Metro Primary from page A13 part of that increase is attributed to a pre- vious investment firm. As liaison to the Planning Commission, Brickner helped develop the township's master plan, proposed downtown district and bike paths. "Our great new road sys- tem, especially the roundabouts, is coming to fruition;' he says. A lawyer and financial adviser, he is married, has two children and belongs to the Temple Israel Brotherhood in West Bloomfield. Jason Feld, Republican "The main priority in the treasurer's office is to protect our invest- ments while maintain- ing an even cash flow and adhering to the laws:' says Feld, 38, who Jason Feld has a master's degree in accounting from Oakland County-based Walsh College. He is the corporate controller for the Farbman Group, a Southfield-based real estate firm. He wants to expand electronic banking for all treasurer's office functions. A five-year resident, Feld is married with three children and belongs to the Shul-Chabad Lubavitch, West Bloomfield. Teri Adelberg Weingarden, Democrat Adelberg Weingarden, 38, grew up in West Bloomfield, attending West Bloomfield High School, and now lives with her husband and Teri Adelberg two children a half mile Weingarden from her original home. Her business experience includes executive positions with Unisys, EDS and Andersen Consulting/Accenture, using a master's degree in industrial rela- tions from Wayne State University, Detroit. "The current board is too negative and fragmented and doesn't share ideas:' she said, "and we must change it into a team. The treasurer's office needs improvements in processes and efficiency" A volunteer in many community orga- nizations, Adelberg Weingarden is affili- ated with Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County and Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. She has been endorsed by the Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO. BOARD OF TRUSTEES ($125 per meeting) — four to be elected Larry Brown, Democrat Active on the township Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation A14 July 3 • 2008 JN Commission and public safety issues as a 22- year resident, Brown, 63, wants to bring "profes- sionalism and respect to the board and make the public feel comfortable in bringing their issues Larry Brown and comments to the meetings without fear of being attacked or ignored." A retired CPA, Brown envisions a "3-to- 5-year financial plan to assure we have the money to continue an [enjoyable] quality of life." He favors a downtown develop- ment, updating the master plan, and is concerned about how the roundabouts are affecting Orthodox Jews trying to cross there. In 2000, he helped preserve the eruv around a new housing development at Orchard Lake and Walnut Lake roads. Married with two children, Brown belongs to Temple Israel, West Bloomfield. Gene Farber, Democrat Chairman of the Planning Commission, 1 Farber, 61, is married with three children and has lived in West Bloomfield for 33 years. He's an attorney in Gene Farber Bingham Farms and a member of the State Oil and Gas Advisory Committee. He's chairman of the Temple Kol Ami Building Committee, West Bloomfield. "I want to establish a downtown devel- opment authority ... so we can enhance economic growth by contributing to our own economic health:' he says. "I also want to reverse the 25 percent pay increase the board voted for itself last year. We ought to serve as an example to all employees, whom we ask to share the burden of tough economic times." 1 - Steven Kaplan, Democrat Kaplan, 54, has won 57 out of 60 cases he has prosecuted as assistant Macomb County pros- ecuting attorney for 21 years, but he has lost Steven Kaplan previous election tries, for Oakland County prosecutor (by .5 percent) and Oakland County Circuit judge (by 1 percent). He's an adjunct professor at two state law schools. He's a former West Bloomfield board member for four years, and con- siders himself to be the unofficial town- ship ombudsman and "ambassador" to employees. "I enjoy public service and want to contribute to the community:' said Kaplan. "We should have resurfaced and wid- ened the major roads first before getting involved with roundabouts. Also, we must return to treating all residents courteously and respectfully!' He's married with two children, has lived in West Bloomfield since 1995 and is active locally in B'nai B'rith and the Jewish Parents Institute. John Cyrus Mohyi, Republican The youngest primary candidate, Mohyi, 19, lives with his parents in the township, is a gradu- ate of Bloomfield Hills Andover High School, John Cyrus where he was class presi- Mohyi dent, and is studying political science and pre- law at Wayne State University, Detroit. He doesn't see his age as a barrier to serving on the board. "I'm part of the younger generation that uses high technology and analytical skills," he pointed out. "We must realign property assessments to better reflect market val- ues. With the plummeting housing mar- ket, homes are being assessed for more than they're worth, resulting in signifi- cantly higher taxes. We also must reduce spending to avoid a budget deficit. Our roads are archaic, and the roundabouts and widening projects could have been handled more efficiently." Howard Rosenberg, Democrat The grandson of the founders of the Jewish community's Rosenberg Catering business, Rosenberg, 56, is a West Bloomfield chiroprac- Howard tor, married with two Rosenberg daughters and a 24-year resident. He's a Parks and Recreation Commission member and advocates a "green" community, with more gardens, more livable space, stable prop- erty values and better road traffic flow to help reduce carbon emissions. "The county road commission is doing a poor job on our roads; they're unrespon- sive and there are too many potholes;' said Rosenberg. "We need sound financial leadership, and I hope to be a respectful voice." Robert Spector, incum- bent Democrat "I foresee the next four years in West Bloomfield as being just as good as the past four years of my first term:' declared Spector, 64, a Robert retired businessman, Spector who has lived in the township for 40 years. He's married with two children and six grandchildren, and his wife, Karen, is an Oakland County commissioner. He also feels the loss of experienced, incumbent board members will be a det- riment to the township, but he hopes the "inexperienced newcomers" will bring new expertise to the board. "We're moving in a positive direction, with balanced budgets and no reductions in services:' he adds. "The roundabouts are successful with a 95 percent less incidence of serious accidents at the two intersections, just fender-benders." Scott J. Winnick, Democrat Winnick, 44, is mar- ried, a 10-year resident, an attorney and a patient advocate (facili- tating health care for families). Scott J. He takes the opposite Winnick view on the roads, say- ing the township "road plan is unacceptable, they're not being maintained properly, Maple Road should be widened first, and the roundabouts are causing too many accidents." Winnick supports proposed enact- ment of a state smoking ban, as well as downtown development, bike paths and "appropriate decorum" at board meet- ings. He belongs to Adat Shalom Synagogue, Farmington Hills. ❑ Ballot Proposals Residents are being asked to (1) renew a tax levy of one quarter of one mil for 10 years to cover maintenance of parks and other recreation places; and to (2) to levy a new tax of 0.1 mils (10 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation) to support the Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak.