COUNTY COMMISSION 1ST DISTRICT - DEMOCRAT
Two-year term
Part of Birmingham, part of Troy, part of Royal Oak
CHARLIE GANDY-THOMPSON
Charlie Gandy-Thompson of Royal Oak is director/owner of TeamX/Gen5 following 27 years in automobile leadership. She received both her undergrad and masters degrees from Oakland University, in engineering management and computer management. She is the former president and vice president of GM Women; Women & Children Ministry; is VP of Marriage Ministry; and has been involved with Focus Hope.
Underground and surface waters
The regulation of hazardous chemicals into the water system is critical to safeguard water quality above or below ground. By reviewing the levels of hazardous chemical and implementing regulations we can help prevent pollution and preserve the health of natural environments for future years.
Septic testing at point of sale
Septic systems protection and requirement are important for both surface and underground water supplies. It is important for the county board of commissioners to work with the health department and other states, to help implement a future solution to regulate septic systems.
Public museums tax
Taxes help contribute to the funding of cultural institutions, including museums, to promote cultural and educational experiences for the community. These institutions are critical to inspiring the next generation, culture, and history; they require maintenance and improvement for latest and greatest technology.
Validity of voting returns
Yes, the presidential election is carried out by the government, following voting laws and guidelines.
Key issues
Public Safety/Public Health Safety. I am committed to ensure communication and implementation of initiatives that ensure safety and security for all residents, with summer activities ramping up. Collaboration between community and law enforcement is critical to ensure safety for bikes, motorcycles, water (pool/lakes), fast cars and large gatherings. I am committed to work on policies and initiatives that strengthen law enforcement and response time in case of an emergency. This collaboration with the community and law enforcement will continue throughout the year to ensure the safety and security of all residents. Roads: Michigan roads are being worked on currently; there are orange cones and barrels everywhere. With that being said, road infrastructure improvements will continue, to ensure safe and effective transportations. I am committed to work with program management to ensure schedules are on-time and improve bottlenecks for traffic safety concerns. Taxes: Taxes help improve important issues regarding public services, from schools, roads, and safety.
DAVE WOODWARD
Dave Woodward of Royal Oak has been a county commissioner since 2005; he is currently board chairperson. Prior to serving on the board of commissioners, Woodward was a state representative from 1999-2004. He received his bachelor's degree in mathematics and economics from Wayne State University. He is also a board of trustee for Cornerstone Community Financial Credit Union, is chair of National Democratic County Officials and is former chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party.
Underground and surface waters
Healthy and clean lakes, rivers and streams are essential to public health, our local economy, and our overall quality of life. We all have responsibility to protect our water. First, we need to do better with public education on the effect of improper use of pesticides and fertilizers has on water quality. The county can lead public information campaigns to encourage better use of lawn fertilizers and weed control chemicals as well as the harmful effects to our water supply. I supported the launch the MI Clean Water Corp – an Oakland County initiative to engage volunteers to work with the state and increase water testing of our lakes. The initiative resulted in the largest participation here since the state program began. Next term, we plan to increase our efforts to get more testing complete to help long-term efforts to protect the health of our lakes. Lastly, we can do better capturing more water runoff with more green infrastructure. This reduces strain on our gray sewer infrastructure, while also creating a natural way to better “clean” that first inch of rainfall before it reaches our lakes. I support exploring the statutory authority our county has for regulating applications of these products.
Septic testing at point of sale
Protecting our environment needs to be a top priority. Oakland County is home to more than 100,000 septic tanks, more than any other county in Michigan. The state estimates that 25 percent of these tanks are at “end of life” or in need of repair of replacement. In order to protect our water, lakes and streams, I prefer a universal inspection process as compared to a point-of-sale approach. According to real estate trends, only some real estate turns over frequently, the rest remains owned for much longer periods of time. Without universal inspection, it may be decades or longer before all septic tank inspections were conducted. I support developing a universal county septic inspection program that completes inspections of all septic tanks at a minimum every 10 years. For example, a 10-year plan would inspect 10,000 septic tanks per year. This would require the health department to develop a new program, but there are models across the country to replicate. While a significant undertaking, I am confident we can accomplish it. (By comparison, the county’s health department inspects 4,500 restaurants twice a year and additional follow-up as necessary.)
Public museums tax
I was opposed to the originally proposed state legislation because it did not include language necessary to address many county concerns. I can support legislation that includes the following provisions: Caps millage rate to .2 mills (same as similar legislation for the zoo and the DIA); Millage revenue generated in a county may be used to support other local historical museums in their respective county; Funds may only be used only for museum operations and not for deferred maintenance and funding endowments; Community benefits should include free admission for county residents, and provide programming for school children and seniors groups at a minimum. We were able to reach an agreement with the museum leaders to include these provisions in new legislation, and as a result I support the new pending legislation. This is the first step. If there is broad community support, I generally trust letting voters decide whether or not they want to support these museums in a similar way we support the Detroit Zoo and the Detroit Institute of Arts. I would expect and be supportive of any Oakland County proposal to include support for other local historical museums located in the county.
Validity of voting returns
Yes. Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election! I’m proud to support and continue to fund efforts led by the county’s election division to do the following: Coordinate with local communities to implement early voting countywide (and be the first county to do it); Help local communities count absentee ballots by 8 PM on Election Day, and able to count the most ballots and do it faster than any other county in Michigan. Work with local clerks to help train election poll workers; Use the best equipment to help make it easier to vote, and guarantee every lawful vote is counted; Provide maximum transparency to the public that allows for the observation of counting ballots and validation of election results. Oakland County is fortunate to have the best elections administration in the state. The experience, leadership and professionalism embodied in the staff of our elections division continues to earn the continued confidence of residents. I trust our local election clerks, our county’s election division, and those across the state and country to do their jobs honorably. I have full confidence the results will be accurate. I will accept those results.
Key issues
Better Transit: I led the effort for adoption of a countywide public transportation system, and today we are providing more rides to more destinations than ever before. Next steps: Increase frequency along fixed routes to improve transit. Develop and fund a regional transit plan that includes bus rapid transit along major economic corridors. Use technology to move commuter transit service closer to on-demand service. Affordable Housing. We created the county Housing Trust Fund to help fund construction of new attainable housing. Estimates suggest if we don’t construct 12,000 new “attainable” units by the end of the decade, new future teachers, police officers, nurses, nursing home, childcare, restaurant workers and other service sector workers will struggle to find housing in a reasonable proximity of their jobs. If we don’t solve this problem, our economy will suffer. Climate Action. We must reduce our county’s carbon emissions 50 percent by 2035. To do this we need to do the following: Support building out reliable EV charging infrastructure; Help households reduce energy consumption with best practice proven home improvements that lower energy bills for residents; Develop more green infrastructure; Leverage the federal Solar for All initiative to incentivize more solar adoption on residential and commercial properties.
