Candidates for Flint Township Trustee

All are Democrats (vote for not more than 4)

QUESTION ANSWERED BY ALL:

Tell voters in less than 200 words what you consider to be the most important issues facing your community and how you will address them if elected:

David DuFresne

Age: 48

Hometown: Flint

Family: Single with a wonderful Mom

Occupation: Parts manager – Freeway Sports Center

Political Experience: Union campaigns, On-Call Fire Dept.

Education: High School, various training programs

RESPONSE: Open township (offices) to five days

Rebuild fire department, reopen Station One

Open to residents – protecting their tax dollars

Frank Kasle (incumbent)

Age: 74

Hometown: Born in Flint, MI; Resident of Flint Township for 40 years

Family: Married to Judy for 53 years. Son, Robert and daughter Terri graduates of Carman-Ainsworth High School

Occupation: Lawyer and CPA

Political experience: Trustee for 9 years, member Board of Appeals, Road Advisory Committee, Election Commission

Education: Graduate U of M Law School, Wayne State Business School, Flint Central High School

RESPONSE: Responsible elected officials should continually be working to keep Flint Township a desirable place to live and work. My experience as a lawyer, CPA, businessman and Trustee for 8 years makes me uniquely qualified to serve on the Flint Township Board as we struggle during periods of financial challenge. Our property tax base needs to be increased. We can do this by providing the business community with a friendly environment. We must continue to have first class police and fire departments, good schools, more parks, cleaner and safer streets, better public transportation and improved services to senior citizens. I will continue to support programs that will achieve these goals.

Thomas D. Klee

Age: 55

Residence: Flint Township

Education: High School – Ainsworth High School; Bachelor’s Degree – Eastern Michigan University;

Master’s Degree – Marygrove College

Family: Married to Rossann Klee for 30+ Years. 2-Dogs, 1-Goldendoodle & 1-Labradoodle

Occupation: Business Education-Marketing & Personal Finance Instructor, Carman Ainsworth School District, 1998 – to present.

Political Experience: I have never run for office in the past, this will be my first attempt.

Response: To make a positive difference and impact for the residents of Flint Township. To support continued growth in our community, and show continued support for our Police and Fire Services. We must review and evaluate the choices and decisions that we are making to be sure that we have the best interest of all parties involved. I see these as important key points:

What are your top three priorities?

1. Support of our Fire and Police Services.

2. Maintain and Upgrade when possible our infrastructure here within the Township, to insure that we are encouraging and maintaining the quality of life that we who live in this great township expect. 3. Manage and maintain a working budget.

What is the most pressing issue for this office?

To maintain and continue an open line of communication with all of the Residents, Township Employees, Elected Officials, and all those that the Township impacts on a daily basis. This should allow for structured discussions and positive resolution to the issues at hand.

Carol L. Pfaff-Dahl

AGE: Declined to disclose

Hometown: Flint

Family: Married, One (1) Adult Child

Current Occupation: Cardiology Institute of Michigan, Referral Specialist

Past Occupation: GM/Delphi Position Eliminated: Forced into retirement after 30 years – job relocated to Mexico. Positions included: Human Resources, Operations Management, Customer Service, Production Control and Logistics, Engineering Change Leader and Sales. Political experience: I have never held a political office, however, I was a member of the GM/UAW negotiating team.

Additionally, I was involved in the last two presidential elections making telephone calls to potential voters.

Education: Master of Science in Administration– MSA, Central Michigan University, Concentration: Business Administration, December, 1989; Bachelor of Arts – BA, Spring Arbor College, Concentration: Management of Human Resources, May, 1984

RESPONSE: I have lived in Flint Township for 50 years. If elected, I would like to make sure Flint Township is a leader in public safety and provides excellent customer service to the citizens of the Township. I would like to see a marketing plan to attract and keep businesses and residents. I also would like to continue to focus on Budget Planning and Spending. We need to look at cost allocation and distribute appropriately to all the departments. I believe that my diversified background would be a benefit in making decisions on tough issues that would help to keep Flint Township a good place to live, work and raise a family.

George Menoutes (incumbent) Age: 89 Residence: Flint Township Family: Wife, Kathryn; daughters Alexis, Susan, James

Occupation: Retired retail pharmacist

Political experience: Flint Twp. Trustee for 21 years; township planning commission, township building and grounds committee, Genesee County Board of Commissioners -1979- 1981.

Education: Ferris State University, Bachelors of Science in Pharmacy

RESPONSE: Public Safety – Police and fire service; Maintain and improve roads; No increase in taxes without vote of the people. Maintain services to senior citizen’s facility; Create jobs where possible by improving Economic Development Corporation; Maintain budget with no layoffs to employees.

Joanne Rhoads

Age: 64

Hometown: Flint Township

Family: Married to Gary Rhoads 40 years; four children

Occupation: Dental Assistant, nurse aide, worked at insurance company, Shaklee supervisor

Political experience: No

Education: Graduate Grand Blanc High School

RESPONSE: Reopen township to 5 days to better serve the people.

Reopen fire station # 1

Hire a labor attorney locally, saving lots of money

Get a true millage figured needed by the township to possibly reduce taxes.

Re-bid the garbage contract hiring on a local level instead of a Canadian firm

It only takes four votes on the board to get things passed. I am running with a team called Friends of the People. Our goal is to restore honesty and integrity and get to the basics of government of the people by the people and for the people.

Barbara Vert (incumbent)

AGE: 60

Hometown: Flint Township

Family: Married to Don for 40 years, 3 children and 5 grandchildren

Occupation: Currently a Flint Township Board Trustee since 2008

Education: Graduate Ainsworth High School and Mott Community College

RESPONSE: Blight is a very important issue facing our community. This can be a blemish that can lead to slow growth and development. Although our township has ordinances, some are outdated and no longer effective. The ordinances need to be reviewed and revised to be more enforceable. This could be accomplished by creating a strong based committee consisting of representatives (residential, commercial, industrial) to begin an aggressive approach to eliminate blight. I feel with joint efforts, this will help reverse and keep blight at bay for our township to be a more viable community.