The Jewish News asked the Southfield City Council candidates to answer two questions. Kevin Threatt and Marilyn
Williams did not respond to the questions. Following are the questions and responses from the eight other candidates:
Q1 Southfield is a culturally diverse city. During your term on council, what would you do in regards to multicultural relations?
Q2
Some say that Southfield has a history of slightly contentious relations between the city council and the school district.
During your term as council member, what would you do in regards to that relationship?
Southfield's City Council has become more cultur-
Q1 ally diverse, and therefore, more representative of
the population of the city. I believe each council member
should take a more active role in multicultural relations
by encouraging their friends and acquaintances to partici-
pate in the many programs sponsored - by the city of
Southfield. The city should target more resources at acti-
vating and encouraging neighborhood associations. There
are too many inactive associations. Currently, each neigh-
borhood association is pretty much left on its own with volunteers who get
"burned out" or move out of the city. It takes constant involvement of city
staff (and volunteers) to keep neighborhood associations thriving in a cultur-
ally diverse Southfield.
I have been involved with the Southfield-Lathrup Village Multicultural
Coalition, the Martin Luther King Task Force Celebration and STAAY
(Support Team for African American Youth). I will continue to support
organizations such as these in Southfield.
three years ago, the city council and the school district
Q2 Approximately
made a very positive step forward in their relationship when they
jointly hired Bill Russell to coordinate after-school activities and other pro-
grams at the municipal complex and various schools. I believe this new
department should be better funded and expanded. Another positive step
would be for the city to assist with the expansion of Southfield Public
Schools' business partnership initiative..
As a city councilman, I will work to better utilize the combined resources of
the city and school district (that's approximately $225,000,000 - per year). I am
committed to improving communications and working relationships between
the city government, the school district, the businesses and the citizens.
I would do as I have done, promote multicultural programs at the Centre
for the Arts, draft resolutions and I have implemented the "Resolution of
Cooperation -- Southfield Toward a Spirit of Togetherness." Promote forums
and create task forces to encourage volunteerism among our ethnic groups.
Promote dialogu_e within the neighborhood associations.
Organize National Crime Prevention Annual Initiatives for all groups as
was done October 1998. This was a huge success; 15,000 people participated.
Press releases to build for the future, to break down barriers among
ethnic groups.
Q2 Relations between the city council and the school district are cordial at
best. As a 16-year council member, I have tried to solve our school
problems. We have met, talked and talked, but we must remember that the
school district is a government separate from the city government. They have a
school board that makes decisions, policy, and rules that the entire city must
live with We, the city council, do not have any input in school decisions.
I will redouble my efforts towards the goal of cooperation with the school
district. I was the person who brought together, for the first time ever, in a
joint venture between the school district and the city, to create and establish
the Youth Services Division of the city. I hope this can be the beginning of
future relations with the school board.
I would reach out to meet as many people as I could,
Q1 being present at important milestones for organi7A-
tions, religious institutions, etc. I would attend business
grand openings, dinners, conferences whenever possible.
Above all, I will show respect and listen to all residents
and business people of the city of Southfield. I. have
worked hard as a zoning board member to Nvork with
people of all backgrounds to try to understand their per-
spective and point of view. I will continue this as a council member.
Q2 Regarding school board-city council relations, I bring no baggage or
history of contention to the table. The council and the school board
should be willing to speak with me openly.
I would listen to all parties and make a judgment on how I would
improve the education of the students. It's no accident that in Hebrew the
words for "children" and "builders" are very similar. The children of today
are the builders of tomorrow's society. As a real estate broker, I have success-
fully brought people together 300 times. I ‘vould use this same focus and
concern for our community's youth to deal with this sttbiect.
..„
Southfield is truly a culturally diverse city with ci
Q1 zens that offer a -variety of national origins_ The value
of this intdticultural experience is immeasurable and should
send a strong and positive message about our communit y ,..
In order to maintain and to grow our unique cultural
diversity, we must continue to communicate bet i
cultures; highlight our successes and continile'ft;
our limitations.
For example, our Total Living Commi§si
with quality of life issues, sets a clear exampl
from each other and the interaction is powe
of this experience would be to have an internatio
would be highlighted at the same wo uld: a
strategy would continue to encompass a .60:
Southfidd as'one of the top multicultural
eaginliTTP
A .
As one of your city councilmen,
stronger relationship between the..
be to reconimend a subconunittee betw'
exchange of dialogue and strategy session s,
learn from each other. I would propose m.ore.
grams focused around community, involvement.
collaborative effort to establish community action team.
.
to strongly encourage cornniunity participation that'll:0
the schools and the community: These teams could work in c
with neiahborhood associations and other organizations thro
The key is that we as elected officials must continue to send a strong message
that city government and the school district really believe we can work
together to improve the communications channel within our community.
9/3
1999
Detroit Jewish News
15