Livingston Dems Host First Leadership Development Institute

What does local government do? How do the decisions made locally affect our quality of life? Those are some of the questions that will be explored at the Livingston County Democrats’ first ever Leadership Development Institute being held this month.

 “The media and political parties place much emphasis on top-of-the-ticket races like contests for president and governor – and deservedly so. Important decisions are made in Washington and Lansing,” said Judy Daubenmier, party chair.

“But local government officials often are responsible for implementing those decisions and for deciding matters that affect the fabric of day-to-day life – the quality of the water we drink, the roads and streets we drive on, the type of neighborhoods we live in, what recreation opportunities are available, and so on. What happens in our county, township, and cities matters.”

In order to bring more visibility to the role of local government in our lives, the party has invited a small group of Livingston County residents to spend a day hearing from people who have served local government in some capacity. The keynote speaker for the invitation-only event is state Rep. Gretchen Driskell, D-Saline, who served as mayor of Saline before being elected to the Michigan House. Also speaking will be Steve Manor, a member of the Howell City Council.

A panel of people who have or are currently serving as township trustee, school board members, library board members, or planning commission members also will address the group. Panel members will talk about what they do, how they got involved, and how much time they spend on their responsibilities. Many of the positions that will be discussed at the event are appointive rather than elective, yet still play an important role in the decisions that impact our lives, Daubenmier said.

The Leadership Development Institute was suggested by John Seeley of Hamburg Township, a member of the Livingston County Democratic Executive Committee. “We want to de-mystify local government for citizens,” he said.

The invitation-only event is being held on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Pinckney Public Library, 125 Putnam St., in downtown Pinckney, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no charge. Lunch will be furnished.

Only a few openings remain for the event. Anyone who is interested in attending may contact party chair Judy Daubenmier at (810) 229-4212 or livcodems@gmail.com ny Thursday, Nov. 14.

(Paid for by the Livingston County Democratic Committee, 10321 Grand River Road, Suite 600, Brighton, MI 48116. Printed in-house. Labor donated.)