I believe that the biggest problems facing the residents of Macomb County are the loss of good paying manufacturing jobs, the lack of access to a seamless four-year degree program, and our County's need for a County Executive with the power to give our community a strong voice on regional and national issues.
When I first ran for election to the County Board of Commissioners in 2006, I told you that as your new commissioner I would …
• Work to place before the voters the question of a County Charter, which would include a county executive elected directly by the people and a reduced number of county commissioners.
• Call for a four-year university here in Macomb County so that residents have access to the programs and education they need to get good jobs. In the interim I would encourage and pressure regional universities to expand their offerings in Macomb County.
• Commit to making our community an attractive place for residents and businesses alike.
I can report to you that at the end of my first term as your Commissioner . . .
• I spearheaded the collection of over 25,000 citizen signatures that placed the County Charter issue on the May 2008 ballot and passed by a 56% county-wide margin. In November 2008, voters chose a Charter Commission which has six months to write a county charter that will be given to the voters for a yes/no vote.
• I helped bring together Wayne State University and the Macomb County Library to create the Macomb County Research and Reference center. This new partnership will reduce county costs, bring additional degree granting programs to the Research and Reference center, and allow Macomb County residents and students from WSU to access the Wayne State University's research and reference materials.
• Michigan State University will be locating a new medical school in Macomb County, with the first 50 students to begin this fall at the University Center on the Center Campus of Macomb Community College.
• Wayne State University has broken ground for an engineering center on the South Campus of Macomb Community College.
• Over the past two years I organized clean-ups and landscaping efforts in the district, and I initiated the project to improve the bus stops on Gratiot from 14 mile to Wellington Crescent . There are now cement pads for people to stand on, new benches and trash cans. By the end of spring 2009, we'll have shelters at the most heavily used stops, and benches and trash receptacles at each stop.
Once all the bus stops have been renovated, I'll be looking for businesses or individuals to adopt a bus stop and volunteer to landscape it and then maintain it. (The costs of the necessary plants will be reimbursed.)
As I enter my second term the big issues have not changed. We must remain focused on securing a County Executive form of government for Macomb, replacing the loss of good paying manufacturing jobs, and securing access for our residents to seamless four-year degrees in order to ensure their future success.
My main priorities through 2010 will be to . . .
• Support the Charter process and county government reform efforts.
• Stabilize the County's financial crisis by balancing services, revenues and expenditures in reasonable proportions by prioritizing needs.
• Revitalize Macomb County 's economic development efforts, with the goal of increasing jobs. I want to strengthen the County's efforts to
- retain the jobs and businesses we have,
- expand retraining programs for those who have lost their jobs, and
- expand our international trade efforts to bring new jobs to Macomb County .
• Continue to improve the appearance of our communities so that we can attract new residents and businesses.
