Survey Responses to the Livonia Citizens for Progress Political Action Committee

A few weeks ago, the Livonia Citizens for Progress Political Action Committee asked each candidate for Livonia City Council a series of questions via an email survey. They have posted these responses as consolidated Facebook Reels (link above). I am sharing my responses here with one caveat: Since the publication of this article, I have been asked a few times to clarify my position on the libraries in which I stated "My research shows that Livonia libraries are underutilized, with far less engagement than neighboring cities."

I am still working on a seperate blog post to show my research on our libraries. But, here's my current state:

I’ve been digging into data from annual reports of libraries across metro Detroit. Livonia’s Bennett Library does well compared to Canton and Dearborn with community engagement. That said, our satellite branches like Sandburg and Noble have historically seen lower foot traffic. To truly build them up, and to reopen Noble, we’d need to invest in the kind of programs, staffing, and spaces that reflect what our community actually wants.

Our library staff has already done a lot of great work gathering community feedback. My view is that we need more funds, staff and programs to turn those insights into reality.

All of this being said, here is a copy of my responses to the LCP-PAC survey

Q1 How do you feel about the transportation options currently available in our city? Can all of our residents affordably get where they need to go? If not, what will you do to improve transportation in our city?

Livonia, like most cities in metro Detroit, still leans heavily on personal vehicles to get around. For those who need extra support, our Liv&Go service offers shared, on-demand rides—similar in function and fare to SMART Flex. Good that there are vans that are available on-demand for a moderate cost. Bad that there are complaints about these buses not running on time.Back in 2005, Liv&Go was seen as a good investment for Livonia when we opted out of the SMART system, even though it alienated Madonna University students who relied on SMART to get to school (https://www.secondwavemedia.com/metromode/features/metrodetroittransit040215.aspx). But with the passing of HB 6088, that could change. Liv&Go’s roughly 15,000 rides a year may migrate to SMART as the city may have to buy into the system in 2027. There are trade-offs here. On one hand, a unified system could help folks travel farther—say, from Northville to Southfield—without needing a car. On the other hand, it adds more pressure on the regional SMART network.

On a separate note, while we talk about transportation, we can’t ignore micromobility; bikes, e-bikes, scooters, etc. Livonia’s making steady progress, but we need to stay committed to the vision from the 2015 Bike/Walk Livonia plan. We need continued investments to see a good safe way for people to move from private vehicles to pedestrian travel.

Q2 Do you think our south side/the Plymouth Corridor is healthy and successful? If not, what would you do to change that? No, the Plymouth Road corridor is not healthy and successful. We moved to Plymouth and Middlebelt in 2002 and while there are ongoing improvements, this one of several areas in the city that is neglected. Specifically, east of Middlebelt. The blight is still bad after all these years.

I would like to work with the Plymouth Road Development Authority, Brownfield Development, and Economic Development to take the portion of Vision 21 that is intended for this stretch of road and see what agreements we can make with current and prospective business owners to make the redevelopment of this area actually happen.

Q3  How do you plan to involve residents in the decision making process in our city? For me, transparency is a key commitment a City Council member needs to uphold. Several council members hold Coffee Hours and such to share their views and take some questions. I want to host both in-person and on-line round tables where we have topics but I am mostly there to ask questions from our residents. I am not running for my views, I am running to support the views of our residents. I need to hear from them frequently.

Q4 There is concern amongst some in our community about Livonia's current use of a "spoils system", also known as "patronage" where government jobs/appointments are awarded to political supporters, friends, or relatives as a reward for their loyalty or to give them a perceived advantage in an upcoming election campaign.  This system contrasts with a "merit-based system" where jobs/appointments are given based on qualifications/skills and bypasses standard hiring/inclusive appointment practices.  What are your thoughts on this?  How would you mitigate this concern or change the situation? Nepotism is, sadly, something that happens in the workplace, in volunteer groups, and even in youth activities. Very unfortunate. Very hard to control. Here are steps we must implement to address this:

First, every board appointment or city role should be accompanied by a clear, public posting outlining the role’s qualifications and how applicants will be evaluated.

Second, it needs to be very clear to all of our residents about what positions are open and how to apply.

Last, each appointment made should include a statement on why that person was the most qualified to gain the position.

To get these steps in place, we need Council and the Mayor’s Office to agree in writing to take these steps.

Q5 Some in our community are concerned about a lack of affordable housing. What do you think? And how would you mitigate that concern or change the situation? Livonia does have higher home cost than Wayne, Westland, Redford, and Garden City but is still much more affordable than housing north or west of the city. Actually, a study in 2022 showed Livonia as one of the most affordable cities in Southeast Michigan (see chart at bottom of this article: https://greatlakesecho.org/2022/01/18/some-michigan-small-citis-are-more-affordable-than-others).

So the good news is that we are not doing too poorly in this area.While Northville has a higher percentage of residents on fixed and limited incomes, Livonia actually provides more housing opportunities (by number, not percentage) for low-income families, elderly, and individuals who need assistance. In my campaign, I have strongly advocated for providing more affordable “missing middle housing” in Livonia. That is having affordable townhomes that fit into existing neighborhoods. Most of the new townhouses or detached-condos (W. Chicago and Harrison) are expensive. We need to build more modest homes that people can actually afford. All of this being said, I would like to work with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority to see how we can offer methods to help people purchase a home and have realistic ways to ensure upkeep.

Q6 If elected, what three steps would you take to put our city on a firmer financial footing? The main step I see a need for is implementing a multi-year revenue and expense forecast. I have sat in many annual reviews but have never witnessed a Council discussion on a 5- and 10-year forecast of what it means to make a purchase today. Second, and essentially tied to the main step I just mentioned, is showing the return on investment (ROI) on each purchase. We bought equipment for DPW, we need to show things like depreciation, resale value, and ROI as much as realistically possible. Last, we to enhance reserve funds by setting aside one third (33%) of our expenditures (same as Northville and Wayne County) to that we have contingency funds. On council, I would push for these three budgeting steps to take place in the Capital Outlay committee meetings.

Q7  In your opinion, what measures are most effective in addressing concerns about police transparency and accountability?

I am a huge fan of engaging our residents frequently and with great transparency. I have met with the police several times on transparency. A key takeaway is that they should have frequent outreach sessions like “Coffee with a Cop” and “Public Safety Town Halls.” Both Novi and Ann Arbor have a public safety transparency dashboard that shows data on stops, arrests, complaints, and use-of-force.  Giving this insight is the next best thing to an oversight committee.

Q8  If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

Hands down, no question about it, I would work with our local residents to gain their voice to see how we could turn the Noble Building into a flexible, learning maker “Noble STEAM center.”   This concept has been discussed in the community and has been part of surveys across this city. This space could focus hands-on activities for people of all ages to enjoy projects in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.

Q9 What are your views on a ward-based system for electing council members?

Before the rise of social media, many Livonia neighborhoods were anchored by Civic Associations. These groups had their own boards, and their presidents regularly met with City Council to raise local concerns. It wasn’t a formal ward system, but it did provide a kind of grassroots representation across the city. Today, a ward-based system seeks that same balance—ensuring every part of Livonia has a voice at the table. But with that comes trade-offs: a ward representative might understandably prioritize their own area over the city as a whole.

Ann Arbor, for example. It has a population of around 120,000—about 30,000 more than Livonia—yet it covers 7 fewer square miles. Despite its smaller footprint, Ann Arbor has 5 wards and 10 council members. So it’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison, but it does offer a glimpse into how a city of similar size handles representation.

For Livonia, one idea worth exploring could be a hybrid model—perhaps 3 ward representatives (one for each zip code) alongside 4 at-large council members. It’s a big change, and whether it’s right for Livonia is still up for debate. But it’s a conversation worth having.

Q10 How would you engage with the disability community and other traditionally underrepresented communities in Livonia to understand their concerns and inform their policies? The disability community breaks my heart. In the last two years of my dad’s life, he could barely use his hands, he was in a wheelchair, he was hard of hearing, couldn’t see well, and his voice was whisper quiet. He told me he felt useless, that his opinion didn’t matter anymore. It was very sad. I am telling you this because as someone who loves technical innovation, I would love to tell you that we could and should have zoom calls, and have clicker buttons in council chambers for people to respond non-verbally. But the reality is that if we really want to hear from those who cannot represent themselves well, we need to have individual conversations. Just like candidates need to walk door to door, council members need to identify and individually engage those who are unable to take action.

Q11 Recent plans were shared/proposed that provide for one small central library that will be connected to city hall.  There are concerns that one library in a city that this size (37 square miles) with no public transit creates access and equity issues for residents on the north and south sides of the city.  How would you mitigate this issue or address the concerns?

A few fun facts as I get into this answer: Number of residents – Canton 98K, Livonia 95, Dearborn 96K City land area by square miles – Canton 36, Livonia 36, Dearborn 24 Number of libraries – Canton 1, Livonia 2, Dearborn 3 Library size – Canton 53,500 square feet,  Livonia Civic 64,000 square feet, Livonia Carl Sandburg 8,600 square feet, Dearborn library size is not published online. Key Observations High per‑capita usage: Canton leads significantly with 113K+ monthly circulations. Livonia’s Civic Center outperforms Carl Sandburg branch by a wide margin ( ~29K vs ~3.4K). Dearborn has a massive amount of program participants: 9.7K per month Novi has a monthly circulation of about 50K, and Northville’s in 30K What does this all mean?

Livonia Libraries have less traffic per number of residents (fewer foot-falls) than neighboring communities. The 2025 Livonia Library survey responders largely asked for 24-hour remote hold pick up lockers in community locations along with programming at parks and other community spaces.

What will I do?

I suspect that people do not find a compelling reason to come to the Library. We need to have more programs to bring people in. We also need ADA accessible restrooms. We need focus groups, not just surveys, to really understand how to make the Library engaging and to also discuss challenges with available Liv&Go public transportation that is intended to be a  sufficient means of public transportation to get to the library.

I am not a fan of a small library, but the data above shows that Canton is doing way more with one branch at 55K square feet than we are with our current offerings. This warrants further transparent discussions with our residents.

Again, I have more homework to share on this answer about the Library, and will finalize then share this in a seperate blog post.