Question 1 for Saline City Candidates: Why Are You Running?

Although there are five names on the ballot, there are only four candidates in a contest for three available seats on Saline City Council in the Nov. 8 election.

Linda TerHaar, James Peters, John Heller and Jim Roth are seeking election to counicl. TerHaar and Peters were appointed to city council to fill vacancies left by resignations. Typically, a member of city council attends meetings twice a month. Most members also serve on other city subcommittees. They are paid $2,175 annually.

The only elected incumbent on the ballot was Glenn Law. But he recently resigned from city council to take a teaching job in Northern Michigan.

Why Are You Running for City Council?

Citizens have a responsibility to contribute in their communities. As a resident for nearly 16 years, I appreciate Saline’s great qualities and am invested in seeing our community continue to be an excellent place to live and work. My training and experience have given me management, planning, and collaboration skills useful for the work of city council. In our present challenging times, I believe it is especially important for differing points of view to be respectfully heard and thoughtfully considered during the decision-making process.

I care about Saline and I enjoy community work. I hope my conservative common sense approach to issues will be beneficial.

I am running because I have always had an interest in being involved in our community and I will use my managerial experience to help the city make the tough choices that need to be made.

I grew up on a small farm in Ohio and learned from birth how to budget and make do with what you had to avoid debts. I completely financed my college education without any assistance. In my teaching career, I devised ways to extend the limited budgets to allow my students to have the needed materials for their projects. On council I will continue my conservative budgetary practice. 

I do not make political promises and will do my best to serve and listen to the citizens of Saline. I plan to give my all for the cause and to our community as I have done since I moved to Saline in 1967.

It is my hope that I can help Saline to remain “One of America’s Best Places to Live, Work, and Play” with the resources that are available.

I entered the race because I did not want to see the Saline Police dispatch center closed, which the current council was considering.  Beyond that, I believe that being born and raised in Saline, my experience working for the city for about the past 30 years, and covering local government, including city council, for the Saline Reporter while I was in college, uniquely qualify me to serve on council.

(Tuesday, we ask the candidates to identify what they believe are the top three issues facing the city.)