harm our region during more prosperous times when revenues soar and spending flows with less notice and therefore with greater ease, but subsidizing SEMCOG is a revenue-draining tax and an unnecessary burden on Washtenaw tax payers, which is suffered more deeply in tougher economic times such as these. I believe that Washtenaw officials can work with neighboring governments, cooperatively and without the extra added bureaucracy of SEMCOG. And, by eliminating this unnecessary expense from the County budget, we will be better prepared to meet the challenges, both seen and unseen, of or our financial future. ([1], Annarbor.com, 07/08/2010,) ([1a], mlive.com, 07/09/09), ([2;3;4], AnnArbor.com, 03/18/10)
I am a true fiscal conservative. I live out of my convictions as opposed to a sense of self-preservation, both in public and my personal life. For example, even though I am a public school teacher, I voted against the school millage last Fall. The reason? There was no clear plan or strategy for the use of extra tax money, yours and mine. If the County wants to raise a mountain of money by raising our taxes I want them to be able to name every dollar. As County Commissioner, I will give every tax dollar a name, ensuring that no dollar that you entrust to this writer is ever wasted but instead used keep your services up and running well and, in the process expand--in local terms, your right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
My plan is to set up a flexible 10 year financial plan to remove the mystery and unease many residents feel about the condition of the County's budget and priorities, where the safety, security and services issues are headed. To accomplish this I will propose that the County Board draft and adopt a County Constitution of finances. The document will be used to serve as a measure of whether or not to spend money. Much of what is spent now is based on whether or not the County has the money on hand or can somehow raise the money [read: millage increases, rule laden grants, etc]. This is the County equivalent to living paycheck to paycheck. However, with a Constitution in place, mystery will be removed, residents will know where their money is being used and invested, County Board meetings will run more quickly and efficiently and a new County savings account will form, grow and provide a safeguard for residents with clear, long-term, financial expectations for County residents.
The land bank authority proposal, fast approval and sudden dissolution is a text book example of a broken government in need of repair, fragmented proposals that often contain great cost, little return and, in my view, unhelpful... ideas that often take the following injurious path. 1. Government observes a problem [in this case, high home foreclosure rates] 2. Government pursues a mountain of money (ie, stimulus and other cash [1a]) 3. Government appoints more government (ie, the County Commission 'dragged its feet for eight months' and 'didn't follow through' [2]) 4. Government lacks essential, step-by-step plan (ie, no clear strategy on purchasing and selling of area properties [3]) 5. Government blames others for its eventual failure (ie, the County Treasurer and County Board blame each other [4]) The land bank authority was created with good intentions but did not outline a clear plan to measure success, may bury us in a sea of red tape, unused properties and debt.
Have you ever noticed that blighted areas of the state tend to have higher property taxes? The reason is due in part to the fact that fewer homes and businesses in the region are occupied, leaving those that are occupied responsible to financially support a larger region. Unfortunately, the higher property tax cause the value of the homes to fall, deepening the revenue deficit, tempting officials in the region to levy an even higher property tax. It's a terrible cycle. One that is tough from which to recover. This is one reason why the fiscal integrity of the budget is so vital at the County level. And while our budget is currently in good shape the future is uncertain. We must fund our mandated services and attract new businesses and jobs, just as some businesses and jobs leave our region. It's in the every-day decisions, fueled by the budget, at the County levelhowever incremental, that lead us down the road to blight or on a pathway to prosperity.
I will bring diversity to the County Board. The Washtenaw County Commissioner's Board is made up of 11 elected members. Current members include nine Democrats and two Republicans. Both Republicans have decided not to seek re-election to pursue fresh dreams. Voting for and sending a Republican from Pittsfield Township will help sustain the balance in the arena of ideas and continue to moderate the County Board, preserving the diversity of thoughta shining example of inclusiveness, which played a major role in bringing the County budget under control, continued some of the best services in the state and helped make our County a model for other Michigan Counties to emulate.
I like this question because I think it gives the reader a glimpse into the differing philosophical views of my opponent and I a window into the heart of our governing styles. My opponent's first reaction for instance was to support the expansion of the road commission, a 67% jump in bureaucracy from its current level, with a commensurate leap in extra spending! My opponent then later discovered that the people of Pittsfield Township 'strongly opposed spending more money'[1]. In sharp contrast to my opponent, I immediately saw the increase in spending as a move in the wrong direction, especially given the current economic conditions, along with the problems the extra spending may pose to our future. There are benefits to the expansion. But a careful examination of the plan should make plain that the cost of extra spending eclipses any derived benefits. If there were ever a time in Washtenaw's history where we want, yes need, a leaner and more efficient government, it is now.
Mark Ouimet, Washtenaw County Commissioner, is often called to direct the County budget into financially peaceful waters. He has done so with success, bi-partisan support, honor and respect. Voters re-elected him because of his conviction that government should be fiscally responsible. But Mr. Ouimet has decided to serve in a different capacity. And we will miss his leadership at the County level. I am running in part to continue his legacy of fiscal responsibility, to guarantee that our essential services like road patrol are well funded, keeping us safe and secure; that the road commission is willing to be influenced by the residents who daily drive our roads to work, school and our stores; to major on the majors and minor on the minors which will help keep our financial priorities straight; rather than frantically cutting services in economic down-turns, I will plan for the down-turns, and not just when the economy is down but during the times of economic prosperity.
Meet the candidates and watch hot races in your Voters Guide
Canham Natatorium is one of the University of Michigan's venues that athletic director Dave Brandon would like to renovate. Melanie ......
Get the Ann Arbor RSS Feed
AnnArbor.com