Candidate Q&A: Patrick Michel for Brighton Township Trustee

Patrick Michel is one of six candidates competing for the four open Trustee seats on the Brighton Township Board of Trustees. Continue following Brighton Patch this week for more Township Board of Trustees election coverage.

Family

I've been married to my wife, Marnie for 11.5 years and we have 3 children: 9-year-old Margaret, 7-year-old Patrick, and 6-year-old Madeleine.

Education

I graduated from Detroit Catholic Central High School in 1983, The University of Michigan with a BS in Finance and Economics in 1988, and The University of Detroit with an MBA in Marketing Management in 1992.

Employment

I'm a Global Strategic Technical Sales and Marketing Specialist working in the Transportation Industry, mostly Automotive.

What groups/organizations are you involved with in the community?

1. Member of Livingston County Republicans
2. Second Term as Republican Precinct Delegate, Brighton Township.
3. Our family belongs to and is active at St. Patrick Catholic Parish in Brighton. Active in Right-to-Life.
4. My children are involved in Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, SELCRA Athletics (Soccer and Flag Football). My daughters are students at Ginny's Dance Works.

Why are you running for office and what relevant qualities/skills would you bring to the position?

As a father of three young children, I felt compelled a few years ago to help preserve for them the quality of life in the Brighton Area and so became involve with the Livingston County Republicans. Because of the fiscal responsibility of my predecessors, we enjoy here some of the lowest property taxes in the State of Michigan with the highest standard of living. I'm confident that I can bring my value of fiscal conservatism coupled with my successes in private business and strategic nature to bear on dealing with issues as they come to light.  Our Board of Trustees needs to be not only proactive but certainly effectively and efficiently reactive.

What are the top three priority issues the Township Board should address and what actions would you, as an elected official, take to address them?

1. Sunset Park. All of the facts need to come into the light and, most importantly, the "Voice of the People", those who would be most impacted, needs to be heard and considered.
2. Water and Sewer System. Certainly, the fiscal setbacks of the last few years experienced nationwide have been felt hard right here in Livingston County. Housing starts and other development grinding to a near halt have made it difficult for Brighton Township to live up to even the most conservative of forecasts. With fewer customers than forecast connecting to the sewer system, containing the costs and meeting bond obligations has been difficult. In order to avoid increasing per-customer cost increases to an unreasonable level, the effort needs to be ongoing to meet the original objectives without blowing a hole in Brighton Township's budget.
3. Maintaining the low taxes.