It has been my honor to serve as Mayor the last six years.  Working together with City Council, we have been able to guide Flat Rock through one of the most difficult financial times in recent memory.  In my first three years as Mayor, due to the economic downtown and State Tax Commission changes, we lost 20+% of our taxable value.  Even with our vote to maintain current levels of fire and police services most people in Flat Rock still pay significantly less in taxes than they did 6 years ago.  Fortunately, the decline in housing values has eased.  We have managed to weather this downturn while still maintaining our quality of life and our City Services.  By bringing back Riverefest, we’ve even had some fun along the way.

We have also had to make very tough choices.  When your budget falls the way our has, there is just no responsible financial way to do everything you want to do.  My experience from over 19 years in the business and technology world has been extremely critical in managing our complex finances.  I have updated a lot of the old technology that was still being used.  We have reviewed almost every contract the City had and in many cases I was able to save us money at the same time as improving our services. 

Being Mayor of Flat Rock is not an easy job.  As Mayor you are directly responsible for planning and oversight of around $16 million in annual expenditures, and you serve on other boards such as the Downriver Community Conference responsible for several million more.  Unlike pretty much every other City in our area, we do not have a City Manager or Administrator.   Whether it is negotiating with Ford, advocating with Credit agencies for our credit rating, and being a voice respected on topics like Municipal Finance and the potential effects of Personal Property Tax reform, and making very difficult decisions weighing the competing needs of every department and area of the City, the Mayor has to have the experience and the expertise to make those decisions.

The next two years are critical for our City’s future.  I am excited about that future.  As the the Mayor who supported Meijer and Tim Hortons coming to Flat Rock, I can tell you we have already been contacted by other businesses who are now considering Flat Rock many for the first time.    For our existing businesses we have organized an annual business forum and have helped over 10 businesses through the DDAs façade grant program.  We were successful in getting grant money to fund the completion of the Bike Path.  Using another grant we are improving the Huron River for fishing and kayaking, and we have dramatically improved the financial performance of our recreation center.  We were one of six cities chosen to participate in the Michigan Main Street program which will help us re-envision our downtown business district.  We have also begun to address our pressing infrastructure needs by finally paving roads and updating water and sewer lines.

It’s been a challenging couple of years for all of us.  When my wife, who grew up here and is a Flat Rock High School graduate, and I made the decision to live and raise our family here, we chose Flat Rock for its unique character and quality of life.  Every day I try to make our City a great place to live, work, and play in.  Please vote on November 3rd and I ask for your support to keep us moving forward.