Issues

Interview with the Detroit News

What are county government’s three biggest problems?

1. Maintaining a balanced budget during a period falling revenue.
2. Maintaining quality mandated services.
3. Creating a climate for job creation.

What can you, as one commissioner, do about them?

One Commissioner can make a difference and under the new county charter one Commissioner can have a greater influence than before, being 1 of only 13. I have a record which demonstrates I can work with others to get projects done the north end of the county has needed. I have been persistent I working towards solutions for individuals residents and the larger community.

Our county has a structural spending problem which will not be solved for the long term by raising taxes. I have been outspoken minority on the Board of Commissioners advocating specific cuts that would result in sustainable balanced budgets for many years. My repeated calls have resulted in changes which are yielding results; unfortunately the majority has been slow to enact them, which have made our deficits bigger to over come.

We can balance the budget and maintain quality mandated services if we need to take the following actions; first, change the county retirement system from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan, reducing the county contributions to the employees’ retirement system from 17% of payroll down to 6% as most private businesses and county governments do today.

Second, end the current retirement formula we use to calculate retirement benefits from a 70 point plan, which allows for employees to retire at age 50 with full medical benefits for them and their spouse. The board has moved in my direction by eliminating this pension benefit for new hires.

Third, we need to find partner to run Martha T. Berry Medical Facility and end the large subsidy the taxpayers give to operate this facility every year. My calls to close Martha T. Berry or partner with private entity has resulted in the union accepting significant concessions which have lower the subsidy dramatically for this year.

Fourth, offer health savings plans with higher co-pays for health insurance for county employees. The current plans are too expensive to maintain and out of scale with what the average resident in the county has to pay.

I have made difference in the budget process. My calls to give the operation of the Macomb County Library to Macomb Community College, saving the county 3.5 million dollars annually were realized, though we transferred the operation to Wayne State.

I recommended, because every community has park & recreation department, give the operations of the 4 acre Freedom Hill County Park to Sterling Heights or sell it outright, saving the county $900,000 a year. Last year we closed the county park.

I am part of the budget work group called by Budget Committee Chairman exploring other areas of the budget where savings can be found. I will continue to push reforms in pension system and other structural reforms. These steps with others can balance budget and provide the money needed for mandated services.

3. Creating Jobs I have 3 three son’s who just graduated from High School and a daughter behind them. I am committed to do all I can to promote job creation in the new economy for them and ourselves. We are in a world market place and we need to find national and international partners who Macomb County business can work with. In December I traveled to China with the first Macomb County delegation seeking to open doors to their markets. I felt it was so important personally that I paid all of my expenses, not the taxpayers. Yafang Visteon has opened an operation in Warren initially creating 48 jobs. As the relationship grows we expect to see another major investment in SE Michigan creating more jobs. We have planted other seed with our visit which we hope will bear fruit in the coming years.

I was active in writing the current Brownfield legislation as Chairman of the Michigan Association of Counties Committee on Environment and Land Use. That legislation has created the environment for business to reinvest in once blighted areas. In my district Romeo was award a Brownfield Redevelopment Grant, laying the foundation for new investment and jobs. I have been pro-active in working with my community and with our county Planning and Economic Development Team to develop policies that promote the business in the townships, village and ag community. Those policies came as a result of a committee I initiated and chaired that won an award from SEMCOG for, “Outstanding Joint Public Services Project”. One Commissioner can make a difference.