Debbie Macon, incum- bent Republican Seeking her third term, Macon feels her experience and recogni- tion as a longtime trustee have won the confidence of township residents, and she has a "strong com- mitment to long-term planning." She said, "We can't cut the budget across departments unless we have a strategy; we need a sense of what services may have to be cut; this requires the shared goals and priori- ties of all seven board members — and we need feedback from resi- dents." Macon favors senior citizen dis- counts on cable TV use, trash pickup and other services. She wants a firm master plan for business develop- ment, road and traffic improvement and water and sewer rates. "If re- elected, I plan to raise all of these issues again before the new board and hope they'll get along better," she stated, "and come up with answers to the important questions facing us." Debbie Macon profile Macon, 57, has lived in West Bloomfield for 20 years. She and her husband, Kenneth, have been mar- ried 33 years and have one son. Born in St. Louis, Mo., she has an education degree from Harris Teachers College there and an MBA from Rutgers University, moving to Michigan when she got married. She's employed by Trustee Leader- ship Development of Indiana, spe- cializing in training and facilitating, and she's on the Wayne State adjunct teaching staff in interdisciplinary studies. The family belongs to Renaissance Unity Church in Warren. Roberta Boyle, Republican A two-term member of the town- ship's Parks and Recreation Commission, Boyle is an environ- mental consultant to homes and businesses, and has earned national recognition for her work in preserv- ing wetlands. She believes she has "a great deal of experience" in public sector budget- ing "and I know the wants and needs of West Bloomfield residents; my background will provide a different perspective on the board." She deplores the "declining morale" among township employees and "bickering" on the board. Agreeing that the budget is the top township issue, Boyle says, "Our services are taxed out," and she wants to try to cut costs while improving services. She's not a fan of the traffic intersection roundabout idea because, she says, they cause more minor accidents and would hamper emergency vehicles; she would rather have "bland-looking" median strips. Roberta Boyle profile Born in Bad Axe, Boyle, 48, and her husband, Brian, an attorney in Detroit, have been married 26 years and have two daughters. They are 20-year township residents. She has an environmental education degree from Michigan State University, and is proud of her endorsement by the Sierra Club, a nationwide environ- mental organization. The family belongs to Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church. Gerald Chudler, Democrat Chudler theorizes that if four Deinocrats get elected to the board, they'll probably "think alike, be on the same page and it will defi- nitely help improve things." He adds: "There's a big ego prob- lem now on the board, and that's hindering the best interests of the township; I want to see West Bloomfield succeed." He wants to clean up the entrance to West Bloomfield from the south on Orchard Lake Road with a sign posted there. Chudler says repairs are required on potholes, curbs and twisted strip- mall parking signs, "and we need $30 million alone for sewer system repairs." As chairman of the township's Woodlands Review Board, he says he also would be an asset as a trustee regarding environmental matters. Gerald Chudler profile Chudler, 63, who is Jewish, has lived in West Bloomfield for 26 years, and he and his wife, Brenda, have three children and four grand- children. He graduated from Detroit's Mumford High School and attended Detroit Institute of Technology. He's been an executive of a Detroit indus- trial laundry company for 36 years. He's a board member of the Orchard Crest Home Owners Association. He's not affiliated with a synagogue. Chudler is township clerk candidate Maxine Brickner's brother-in-law. Larry Horn, Democrat A member of the West Bloomfield Board of Review, Horn wants to bal- ance the budget, but try to avoid cuts in services along the way. "Having township employees pay more on their health care is an option," he said. "We just have to manage our money better. The Tri- Cities Merger communities must pay their fair share." He wants to inspect all facets of the township's "aging infrastructure, especially the sewer system, which we must repair." He also wants to improve the "inconsis- tency of garbage removal and road kill removal." Horn, a real estate broker for 17 years, says that background gives him a better understanding of the makeup of property values, "and I will do what I can to maintain them at a high level." He adds: "In general, we have to keep our 26 lakes clean and desir- able, stopping the spread of fertilizer around the lakes. That's the beauty of West Bloomfield." Larry Horn profile Horn, 43, who is Jewish, was born in Chicago, and has lived in West Bloomfield for 17 years. He graduated from Michigan State University with a business degree and has been a real estate broker for 17 years. He and his wife, Julie, have been married 19 years and have two children. Horn is president of the Bloomfield Woods Home Owners Association. He participated in the West Bloomfield Relay for Life, helping his company, Keller Williams Realty West Bloomfield Market Center, raise $10,000 for the American Cancer Society. He's a soccer coach, and the family belongs to Temple Shir Shalom. Todd K. Kokko, Republican Kokko boasts he's the only candidate to attend every Board of Trustees meeting except one in the past three years. The reason: "To be an active citi- zen and learn all of the issues." He even attended some before he moved to West Bloomfield, and also attend- ed these types of meetings regularly when he lived in other cities. He claims members of the various town- ship boards and commissions are "too biased" on issues and "browbeat and cross-examine" residents. "The ordinances and codes are written in `legalese' and must reflect real English," he says. "I also suggest the township appoint an 'ethics officer' to help decide issues before the board." Kokko opposes traffic roundabouts because they cause too many "below- insurance-deductible fender benders" and is against the widening of Orchard Lake Road because it would bring too much traffic into the area. He wants to cut budget costs by avoiding employee overtime, having them use less-expensive paper, and transcribing meeting minutes through digital recordings. He says the township needs better demo- graphic representation on the board — "I would be the only trustee from the north end." Todd K Kokko profile A father of a teenage son, Kokko, 44, has lived in West Bloomfield for almost four years. He formerly lived in Southfield and Redford Township, graduated from Southfield-Lathrup High School and got an engineering degree from Lawrence Institute of Technology. He owns KTK Engineering in West Bloomfield, providing engi- neering prototypes to the automotive industry. He is Lutheran, but is not affiliated with a church. Diane Reis - Harnisch, Republican The executive director of the Oakland County Republican Party, Reis-Harnisch also has been active in politics in Farmington Hills, Franklin and Royal Oak and as a precinct and state party delegate. She now wants to bring her "polit- ical expertise to the West Bloomfield side of 14 Mile Road." But she does- n't envision an elected trustee posi- tion as a partisan job because "subur- ban community life should be non- partisan." She wants to "keep community interest alive and give people their say in local matters." Reis-Harnisch feels the current board is "divisive," TOWNSHIP on page 34 %TN 10/15 2004 33