EXPERIENCE ~ ACCOMPLISHMENTS ~ VALUES ~ FAMILY
PARKS & RECREATION / STAR TRANSPORTATION
- Continue to Protect and Preserve our Tri-Community Parks and Recreation to share costs while offering more amenities.
- Through Parks and Recreation we continue to offer a variety of Music in the Park, Events, Programs, sports, dance, travel, and more!
- Improved seasonal community events annually for the residents to enjoy!
- Working with High School Students to design township owned properties to utilize into additional functioning greenspace for additional recreational areas to explore and enjoy!
- Added utilities to Municipal Park for the construction of Pavilions, restrooms, and expanding the pickleball courts.
- Added sidewalk GAPS to local parks for additional pathways to connect residents to our local amenities.
ROADS
- Fixed more roads in Washington Township in the past 2 years than in the past 2 decades:
- Over 20,000 ft. of mill overlay including:
- West Road
- Mound Road 26-28
- Campground Road
- 30 Mile Road: (Over 8,000 ft. of full construction dirt to asphalt from Mound to Kildare)
- Preventive maintenance resurfacing of portions of:
- 26 Mile Road
- 27 Mile Road
- 29 Mile Road
PUBLIC SAFETY
- 2024 Added a Dedicated Command Officer to oversee all Deputies
- 2022-2023 Added (2) Dedicated Traffic Enforcement Officers
- 2022 - Added (1) Dedicated Motor Carrier Officer
- 2020 Continued High School Liaison Officer
- Financially managed these additions without any increase in taxes and continuing to operate below the approved millage rates saving you the taxpayer money.
- Refurbishing Fire Station #2 to become the Deputy Station centrally located in our Township in 2024-2025.
- Installed a local weigh station for Motor Carrier officer to safely weigh and monitor gravel haulers and other trucking through our township.
FIRE AND AMBULANCE
- Negotiated New 5-year Union Contract to properly retain, recruit, and attract personnel.
- Purchased new Fire Truck (Replacing 30 year old Truck)
- Purchased (2) New Ambulances (Replacing Trucks with over 100,000 miles)
- Secured locked-in costs for next 10 years with Stryker for EMS Equipment
- Refurbished Station #2
- Designing New Station #2 with Training Center
- Secured property for future Fire Station Locations with additional land for a park
- Purchased new Air Drone to help with aerial rescues
- Financially managed these additions without any increase in taxes and continuing to operate below the approved millage rates saving you the taxpayer money.
SCHOOLS
- Implemented with deputies patrol of drop off and pick up times at local schools
- Involved as a member with Romeo High School Career Technical Education (CTE) Program
- Instituted a Youth Advisory Committee made up of High School Students
- Involved High School Students in design projects for the township
- Instituted Internships with High School at municipal, cable, and EMS studies
INFASTRUCTURE
- Held a Water Study Town Hall in 2023 & 2024 on service charges
- Held a Sewer Study Town Hall in 2021 on Sewer Capacity
- 3 miles ANNUALLY of Limestone and Brining services for our dirt roads.
- Refurbished our 1700+ fire-hydrants and the remaining will be completed in 2024.
- Installed over 25,000+ ft. of water lines in the township and projected to install another 12,000+ ft. of water and sewer lines in 2024. This is finally a reality to bring water to the perimeters of the township for extending much needed hydrants for fire safety and removal of any annexation threats.
- NO INCREASE in Water Rates for past several years
- Negotiated Water Rates in 2023 with GLWA to lock in NO INCREASE for upcoming several years.
- Instituted monthly water bills to help families manage their monthly finances.
- Brought a Resolution to the Township Board to stand up against pending State Legislation bills SB0549-0554 and HB5088-5093, which would increase residents' water bills.
- Replaced culvert under Campground road to prevent any more flooding issues!
DITCHES AND DRAINS
- Washington is home to the Yates Drain, King Drain, & Mt. Vernon Drain
- Annually partner with County Public Works in Cleaning portions of each drain
- Invested in a Vector Truck to help clean ditches annually
- Invest Annually to remove phragmites to allow water to pass freely
TOWNSHIP FINANCIALS
- Operate Annually in extremely well-funded position due to being fiscally responsible and conservative
- Presented an annual Balanced Budget Yearly with Fund balance.
- Continue to maintain an AA+ Bond Rating for the last several years
- Our Taxable Value has grown the past year from $1.7B to $1.9B = increase 9.2%
- Our SEV continues to increase from $2.1B to $2.4B = increase 9.0%
- Annually audited by Plante Moran for the past 2 decades with positive results annually.
- Reached agreements with 5 of 5 employee labor groups including incentives with wages and benefits making the Township an employer of choice including a highly
- competitive public safety package for our Fire & EMS
LIVING IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
- Continue to be one of the lowest Millage Rates in the County.
- Washington has the LOWEST operating mills in Macomb County at .06017 mills.
RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT WITH RURAL CHARACTER
- Instituted Ordinance to RESTRICT multi-housing along Van Dyke
- Working with Romeo High School Architecture Program to have students design uses for green space for additional parks and recreational areas in the township!
- Working with Huron-Clinton Macomb Authority to ensure amenities and programs continue at Stoney Creek Metropark.
- Obtained 27 Acres on Mound Road, known as Hox Acres to conserve green space in our township to prevent it from development.
SIDEWALK GAPS
- Implemented a 5 year Sidewalk GAP program to engineer and install gaps to schools, trails and shopping.
- In the past 3 years we have installed over 12,000 ft. of sidewalk and plan to continue for the next 2 years.
- Obtained $800,000 SEMCOG Grant for a pedestrian bridge over the Yates drain on 26 Mile that will be installed in the spring of 2025.
MUNICIPAL HALL MAINTENANCE
- Roof, Gutters, and Siding
- Sealed the basement from leaks
- Updated security
- Upgraded the IT
- Replaced leaking windows
- Installed defibrillator at all Municipal properties and outside near pickleball courts
- Re-paved 35 year old parking lot and sidewalks that were in disrepair causing trip hazards, during this process, we also installed utilities to the rear of our building to the municipal park for new pavilions, bathrooms, security and utilities for park upgrades and expansion of pickleball courts to come in 2024.
- Trained all employees on First Aid, Stop the Bleed, Emergency Management Response, Incident Command System, and Leadership Management.
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EMBRACING HISTORICAL PAST
- Personally involved with Greater Washington Area Historical Museum raising funds for a new roof installed in 2024.
- Co-chair with Super Sunday annually between the Octagon House and the Washington Museum with Crafts, Vendors, Art, Plant Sales, and more!
- Working with local schools in Art Contests at the Museum
- Yearly restoration project of township owned cemeteries in refurbishing grave sites and landscape maintenance.
- Worked with new Owners of Big Red’s to re-establish and preserve the 46 acre orchard.
COMMUNICATION WITH PUBLIC
- Implemented an updated and user-friendly website
- Implemented a Township Presence on various Social Media Platforms
- Town Halls held every month
- Cable Infrastructure Investment from Comcast
- Updated WBRW TV Channel 6 with proper cameras, servers, recording equipment
- New roof and windows at WBRW building to ensure equipment and data are properly saved
- Water Study on Service Charges held
- Sewer Study on Sewer Capacity
- County Emergency Presentation
- Implemented Annual Questionnaires to get public feedback
- Held Over 30+ Coffee Chats with Residents Monthly
- Recorded over 36+ Monthly Updates on Meeting Recaps on WBRW Channel 6
- Informed over thousands of residents impacted of any road construction near their home
- Held Annual State of the Township to give updates to residents and businesses.
- Attended over 30+ Homeowners Association Meetings annually to answer questions and listen to concerns from residents
- Participated in several Chamber of Commerce Events informing them of projects and working with local business leaders in our community.
- Chairman of MACRO (Macomb Area Communities for Regional Opportunities) heading monthly meetings over 27 Macomb County Communities in both working together, sharing ideas, and networking to accomplish more together!
- Read to several Elementary Schools yearly during March Reading Month
- Lego League Parent Volunteer at Indian Hills Elementary
- Held several events at the new Memorial Park to honor veterans and first responders.
- Invited Veterans, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, community members, and other dignitaries to board meetings to lead us in the pledge of allegiance at each meeting.