politics

Independent Run

David Flaisher tries again for West Bloomfield Township supervisor.

Harry Kirsbaum
Contributing Writer

R

unning as an independent for
West Bloomfield Township super-
visor, David Flaisher is cautiously
optimistic. He's been there, done that, but
he's been doing this long enough not to
take anything for granted.
"I didn't intend to run again after los-
ing the election in 2008. About a year or
two later, after seeing
the handling of the
township's budget and
finances, the frivolous
lawsuits filed by trustees
against each other, the
inability to work togeth-
er, the squandering of
2
the large surplus left by
David Flaisher
the previous board, the
embarrassing stories on
the local and national news coming from
the township administration, I began to
consider running again," he said.
In June, the Michigan Court of Appeals
affirmed a circuit court decision on a
lawsuit that divided the West Bloomfield

Township Board of Trustees. According
to the West Bloomfield Patch, "Township
Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste and
Trustee Steven Kaplan had appealed the
dismissal of a lawsuit they filed, which
sought ruling on four issues, most of
them involving the power of the township
board majority against the power of the
supervisor." According to Patch, Township
attorney Gary Dovre said the township
had paid $40,000 in legal fees to defend
the suit.
Flaisher, 61, served as supervisor from
2000-2008 before he was defeated by
Economou-Ureste in the 2008 primary,
but he said people have been urging him
to run for quite a while. "Some people
even said they helped defeat me in 2008,
but regretted it and hoped I would run
again," he said.
Flaisher decided to run as an inde-
pendent "to concentrate on the issues
of the township and avoid the partisan
politics and mudslinging," he said. "City
elections are nonpartisan, but townships
have partisan elections. I think there is no
Democratic or Republican way to pick up
trash, plow snow or provide public safety.

This is why I am running as an indepen-
dent and hope the voters will consider
this when they vote."
According to Flaisher's campaign litera-
ture, he plans to present a viable plan to
the Township Board to balance the bud-
get without another major tax increase;
re-establish a better relationship with the
Oakland County Road Commission to
bring needed road improvements back to
West Bloomfield, negotiate fair, afford-
able contracts with the Township unions,
and work with all sides of the Township
Board to improve services and reduce the
rancor.
During his watch, Flaisher's literature
said he facilitated more than $500 million
in new business development including
Henry Ford Hospital, Plum Market and
Beaumont Outpatient Center, initiated
water system improvements for more
reliable service and lower rates, and had
a strong property ordinance enforcement
program that preserved property values
and averted blight opportunities.
Flaisher is a non-practicing registered
CPA and a member of Adat Shalom
Synagogue in Farmington Hills.

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October 4 4, 2012

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