WRITE-IN?
No
DISTRICT
City of Dexter
WEBSITE
https://sanamfordexter.com/
Number of years as resident
10
I am a librarian and archivist by education, and through my almost 20 years of career at the University of Michigan, I have managed operations, organizational changes, and high performing teams to advance the mission of education. Listening to all points of view, examining all angles of an issue before decision making, building relationships across groups and recognizing the value of communication that includes deepening understanding and knowledge is what I have brought to the Council table in the past 5 years and I hope to do so if re-elected.
Our City is thriving and we are now recognized from across Michigan. That comes from everyone working together as a community and for the betterment of our City. My main goal is to not only continue but enhance that community collaboration. As a Councilmember this means building a bridge between the City government, the residents of the City and our businesses. And within this approach there are a few more specific goals such as effective stewardship of taxpayer money and planning the goals and budget of the City within that parameter, enhancement of our parks, sustainable growth of our community and maintenance of our infrastructure that are on top of my list.
The most pressing issue for us is balancing the increasing cost of operating the City with keeping the City taxes as low as possible. We have been fortunate to be able to keep the City millage rate the same for many years. However, as the cost of living increases, so does the cost of operating the City. In two years, ⅓ of the City expenses will be our share of the operating cost of the Dexter Area Fire Department through the interlocal agreement with Dexter Township and Webster Township. Revisiting our interlocal agreement for the operation of Dexter Area Fire Department, reprioritizing various City projects, and sustainable increase of our tax-base through careful development are strategies to explore to offset the increasing cost.
Our greatest asset is our emphasis on community and community service. At every level of our community, we strive to serve the good of current and future generations of Dexter. We see how the residents, the City government, the local organizations and businesses come together in our celebrations and in times of need for our community. And this approach has been what we see in our City government and certainly the reason I decided to serve the City in various capacities throughout the years. I would also like to point out another asset in our City and that is our City staff. They are the ones that maintain the City, answer all emergency calls and ensure the day to day health and safety of our City. We are blessed with incredible staff.
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WRITE-IN?
No
DISTRICT
City of Dexter
PHONE
7346045871
Number of years as resident
25
I have extensive experience as a councilmember, having served from 2002-2015 and again since 2022. I have worked on almost every board and commission as part of Council, including leadership positions. However, individual experience is only part of what is needed on Council and the strength of Council is its diversity of perspectives. Council is a team effort, not an individual activity. I'll continue to discuss positions with other Councilmembers and City residents to inform the policy I will support and then work with other members of Council to implement the best policy possible. I believe my greatest strength is as a team member and my ability to work with other councilmembers to get things done.
My main goal is the long-term benefit of Dexter by making decisions today that serve our community 20 or 50 years down the road. Using available resources, we must stay disciplined about maintaining city assets and continue on our road maintenance program to prevent costly reconstructions later. We now have a city hall and a new fire station, both of which should serve the City for the next 50 years. Lastly, we should prioritize infill development using existing infrastructure to strengthen our downtown, preserve Dexter's character, and keep our financial foundation strong.
I believe the most pressing issue facing the City of Dexter is the overall budget and cost of fire and public safety services. I will continue discussions we have started regarding public safety and fire services with neighboring communities to best protect Dexter citizens. Council needs to work with DDA to cost share for services in downtown areas. I believe and advocate for prioritizing road maintenance to best utilize tax dollars for roads. I believe a much underappreciated aspect I would continue to support is City staff obtaining grants such as those recently used for park improvements. I would also continue to focus on improving long term costs in areas such as facilities and water and wastewater treatment.
Dexter’s greatest assets are our vibrant downtown, our connected trails, and our newly updated municipal facilities. Mill Creek Park, with its new bridge further connecting to the Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail, makes Dexter a regional recreation hub. This provides wonderful outdoor recreation for residents while drawing foot traffic directly into downtown businesses and can be enhanced with a trailhead at Grand and Broad. Additionally, our new City Hall and fire station secure city operations and public safety into the future. By leveraging the trail connections to bolster local commerce and relying on our modern civic foundation, we ensure Dexter continues to thrive.
