Milan Candidates Offer Diversity

Candidates for a seat on the Milan City Council are competing Aug. 6 in a fiveway non-partisan race. Voters will be faced with a wide range of choices, as the candidates' interests and qualifications are very diverse. Running for the seat are James M. Burger; Harold M. (Bud) Elvey Jr.; Ronald Weber; Marilyn Wisner; and Arlee A. Dansfield. The opening on the Council is a result of former mayor Meivin H. Kloepper's partial retirement to Piano, Texas. Douglas Edwards moved up from his position as mayor pro tem to mayor April 1. After the council elected Gerald Weaver as mayor pro tem, the group was unable to agree on someone to fill the seventh council position. In April the council opted not to appoint someone for the seat, and decided to put the matter up for a vote during the primary Aug. 6. Burger, a former high school teacher in Saline, graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1970 with a BS degree in industrial education. He is currently an investigator in the area of consumer complaints for the Consumer Action Center, a división of the Washtenaw County prosecutor's office. Burger lives at 214 W. Main with his wife, Nancy, and at age 27 is the youngest candidate for Council. Burger sees a need for better traffic flow in the downtown área. "There's a lot of industrial traffic flowing right through Main Street, and you can see the deterioration to the streets. There should be a route designated for that traffic to the expre.ssway, and that has not been done. "I can't see where the companies involved have helped solve the problem. I think the burden is on the council right now, but there's more the companies ( such as Fruehauf ) can do to assist. " Milan shouldn't allow low-cost housing complexes with fast deterioration, Burger believes. Milan can be progressive without losing the quality of living in this area, he says. 'Tm very concerned that Milan does not expand just for the sake of ing. We're a residential community, and the quality of housing here is very good. But I feel there is (already) some substandárd housing in Milan at this time." Besides that, Burger is cautious about expanding the size of the city without taking into account the water supply and sewage treatment facilities. Burger worked for the sewage treatment plant in Milan for about three months while he was in school, "and I knew the sewage system was limited," he says. "With the water supply, we should know exactly what our resources are before we plan any expansión. And very few people know what our resources are!" The central business district needs to be revitalized, Burger notes. "There should be some type of positive attitude of merchants approaching the council to improve the Main Street business area. Business could improve services - we could promote more variety of business. "There has been some mention of a mail in there (on Tolan). That's a bit futuristic, but there's a lot that could be done to improve the area. I'm concerned that we could end up with an abandoned bunch of store fronts." Another step to improve the downtown area would be to change the traffic signal at Main and Wabash. "It's ridiculous," he comments. "That light stops in four directions (for a pedestrian walk light) at all hours of the day . " To improve traffic flow, Burger would consider taking out the parking meters. "To me, parking meters are a negative aspect of this town," he says. "I'd like to discuss it with merchants to see what theythink." Burger also voices strong dissatisfaction with Meierson Appraisal, Inc., of DeWitt (formerly of South Lyon). The firm was hired as a tax assessor twice, starting in 1970. They are currently under consideration by the council for a third year. "I think the city of Milan made a mistake," Burger asserts. "They had trouble with their tax situation, and had Meierson appraise the property. "Over a hundred people showed up at each meeting of the tax board of revípws " he added. Bureer has attended MILÁN CANDIDATOS . ♦ - each yearly meeting of the board for the last four years. . According to City Administrator Bernard Olson, the city has been "unhappy ; with certain aspects" of Meierson's appraisals, but "Meierson isn't all that bad. Overall he's good, but he has some drawbacks. But everyone has some drawbacks. The overall is darnéd good." If Meierson is asked to work for the city again, Burger insists, they will be "three-time losers." "I think Milan should have a certified tax assessor people could go to with their problems on taxes. I would actively favor a certified tax assessor instead of an outside appraisal firm (such as Meierson). "Also, I would have open Board of Review meetings," Burger adds. "I don't think the meetings are open enough, each person goes into the room and they shut the door. I don't think that's an open meeting." Elvey ran for City Council in 1971 as one of five candidates for three seats. "l'm running (again) now because there is an opening - and they need somebody," he says. Elvey, 43, works in the marketing office at Ford in Livonia. He resides at 712 Church with his wife Jean and two daughters. A native of Toledo, Ohio, he received his degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, and moved to Milan 11 years ago. "The bigger the town, the bigger the problems." That's Elvey's opinión of Milan politics. "l'm against any growth over and above that which is required to fill the needs of Milán," he states. "Growth means new streets, sewers, and water, additional city employés, more pólice protection and larger schools. All these things require additional tax dollars. "To grow larger just for the sake of growth would be no benefit to the existing taxpayers of Milan. If people want a big town and expansión, then they don't want me (on the councïl) - and I wouldn't want to be there!" he notes. Elvey joined the Milan Planning Commission in September, 1972. He has also been on the Joint House Committee a little under a year, which governs the community house and functions there. He serves as trustee of the Milan Community Council, which administêrs Milan's portion of the United Fund. "High taxes are feit by all," Elvey comments about his candidacy. "But the senior citizen living on a fixed income is hurt the most." He favors a low-cost housing complex for senior citizens, especially if it could be financed privately. However, he would discourage developers from suddenly building large apartment complexes, or companies that are looking for quick money, he says. "We've got good companies here now with good intentions," he observes. "Zoning is the only control on it. I think we've kept a lid those companies (looking for a fast dollar) so far." For example, Elvey says, if a developer puts up a big apartment complex, "we have to pay for the sewage, the I street, and all that. I dont feel I want to pay part of a road going to a housiíig project - one that is not needed by the city. "When I was first on the Planning Commission, we had some developers here that were about to encircle Milán with apartments, condominiums, and townhousés," Elvey continúes. "That's where we started shutting them off. We'd been approving them right along (until then). They had projects in approval that would have doubled the size of Milán." Elvey worries afcout Milán losing that "small town atmosphere." "My experience in the Planning Commission has taught me why things can be done or can't be done," he notes. "There are so many controls on that." Ron Weber moved to Milán from Whitmore Lake eight or nine years ago, and describes himself as a "newcomer." "But I think I could add something to the council - I have a lot of drive, wun i all the activities I'm involved with!" "I could provide leadership, new blood, maybe," he adds. Weber, 33, lives at 349 E. Braman with his four children and his wife, Clare. He works fnr National Bank an Trust Co. in Ann Arbor as assistant vice president in charge of the collections department. The mayor appointed Weber to the Board of Appeals three years ago, where he served for two years. He was a constable for about two years in 1966 and 67, then filled in as a justice of the peace for four months. He was city assessor for three years starting in 1968. "One thing I want to work on is the tax problem" the city's had," Weber says. "The problem is to keep the assessments in line with what the state and the county expect. When I was assessor, I handled it the way the county and the state expected. "The council hasn't done a thing about getting a new assessor," Weber comments. "They've talked a lot about it, but nobody's stood up and put somebody on." When Weber was city assessor, he says, senior citizens sometimes had trouble filling out the proper tax forms to get the right exemptions. "That was a big problem when I was an assessor. I went around and helped them with tax forms for exemptions. That's been taken care of now by state law," he added. The city should be better staffed, Weber asserts. "I think that's one of the problems - the city's help." He gave as an example a situtation where his water needed to be checked, and "it took a while to get someone out here. The city should be better staffed." Weber plans to knock on a few doors before the election, he says, "or maybe get a few pamphlets or posters printed up. It depends on how the funds hold up," he says. 'Tve had several years experience working with people and their problems," he adds. Marilyn Wisner says she has no experience in public office before, but "I would listen very carefully and do the best job I can. I've been thinking about it a long time." Wisner, 36, of 188 Redman Road, is a gradúate of Cleary Business College and serves as secretary-treasurer of Arigato, Inc. Arigato runs the franchise for Technical Advisory Service for attorneys in Ann Arbor, where Wisner also works as an office manager. "I serve on a mini-committee for Youth for Understanding," Wisner explains. "We have an exchange student from Sweden (staying at our house). Next year we expect one from England." Wisner's husband, Daniel, is an electronics engineer at Burroughs Corporation in Plymouth. The mini-committee is set up to find families for exchange students in Milan and also to council students. "Last year this area had two students from Youth for Understanding in Milan," she says. Because of her professional background, says Wisner, "I pretty much know how money is handled from working in this particular area. 'Tve had some background in banking. I worked as a bookkeeper and a proof operator." Wisner had that job when she lived in Arizona from 1959-65. She lived in Dundee before that. She also feels that it's important to help senior citizens. "I have a sincere and deep feeling for senior citizens," she says. Arlee Dansfield has been offered otner positions in the state from time to time, but he says "This is my home. My children consider this their home. I'm not a politician, I'm a pólice officer." A former Milan pólice chief, Dansfield left that post after five years to become (CONTAD. ON NÜXT PaGE) MILÁN CANDIDaTES . . . pólice chief of Burton Townsnip near Flint in 1969. After about nine months, he returned to Milán and is now sergeant in charge of the Ypsilanti Township substation for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department. Dansfield, 38, resides with his wife, Cherie, and their two children at 195 S. Platt Road. He is presently a student at Washtenaw Community College in the law enforcement program. He will receive an associate degree in law enforcement next spring. _ 'Txfe'been going to school off and on for the last 15 years," he comments. Dansfield decided to run for City Council after attending those meetings while chief of pólice here. "I'm interested personally ín the community," he comments. "It is my home now. I had to as pólice chief attend all the city meetings." "I would like to see the city progress steadily," he notes. "Milán for years was not very progressive - - people didn't progress beyond the boundaries. It's only been in the last five years they've brought in outside industry. "You can't rely on just the taxpayers in the community for taxes. or to provide the services people want. The community can't progress without bringing new ideas in," he says. Dansfield stresses the importance of industry as a tax base in Milán. Before Sheriff Frederick Postill took office, Dansfield says he was not permitted by former Sheriff Douglas Harvey to run for Council. "I got along fine with (Harvey) but he just said no," Dansfield explains. Now he has permission from the County Prosecutor's Office to run. "Sheriff Postill says I can run because it's nonpartisan, and there are no rules or statutes that say I can't run," Dansfield notes. "I have no animosity to the present council," Dansfield says. "I might be able to provide some assistance somewhere. I like all the members of council - some I've worked for as pólice chief," others are associates I've met. "Sometimes I've questioned their judgment, but I'm sure they have reasons. By running for council and getting involved, maybe by my experience I can ' help someway." Dansfield says he doesn't know what his chances of winning are, but points out that he knows quite a few people from his five years as pólice chief. "They know what I'm like and they know I built a reputation there the five years I was pólice chief. If they think I can do the job, fine," he says. "If they don't, whoever they choose I know will do a good job for them."