Education
some college
Occupation/current position
office manager/ Mother/ Grandmother
Hello I'm Teresa Foster I live on Woodland, I have been living here for 20 years, I'm on the NEDC, I don't have a campaign website but I do have a facebook page "teresafosterofficial" you can look me up there . I will be putting out little videos telling you about me and what I would like to achieve
I believe one of the more important issues is the lack of trust and transparency that the residents have in the administration’s fiscal policies. Paired with the loss of state and federal funding, the city faces uncertainty regarding future revenue sources. Our current administration has not shown preparedness, as to how this will impact our budget moving forward.
From my research, there are simple ways to help cope with a loss of funding. We can pursue shared services with our surrounding communities, actively attempt to attract investment, and look into alternate revenue sources
The city’s finances are a bit “bleak”. Thanks in part to reduced federal and state aid (funding), declining commercial revenues, burdening pension and healthcare legacy costs, to say the least.
I believe we need to minimally implement simple cost-cutting strategies. That examines our personnel requirements, continues our direction in digitizing services, like online bill payments, etc.
We also need a viable communication plan that promotes transparency in building public support and engagement during this process.
Education
High school
Occupation/current position
Retired from Honigman LLP
My name is Sheila Hakim. I purchased a home in Harper Woods over 20 years ago, where I resided with my husband (of 32 years) until his death last year. I have over 30 years' experience in various legal fields. In 2020, I retired from Honigman LLP after working for the head of the antitrust department for 22 years. During retirement, I have focused on family, friends and community. I have made a point to do volunteer work, such as regular deliveries for Meals on Wheels.
The city's finances are the most important issue. A majority of the revenue is derived from property taxes. The logic is that as property values increase, the revenue from taxes will increase. However, Harper Woods' high millage rates make property less attractive to buyers, so it reduces demand, as well as the amount that buyers are willing to spend. This has an overall negative effect on existing real estate prices. It will be a long time before benefits from the new developments are realized by the community. In the meantime, there needs to be some relief for taxes on uncapped properties. It is worth consulting with experts and other professionals to find out what alternatives are available.
I would be inclined to agree with the auditors from Yeo & Yeo, that we are in a financially healthy position. Nevertheless, we should keep in mind that the city is still using special assessments to meet its obligations so it should be very conservative in its expenditures. Even our auditors cautioned that any major unfunded projects would require more money in reserve to remain this way.
It is difficult to answer the question about the budget. There is no dispute that our budget is tight. The city has limited revenue. A significant portion is allocated to the Milk River Drain, fire and police. If NorthPoint's retention pond significantly reduces our Milk River Drain cost, the city might explore using vacant land to do something similar.
Campaign phone
313-300-1365
Education
B.A. plus grad hours
Occupation/current position
Retired high school teacher
As the longest serving member of the Harper Woods Council, I have ample experience and a proven record of working hard for our community. My husband and I have lived in Harper Woods for over 35 years and have raised our three children here. We love the family friendly atmosphere of Harper Woods and our excellent city services
Due to the effort of the Council and all our hard-working employees, the city's financial future is much brighter. Improving our financial standing makes it possible to focus on reducing our taxes where possible, and focusing resources on curbing ordinance violations and improving safety issues. I want our city to focus on these quality of life issues. In addition, our city infrastructure needs to be seriously improved. Our city offices, the Police and Fire stations, our courthouse and city hall are in need of repairs that need to be taken care of in the near future. How we approach those repairs will be important. I also believe our resources need to be carefully directed to programs that appeal to the needs of all our residents.
Over the past several years, the Council and City administration has focused on strengthening our finances. Due to these efforts, our budget is now showing a healthy reserve. I believe it is important to move carefully into this more prosperous future. Money needs to be allocated to meet our needs and provide for not only improvements but also growth
Campaign phone
313-647-0043
Education
B.S. Math/English M.S. Economics EOA/Mi. Municipal League awarded (Education. Leadership, Governance)
Occupation/current position
Retired/City Council
I was initially appointed to city council for a year and then elected by the community for a 4-year term. It is an honor to help lead in such a dynamic and resilient community as Harper Woods. My goal is to continue supporting the city's high standards while fostering meaningful, respectful dialogue between residents and city leadership. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive Harper Woods—one that welcomes new talent, celebrates diversity, and remains a great place to live and work
Continue to support and maintain Pointe Area Assisted Transportation (PAAT) as a vital lifeline for residents 60+ and/or disabled to ensure access to medical appointments, errands, and social activities by becoming the Harper Woods resident on their board.
Continue investigating methods of slowing down the speeding drivers which is a challenge in most communities.
Continue to work with our Economic Development agency to attract new businesses to our community and strengthen the relationship with our present businesses and the multiple school districts.
Our budget is better than it has been in years with our fund balance increasing from $73,000.00 to 4.4 million since 2016 in the general fund and no deficits in the alternate funds. I will continue to look for grants to pay for city improvements instead of the general fund.
