WRITE-IN?
No. I am on the ballot.
DISTRICT
City of Saline
PHONE
517-625-4268
WEBSITE
www.facebook.com/burgess4saline/
Campaign Phone
517-625-4268
Number of years as resident
7
Since 2022, I have served on the Parks Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), giving me experience with Council members, city staff, and governmental processes. The ZBA is a quasi-judicial body whose decisions directly affect residents and businesses. My service has required me to carefully consider the facts of each case, apply established standards, listen to different perspectives, and make thoughtful decisions based on the information before us. I believe that deliberative approach translates directly to the work of an effective City Council.
My education includes a B.S. with a concentration in Law Enforcement Administration and an M.S. in Information Systems Management.
One goal is to ensure Council’s decision-making is deliberate and transparent, with key values, assumptions, and reasoning clearly stated so residents understand how decisions are reached. I will model that approach and encourage fellow Council members to do the same.
Another goal is to review how residents and businesses work with the city and look for clearer, more accountable processes for tracking requests and follow-up. Good service should be supported by reliable processes, not depend on individual effort alone.
An immediate priority is filling the City Manager position with a qualified permanent hire. The City Manager oversees city operations and major projects, including the Wastewater Treatment Plant rehabilitation and upcoming Capital Improvement Plan work. Looking ahead, the outcome of a future ballot question on the Saline River Dam, Rec Center improvements supported by federal and private funding, and investment in aging water infrastructure will require careful planning and oversight. I will work to keep these priorities in focus when Council considers competing demands for limited city resources.
Our greatest asset is our people. I have seen firsthand how generous our neighbors are while ringing the bell for the Salvation Army kettle in front of Benny’s Bakery and volunteering at Summerfest and Oktoberfest. We are fortunate to have hardworking, talented people willing to give their time and energy to the community. Look at the volunteers on our boards and at our events. We have servant leaders who make things happen. That spirit of generosity, hard work, inclusion, and humility is part of what makes our community such a desirable place to live and serve.
DISTRICT
City of Saline
Number of years as resident
19
For 12 years, I have worked to be a prepared, engaged, and trusted Councilmember. I ask questions, consider multiple perspectives, and pay close attention to detail, while prioritizing sound judgment, collaboration, communication, compromise, and continued professional development.
I have completed 500+ hours of municipal government education and training, including Level 4, the highest level of the Michigan Municipal League’s Elected Officials Academy, achieved by only 25 elected officials in Michigan. I also serve on community and professional boards.
Connecting with residents and businesses, participating in our community, and considering how decisions affect Saline as a whole are central to me, and essential to effective leadership.
My priorities are to recruit and hire a high-performing, accomplished City Manager with the leadership and experience to strengthen operations, support staff, communicate effectively, and deliver on established goals and expectations.
Completion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant rehabilitation project, which is currently more than six months behind schedule, by establishing clear milestones, timelines, oversight, and accountability.
I will also strive to align spending and resources with the Strategic Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, and adopted budgets. We must focus resources on core services, infrastructure, financial stability, and completing current projects before pursuing significant new initiatives.
Saline’s most serious challenges are inconsistent leadership, accountability, and follow-through. We need leaders who set clear expectations, make difficult decisions, communicate effectively, and ensure staff and elected officials fulfill their responsibilities.
I am also concerned when individual priorities and agendas take precedent over community needs. Essential services, infrastructure, and financial sustainability and accountability must come first.
My focus will continue be on putting competent, accountable leadership in place, establishing measurable priorities, monitoring progress, and addressing shortcomings. Saline needs a culture of responsibility, transparency, that lead to tangible results.
Saline’s greatest asset is its people—dedicated City staff, elected officials, residents, business owners, and volunteers who invest their time, talents, and resources in our community.
We also have a roadmap for the future through guiding documents that establish priorities and a vision for where we want to go. The next step is implementation.
Our community has tremendous knowledge, experience, energy, and commitment. By bringing people together around a common vision, using the plans and resources we have, and focusing on execution, Saline can thrive.
With competent leadership, clear priorities, responsible stewardship, and accountability, we have what we need to succeed. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we need to put it in motion.
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WRITE-IN?
Yes
DISTRICT
City of Saline
WEBSITE
https://miriforsaline.com/
Number of years as resident
11
I've been an active resident of Saline for over 10 years. After almost 2 years on the Parks Commission, I feel the next step to further help my community is to join the city council. I've volunteered at many events with citizen-run organizations in Washtenaw County, all of which has helped me gain further knowledge about our residents and the issues that affect all of us. The importance of not only strength in community but also the value of history and the need to actively tackle issues that arise was reinforced when I attended the University of Michigan-Flint, and I have applied that throughout both my career and beyond.
I believe in greater transparency on every issue that arises in the city of Saline; every public building built, every road altered or renovated, and every new crosswalk and park maintenance. I will continue to be an advocate for transparency and for reasonable expansion to be followed so we expand as a city while being mindful of our current populace, both with safety and making sure our residents have their right to privacy maintained. I will listen to our residents and make sure to stay involved in any issue that arises in our city, as well as be knowledgeable of every potential issue that may affect us outside of our jurisdiction.
There are many issues of great concern to our community. Such as the construction of a hyperscale data center, the Barn, in Saline Township, which has been broadcasted to the world and has become the representation of big business ignoring the voices of the residents while utilizing their land and resources. It's been tied to the city of Saline, though our residents did not have any say whether it occurred or not, despite hyperscale data centers having evidence that they cause effects for up to 10 miles around them. As a city councilperson, I will make sure that all developments are held to strict guidelines. I believe we owe it to our current residents and future generations, to make sure their environment and resources are safe.
Throughout its history, Saline has been a waypoint for both those who wish to live here or those who are passing through. Over 11,000 years ago, mastodons and mammoths traveled through this area. Later, generations of Native Americans used this area where six trails met, as a gathering place for salt and hunting grounds. The city of Saline was named after the French word for salt, because French voyageurs used to canoe on the rivers to get to the salt springs as well. Our history is an important part of the development of Saline. I believe while progress is important, we should always be mindful of the resources and beauty we have in Saline and tend to them kindly as those before us have done, so it can continue bringing people here.
