The Oakland County road commission will decide on Monday whether to build a new $45 million administration building after months of delays and pressure from the county commission — or to renovate a 58-year-old building on the county’s campus for $55 million.

Last week, commissioners Eric McPherson and Jim Esshaki learned what it would take to renovate the county’s executive building and whether it could house Beverly Hills-based road commission employees close to those on the county campus in Waterford Township.

Architect Jane Graham of the engineering firm Hubbell Roth & Clark told commissioners that a renovation would neither accomplish goals of housing all staff in one place. She toured the building and was able to get some plans from previous renovations for her recommendations.

She said the 58-year-old executive building was last renovated in 2006 and was evaluated in 2022 by a county contractor.

While much of the executive building is in very nice condition, she said, its electrical and mechanical systems are old. Some wiring is nearly 60 years old while heating and cooling systems are close to 20 years old.

Contractors did “a heck of a job” replacing executive building equipment in 2006, she said, “but these things will wear out over time.”

The biggest obstacle to renovating the executive building are the elevators, which cannot be used to move large-format printers needed by the road commission.

Renovating the executive building at 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township also won’t accomplish the road commission’s goals for increased space or to bring employees together in one place, she said.

The cost to renovate would be close to $55 million, she said, more than the cost for a new building.

And dropping the existing plan for a new building would incur substantial costs as well, she said, adding to the price tag for renovating the executive building.

Graham’s report shows the road commission has already spent more than $3.5 million for engineering, site preparation and other work at 2420 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township. There is also nearly $4.3 million more in expenses that have not yet been billed, and $2 million for a four-month construction delay.

The road commission could also be on the hook for millions more, should the contractor, Frank Rewold & Sons, or subcontractors sue for breach of contract.

McPherson and Esshaki asked few questions before agreeing to schedule a special meeting to decide which option to pursue before the deadline for a second delay expires on the same day.

Construction for the new building was put on hold in February at the request of County Commission Chairman Dave Woodward. He asked road commissioners to consider renovating the executive building because it will be vacant in two years when county officials move to Pontiac.

Woodward suggested then that the executive building could also be used by county sheriff’s deputies, dispatchers and homeland security as an emergency response center.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard said past discussions fizzled about renovating an existing building or constructing a new one so dispatchers, deputies, the road commission’s traffic center and the county’s homeland security could share offices.

“Our current dispatch center and emergency operations center don’t meet any federal guidelines,” he said. “Quite frankly, they’re in a terrible building. It was built in the 1940s and has been retrofitted so many times you can’t count and literally has rats the size of small dogs.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency sets standards for emergency operations centers. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/frameworks/response

He said road commission officials were open to creating a shared space, but FEMA’s standards are very expensive to meet.

“It doesn’t make sense, in my opinion, for three different county entities to each build their own. So I offered to have (an emergency operations center) for all three together. The technology we have is state-of-the-art but the building it’s in is not and it doesn’t meet any standards for an emergency operations center,” Bouchard said, adding that the current location wouldn’t survive a major disaster, something that is essential for deputies, dispatchers and homeland security officials during a crisis.

EOB Assessment

A proper emergency center, Bouchard said, could withstand any extreme weather, including a tornado, so personnel can coordinate disaster response efforts throughout the county.

No part of the county’s executive building, including the basement meets disaster-resistant standards, Bouchard said,

Bouchard said he didn’t think plans for either the road commission’s proposed administration building or the water resources commission’s proposed $63 building met FEMA standards.

“I would love to talk to anyone about co-locating and sharing the costs and planning,” he said.

The road commission’s new building plan doesn’t include a FEMA-level emergency operations space, according to spokesman Craig Bryson.

The road commission’s special meeting is 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 23, at 31001 Lahser Road in Beverly Hills.

People who can’t attend in person but want to listen to the discussion can call (810) 337-8118 and use the meeting ID: 618 693 917#. People with hearing or speech disabilities who want to join the meeting should call 711. Road commission officials as attendees who wish to speak during public comment to fill out an online form at http://rcocweb.org/AgendaCenter.

On the same day thousands of marching soldiers, rows of tanks, parachute jumps and flyovers were set to take center stage in the nation’s capital, millions of Americans made their views about those occupying the White House clear.

Ferndale police estimated 4,000 people turned out for Ferndale’s “No Kings” demonstration, hours before the 6:30 p.m. parade in Washington, D.C. Trump sought a parade for his June 14 birthday during his first term in office, but he didn’t get it. Saturday’s event, which is estimated to cost anywhere from $25-$40 million or more, has been recharacterized as part of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Ferndale police spokesman Evan Ahlin said organizers worked with police to ensure a peaceful event. Police responded to one medical issue involving an elderly woman that was quickly resolved, he said.

Jenny Pascal of Berkley carried a sign appealing for justice for all people. The mom and special needs teacher said she’s worried sick about how Medicaid changes will affect her vulnerable students.

“But it’s hard to pick one topic,” she said. “There’s so much at stake.”

Signs took aim at ICE deportations, Elon Musk’s influence on federal policy and spending, including plans to lay off 80,000 Veterans Administration employees, the erosion of civil rights policies and more. The crowd filled sidewalks on either side of Woodward Avenue at Nine Mile Road and the median. The sidewalks were filled for a half mile north and south of Nine Mile.

One sign read: “Democracy doesn’t fear protest. Dictators do.”

Another said, “If a senator can be handcuffed for asking a question, imagine what they will do to you?”

Some signs were professionally printed while others were handmade with cutouts. Some were pieces of ripped cardboard with statements scrawled using markers.

Demonstrators were peaceful but cheered loudly in response to drivers in passing cars who tooted or blared horns.

Debbie Rosenman of Bloomfield Township helped organize the event for Indivisible Fighting 9.

“I’m the daughter of a Holocaust survivor,” she said. “My dad taught me how bad dictators are, so when I see what is happening now in this country with taking away rights, the disappearing of people – even grabbing citizens off the street, – ignoring the judicial decisions, disrupting our public agencies. This makes me remember my dad and his words.”

Herman Bohm often told his daughter to fight for a healthy democracy, she added.

Rosenman said Ferndale police were very supportive of the group and she was glad threats of a counter-demonstration by Trump supporters never materialized.

“We saw one man with a Trump flag — but it said ‘Veterans against Trump” so that means he was with us,” she said.

About 2,000 No Kings demonstrations were organized across the U.S. and in 17 other countries, she said.

“We’ll keep coming to the streets,” she said. “We have to let our government know we’re not going to stand for this.”

Indivisible is organizing a July 5 “Elbows Up” rally at Hart Plaza with people in Windsor, she said, adding details will be announced soon. “We’re not gonna stop until we see change.”

Many people carried double-sided signs with slogans about different issues. Amelia Nowicki, 21, of Grosse Pointe Woods is one of the Michigan State University students on campus during the Feb. 13, 2023, mass shooting. She said fighting gun violence is one of her core issues. But she’s always been interested in politics and how government policy affects the environment.

“If you don’t have a planet to inhabit, we don’t have any of this. We don’t have each other,” she said.

Her double-sided sign said “Melt ICE, not icecaps.” and “No one is free until we’re ALL free.”

She said she and her dad have different political views.

“My mom is just nervous. She doesn’t want to get overly involved because she worries about repercussions and safety,” she said.

Greg Sumner teaches American history at University of Detroit-Mercy. On Saturday, he carried a sign stating “Washington would be appalled.”

“I wanted to make a historical reference that what’s happening today is unprecedented. The founders would be appalled,” he said. “We live with limited government. Our country was created by rebelling against a mad king, so that’s where we are today.”

The traffic death of a man crossing Baldwin Avenue in Pontiac may lead to some traffic-safety changes, if two concerned women have their way.

Charles Arnold O’Connor, 37, of Flint, died just before 9 p.m. Friday, March 7 near Virginia Avenue after being hit by a truck.

He’d just left Hope Shelters with a supply of toilet paper, said Karen Plants, the shelter’s operations manager. Police did not cite the 16-year-old driver because O’Connor had not used a crosswalk about 350 feet north of the shelter.

“We’ve asked for a crosswalk before and that was my problem with this dear young man struck and killed,” Plants said.

Since O’Connor’s death, Plants and her boss, Hope Shelters interim CEO Elizabeth Kelly, have campaigned for safety measures.

Kelly said she asked Pontiac officials nearly a decade ago to add a crosswalk and a sign reminding drivers to watch for pedestrians.

“They told us ‘yes’ and then ignored our requests,” she said,

There are bus stops on either side of Baldwin near the shelter. Most people walk to the shelter and many residents walk or use bicycles to get around, Plants said.

O’Connor is one of four pedestrians killed on Oakland County roads this year.

The latest occurred on May 20 when a Burton man stepped out of his disabled vehicle on I-75 near Grange Hall Road in Groveland Township and was hit by a car. He was

On May 14, less than a mile from where O’Connor died, Popular Pontiac musician Justin Roettger, 51, was killed in a hit-and-run crash.

He’d been walking two women home after a concert at The Crofoot ballroom in Pontiac. They were hit near the intersection of Saginaw Street and Woodward Avenue. Both women were hospitalized with injuries.

No suspect or vehicle have been identified so far, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Steven Huber.

1 dead, 2 hospitalized after hit-and-run crash in downtown Pontiac

Ferndale police are investigating the death of a pedestrian on May 2, according to spokesman Evan Ahlin.

Ferndale police have declined to release details on the victim who was hit by a car on Eight Mile Road near Lindsay Lane.

Pedestrian hit by vehicle in Ferndale dies

Jim Santilli has worked for years on traffic safety as CEO of the Troy-based National Transportation Safety Organization.

Oakland County has one of the lowest traffic-death rates in the nation, Santilli said: 0.44 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, compared to 0.83 for Macomb County and 1.38 in Wayne County. Michigan is 1.11 and the U.S. is 1.35.

“But people still get killed – and our goal is zero deaths,” he said, adding that the county road commission prioritizes safety with every project.

NTSO statistics on Oakland County’s pedestrian crashes show 12 died in 2024, 12 died in 2023 and 14 were killed in 2022. Santilli said during the COVID-19 pandemic, more pedestrians were killed because more people were walking and drivers were more likely to speed on empty roads.

“We all have a personal responsibility to protect our life and the lives around us,” Santilli said. “We need to lose the ‘it’s all about me mentality’ and start caring about one another.”

SEMCOG studies traffic safety and commuting, which influences the region’s economic health. Data from 2023, the most-recent available, shows 37,652 people walk to work, more than 5,800 commute on bicycles while more than 1.5 million drivers commute to work southeast Michigan.

In 2023, pedestrians were involved in fewer than 1% of Michigan’s traffic accidents but accounted for more than 25% of the fatalities, including 97 people in southeast Michigan, said Trevor Layton, SEMCOG spokesman.

Plants and Kelly from Hope Shelter are asking for a new crosswalk, but Santilli said that is just one safety measure to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe.

“It comes down to: A pedestrian should wear bright or reflective clothing at night,” he said. “Don’t cross the street while texting or looking at the phone and don’t step out into traffic assuming the driver will stop.”

Drivers, he said, must be especially cautious at night or on busy roads. Observing the speed limit and avoiding distractions like a phone or food and not trying to beat red lights are among his most-important tips.

Santilli joined the recent state police Operation Ghost Rider patrols as a spotter in unmarked vehicles. He and others alerted troopers to distracted drivers and nearby marked police units made traffic stops to warn drivers to change their habits.

“Everyone knows we do this, but the drivers’ behavior doesn’t change,” he said. “Some people think they drive so well that nothing bad can happen.”

Santilli would like to see tougher penalties for distracted driving, especially if people are hurt or killed as a result.

Hope Shelters’ Kelly said she won’t stop asking for a crosswalk because it would give meaning to O’Conner’s death and save others from the same fate.

“This is beyond the HOPE guests who use the crosswalk,” she said. “I believe that lives in areas where people with economic challenges live are often not valued as highly as more prosperous areas. That needs to change.”

The city issued a statement that said residents’ health and safety are a high priority. Pontiac recently completed a pedestrian-safety study funded by a Safe Streets grant to review lighting, crosswalks, sightlines, and speed limits for the city’s road-safety action plan. The results are not yet available online.

No changes will happen until the Department of Public Works finds the money for projects, according to the city’s statement, which concluded with an appeal that people cross busy roads at intersections with traffic lights and pedestrian signals.

Oakland County Road Commissioner Nancy Quarles has resigned her position with the board to take a position with the state.

The commission’s chairman, Eric McPherson, told The Oakland Press that she emailed her resignation after Thursday’s board meeting, but he did not see it until Friday.

“I believe she got an opportunity in another part of government,” he said.

On Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she had appointed Quarles, a Novi Democrat, to the state’s three-person tax commission.

McPherson said he had no idea who would replace Quales on the three-person road commission.

“Road commissioners are appointed by the county commissioners and I have no idea who they will choose,” he said, adding that he is not making suggestions. “That’s not my place.”

The state tax commission oversees the administration of the property tax laws, assists and advises assessors and, since 2009, is responsible for the education and certification of assessing officers.

Quarles succeeds Mark Davidoff, whose term expired in December.

She is a former state representative, during which time she was vice chair of the tax policy committee, a former Oakland County commissioner and the immediate past chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party.

She did not respond to an Oakland Press request for comment on Friday.

The county road commission is in the midst of deciding whether to move forward with a $43 million administration building or renovate the county’s executive building, which will be empty in 2027 when employees there move to the Ottawa Towers buildings in downtown Pontiac.

The Oakland County commissioners approved a $174.5 million budget Friday morning to renovate the Ottawa Towers. The board also approved using $25 million from the county’s strategic investment fund to help pay for the project.

Minutes after the commission’s vote, County Executive Dave Coulter said the project will help Pontiac become vibrant and connected.

“This is more than a construction project, it’s a commitment to revitalizing Pontiac’s future,” Coulter said.

The money will support renovating the Ottawa Towers, at 31 E. Judson St. and 51111 Woodward Avenue in Pontiac, expanding green space downtown to support a walkable area and bringing nearly 700 county employees into the heart of the city.

The budget depends upon the commission approving a bond sale for the money. In 2023, the county secured $60 million, which includes a Michigan Economic Development grant from the state for $50 million and $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act money to get the project started.

Coulter, a Ferndale Democrat, said the bond sale will benefit from the county’s AAA bond rating because it will result in a lower interest rate and ultimately less cost for taxpayers..

County Commission Chairman Dave Woodward, a Royal Oak Democrat, fought opposition from two fellow Democrats, Commissioners Kristen Nelson of Waterford and Charlie Cavell of Ferndale, and Republican commissioners Mike Spisz of Oxford, Christine Long of Commerce Township, Karen Joliat of Waterford Township, Bob Hoffman of Highland Township and Philip Weipert of South Lyon.

The budget was approved on a 10-7 vote with Cavell and Nelson joining the Republicans to vote no..

The disagreement led Woodward to end Thursday’s meeting abruptly as people in the audience loudly objected to losing their right to public comment. Woodward ordered the meeting to resume Friday morning.

On Friday, Woodward apologized to those who returned – some with messages from people who could not make Friday’s meeting – and said he would ensure that didn’t happen in the future.

Supporters say the price tag for the county’s move to Pontiac will save $80 million in scattered improvements to existing buildings.

And none of the calculations include potential income from selling existing county buildings.

Both Coulter and Woodward believe the Ottawa Towers project will revitalize Pontiac by sparking other private developments and benefit the county overall by improving commerce and property values.

The county is working with the City of Pontiac to reopen Saginaw Street through the downtown area, after being blocked by the Phoenix Center for decades. Orchard Lake and Auburn roads will be enhanced, including more parking options.

At the same time, Michigan Department of Transportation will reconfigure the Woodward Loop, which currently circles the downtown area, to create two-way boulevards and add grassy islands for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.

The Ottawa Towers project is expected to support hundreds of jobs in construction, skilled trades, architecture, engineering and real estate development. The county also has plans to work with residents to support the city’s commerce, housing, workforce development and livability.

Private developers are already adding residential units and shops to the downtown area. But the work hasn’t happened fast enough to save two restaurants: Biscuits and Bourbon inside the Strand Theatre closed earlier this year, and The Alley Cat Cafe closed on May 22 with a promise that new owners have plans for a different eatery.

Commissioner Angela Powell, a Pontiac Democrat, asked for an amendment to ensure that local businesses, especially those owned by veterans, minorities and women, had an equal opportunity to bid on the work. That passed 13-4, with Commissioner Bob Hoffman, a Highland Township Republican, voting with the board’s Democrat majority.

Several of the board’s Republicans objected to the Ottawa Towers plan for different reasons. Commissioner Chris Long of Commerce Township has long opposed it. She pays Pontiac taxes as a commissioner and said moving hundreds of county employees from the county’s campus on the city’s west side to downtown would leave empty county buildings subject to blight.

“We might not be where everyone wants us to be, in the center of Pontiac,” she said. “But we are in Pontiac.”

Most of the employees will be moved from the county’s executive building in Waterford Township, across Telegraph Road from the commissioners auditorium and conference rooms in Pontiac.

Spisz, the minority caucus chairman, said demolishing the Phoenix Center was needed. said demolishing the Phoenix Center was needed.

“But I’m stuck in the position of a want versus a need,” he said, adding that the Ottawa Towers investment was more of a want.

He said the $175 million was a minimum cost for the project and urged his fellow commissioners to rethink the plan.

He also said he is not confident the move would help Pontiac.

Cavell compared taking $25 million from the county’s strategic investment fund and pursuing a $174.5 million bond to taking a payday loan.

“I’m a union member and I’m a budget nerd. I cannot vote for this,” he said, asking for spending specifics.

Commissioner Brendan Johnson said it’s impossible to define the exact costs because of tariffs and inflation, adding that it cost less to consolidate hundreds of employees into a single location than to make the improvements recommended in a 2022 Plante Moran study.

That study found that the cost of renovating multiple campus buildings was higher than the cost of consolidating staff in a single location. Johnson said he is thinking about the county’s future for 2100, not 2035.

Commissioner Yolanda Smith Charles, a Southfield Democrat said she has supported the Pontiac project for more than two years. She said recent improvements to county parks received the board’s full support, though not everyone uses the parks.

The Ottawa Towers project, she said, represents moving toward progress from stagnation.

The county has contracts with companies for demolition, engineering, architecture and construction as well as a representative overseeing the county’s interest in the project.

So far, the county has spent nearly $24 million of the initial $60 million, including nearly $19.4 million to buy the properties.

The county paid the Farbman Group just over $471,000 for services as the county’s representative and nearly $2.6 million for repairs, cleaning, parking expenses, maintenance and administration. Other bills include just under $30,000 for legal fees; nearly $240,000 for the Phoenix Center demolition; just over $95,000 to Granger, a construction management firm; and nearly $970,000 to the HED Group, a consultant for community engagement, urban planning, facility assessment, design evaluation, master planning and programming, among other tasks. Two other companies working together, the infrastructure consulting firm AECOM and Sidewalk Detroit, which specializes in community engagement, event production and public art projects, were paid just over $83,000.

The county received $25 million from MEDC and expects $25 million more, but the payment is based on documented costs. The $10 million in ARPA funds came from the county’s health department. The state pays just over $3.1 million to lease offices at 51111 Woodward Ave. The county has so far earned nearly $683,000 in interest on funds in the bank.

Nearly two dozen people wearing red shirts carried informational signs outside a downtown Pontiac building on Tuesday.

The demonstrators, members of UAW Local 6000, were representing more than 250 state workers at 51111 Woodward Ave., and concerns related to the Phoenix Center demolition.

The work is part of a two-year renovation process for Oakland County, which plans to move between 600 and 700 employees to Pontiac in 2027. Work on the Phoenix Center started in April.

Rachael Dickinson, UAW Local 6000 vice president, said state employees in the building have had some troubling experiences since demolition started.

“One of our top priorities as a union is keeping our members safe and a workplace free of recognizable hazards,” she said, adding that the demolition of the Phoenix Center next door, “We don’t know if this building is structurally sound. There are chemical smells coming into the building causing headaches for our workers right now.”

With the Phoenix Center coming down, state workers were directed to use a large parking lot known as Lot Nine, on the north side of the building. State-owned cars were also parked there, until one was stolen. Now, the state-owned cars are parked next to the Sheriff’s substation a half mile away, at 110 E. Pike St., and workers either walk or get a ride back to their offices.

Personal vehicles are parked in Lot 9, but workers are concerned about future thefts because the lot has no apparent security. The door to the north side of the building is locked for security reasons, so they have to walk to the south-side entrance.

Dickinson said she’d like to see immediate corrections by state managers or demonstrations will continue. Employees walked the picket line during their lunch hour, joined by retirees, including Wanda Withers, a former caseworker.

“If they’re not safe, they can’t provide the services the people in our state need,” she said.

The Farbman Group, which represents Oakland County during construction, issued two statements Tuesday about the demonstration.

“(Safety) has been the number one priority of our client, Oakland County, since they became owners of the building in 2023. We work closely to keep our respective tenants informed and to be responsive to all concerns brought to our attention,” the company said.

The company’s statement added that people working at the Woodward offices “will experience some inconveniences” during construction.

“We will strive to address these inconveniences as quickly as possible. Some of the work required to make this redevelopment vision a reality include the demolition of the Phoenix Center and we’re doing so while upholding the highest air quality standards,” the company’s statement said.

The company is also working with state officials to minimize parking concerns and monitoring the demolition contractor, Adamo Group. Farbman Group’s statement said the goal is for a seamless experience.

Some state employees have been allowed to work remotely, said Carnetta Elder, a UAW Local 6000 representative, but most continue to report to the Woodward offices.

She added that there are other sites where state workers can do their jobs – which is the goal, because construction will continue for at least two years.

Ray Hesser, a child-protective services worker, has worked at the Pontiac building for three years. He said it appears to have an air purification machine, but he’s not sure if it’s helping.

“We’re talking about dust, chemicals, the air we breathe – a health and safety issue. It’s not just employees and supervisors coming here, it’s clients, citizens. Little kids. Adults. Elderly people,” he said.

His department is on a hybrid schedule, so employees don’t have to be in the building five days a week, he said, adding that there are other state sites that would be accessible to clients.

Retiree Laura Wade demonstrated in support of her former colleagues.

“All the state buildings I visited during my career were old buildings, some with black mold. The state workers never get good buildings,” she said.

The Farbman Group, asked how contractors were mitigating any air quality concerns, issued a second statement to say there are none associated with the demolition work because it is ”being carried out in accordance with a comprehensive dust mitigation strategy. This includes the use of controlled watering methods to suppress dust generated from concrete, masonry and other non-hazardous building materials.”

As a result, people will see mist in the air, which the company explained as a standard and safe part of the dust-control process – adding that no foul or unusual odors are anticipated.

The seven candidates for Pontiac mayor will meet on Thursday for a moderated two-hour forum.

Ten different community organizations have sponsored the event, said Christine Allen, a member of the League of Women Voters Oakland Area, adding that she’s thrilled so many are cohosting the forum.

She said all seven candidates have agreed to attend. It’s their first appearance as a group, she said.

“It’s not a debate – it’s a forum and follows all the League of Women Voters’ rules,” she said. Rules include no endorsements by the league or any event co-sponsors. If the event is recorded, it must be broadcast or posted online without edits. The format includes equal time for candidates’ answers and the use of a moderator.

Among the topics to be discussed: public safety, housing, water affordability, jobs, education, and community investment. The audience can submit written questions, Allen said.

“We’ll screen the questions,” she said. “That means we’ll read them for clarity and legibility, because the moderator has to read them. We’ll also look for duplication, so if we get three or four similar questions on housing, we’ll combine them and ask one housing question.”

The seven candidates on the Aug. 5 primary ballot are:

•  Gill Garrett, Oakland County sheriff’s deputy and former Pontiac school board president.

•  Mark E. Holland, Sr., former city councilman and former deputy mayor.

•  Mike McGuinness, current city councilman and council president.

•  Alexandria T. Riley, sales director at the Genesee County Land Bank Authority and Pontiac’s former chief development officer and former mayoral candidate. Riley lost to Tim Greimel in 2021.

•  Deirdre Waterman, former two-term Pontiac mayor.

•  Kermit Williams, former city council president and current executive director for the nonprofit Oakland Forward.

•  Wendell Woods, former Detroit public school teacher.

The nine sponsors besides LWV include The Change Up, NAACP, Mothering Justice, Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, Voters Not Politicians, Jews for a Secular Democracy, When You Vote I Win, Michigan League of Conservation Voters and Voting Access for All Coalition.

Doors open at 5:30 and the forum starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the Bowens Senior Center, 52 Bagley St. in Pontiac. The forum is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Sheriff’s Deputy Bradley Reckling, killed June 22 while pursuing a stolen vehicle, was among those honored Wednesday during Oakland County’s National Peace Officers Day ceremony.

“We thank you for stepping forward when it is much easier to stand still,” Undersheriff Timothy Willis told the standing-room only crowd in the county commissioners auditorium.
.
Three suspects were ultimately arrested and charged in the homicide.

Reckling is remembered as a dedicated public servant, respected colleague, and a loving husband and father of four.

The valor award cited his courage, professionalism, and selfless devotion to duty represent the highest ideals of law enforcement.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard was in Washington D.C. for another ceremony honoring Deputy Reckling. Bouchard sent a message that he’s proud of the men and women of the sheriff’s office who are willing to risk their lives daily to serve and protect our community.

The Pontiac ceremony included a 21-gun salute from the Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, the playing of Taps, and Amazing Grace by a bagpiper to honor the many of the fallen law enforcement heroes from the past year. The list of honorees was more than two dozen pages long.

2025 awards ceremony final

Highlights:

Command Officer of the Year
• Sergeant Joseph Ashley, for responding to the splash pad shooting by taking charge of the scene, administered lifesaving tourniquets to victims, and seamlessly switching to SWAT commander once the suspect was located.

Investigator of the Year
• Detective Kyle Standifer, a narcotics enforcement team, member, led NET in both search warrants and arrests in 2024 and participated in major cases where firearms and significant quantities of drugs were seized.

Corrections Deputy of the Year
• Deputy Ryan Lotan, a trainer and member of the cell extraction Team and SWAT, for being a role model for new deputies and highly respected by his peers.

Patrol Deputy of the Year
• Deputy Jeremy Berquist from the Pontiac substation, wrote 450 reports in 2024, the most out of any patrol deputy, personifying all the virtues required of law enforcement.

Communications Employee of the Year
• Dispatch Specialist Shauna Bentley, for the August 2024 call she handled, saving the life of a deputy’s family member. The citation called her “an exemplary asset to the organization.”

Employee of the Year

• Sheriff Administrative Specialist Adam Blankenship, Freedom of Information Act coordinator, for expertly handling thousands of requests annually, including videos, subpoenas, and digital media.

Part-Time Deputy of the Year
• Deputy Thom Seling, a retired lieutenant who works with the training unit, for being organized and hardworking keep the new-hire training programs the best in the state.

Reserve of the Year
• Reserve Sergeant Jason Kajy, who volunteers for ride-alongs, Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, SWAT support and many community events, including Sheriff PAL and Dream Cruise, for being a reserve-unit role model.

Support Services Deputy of the Year
• Deputy Stephanie Alston, a forensic lab investigator with her own caseload and top-notch trainer for individuals. She was called caring, empathic and willing to stay late or be available during off-duty hours for priority cases.

Other awards were presented sheriff’s office employees for: Bravery, distinguished service, lifesaving, meritorious service, special commendations and several individual unit awards.

Several outside agencies that responded to the splash pad shooting were also honored: Rochester Hills Fire, Shelby Police dispatchers, the ATF, Rochester police, Troy police, the FBI and Auburn Hills police.

Civilians honored included:

Citizen Citation for their extraordinary actions in responding to the June 15 Brooklands Splash Pad shooting: Raymond Shaw II, Garland Whitney Jr., Stefanie Slate, Derek Slate, Nicole Boyd, Roseanna Martin, Eugene Bass, Antonio Bass, Haylee Koss, Kristopher Lockard, Thomas Schmidt, Melissa Natzke and Ashley Smith.

Each stepped in while police were en route to provide lifesaving first aid, including applying tourniquets and dressings. Some even drove victims in their personal vehicles to safety and called loved ones on their personal phones.

• Orion Township resident Naveyah Lemmon, 17, was honored for finding a missing K-9 and sharing an alert on social media. Lemmon took the dog to a vet and kept it safe until a sheriff’s detective saw the alert and was able to get the K-9 back to its handler, an Orion Township resident who works for Novi Police.

• Jamison Maynard, who worked with his cousin, Sgt. Melissa Nations to save a family member’s life after the relative collapsed during a family Christmas party. Maynard and Nations performed chest
compressions and rescue breathing until emergency services arrived.

• Brandon Shaya, owner of C.J. Mahoney’s in Rochester, provided food and beverages to sheriff’s deputies as they grieved the loss of Deputy Reckling; during the aftermath of the splash pad shooting; and to motorcade officers traveling with the various candidates during the presidential campaigns.

• Sean Stockman, who provides free lawn care for people in
Need to make a positive difference in their lives.

• Larry McKenzie: McKenzie, of McKenzie Moving & Storage, for supporting the sheriff’s annual Coats for the Cold drive, bottle and can drives for PAL during the pandemic and transporting bikes for the sheriff’s Re-Cycle program. He’s volunteered to help since 2015.

• Brooke Blomberg, an off-duty registered nurse, who stopped her car to assist a man who collapsed while jogging. She called 911 and performed CPR until help arrived.

• Allyson Dale, who raised over $20,000 since August to help the Thomas Richards Foundation buy six K9 ballistic vests for sheriff’s K9s.

• Berkley American Legion Post #374, for the Sept. 14, barbecue fundraiser to support Deputy Reckling’s family, which raised close to $45,000.

• Natalie Nellett and Kara Obrecht, for cataloging the vast evidence in the Oxford High School shooting case. Their efforts were called meticulous, precise and crucial in convicting the shooter and his parents, according to the sheriff’s office.

Pontiac’s former building official, Bruce Eck, has sued the city for wrongful discharge. He was fired in March after a dispute with his supervisor. The lawsuit asks for a jury trial and seeks a minimum award of $25,000.

“Due to our policy, we don’t comment on pending litigation,” said Pontiac spokeswoman Paula Bridges.

Eck’s attorneys, Deborah Gordon and Morry Hutton, said Eck was scapegoated by the city in the wake of three abandoned children’s rescue from an unregistered rental home on Lydia Lane in Pontiac’s Stonegate Pointe neighborhood.

“It’s unfortunate that the city of Pontiac has now lost an invaluable public servant and extremely experienced building officials with excellent credentials,” Gordon said. “He was fired because he refused to go along with what he believed to be an illegal directive.”

City records show an April 2020 blight ticket for Lydia Lane and an unregistered rental complaint. Inspectors visited the home four times in 2020 without resolving the rental complaint. Inspectors returned in February 2022 and April 2022. The owner had not registered the rental. No progress check was scheduled or made, which could have saved the children earlier, Eck told The Oakland Press in March.

The children were rescued in February after a maintenance worker went to see if the occupants had moved after not paying rent for several months. The children’s mother is in Oakland County Jail, facing multiple charges.

Eck was hired in November 2023 and had been archiving old and expired records in the city database that tracks taxes, assessments, code enforcement visits and tickets as well as construction permits. He and his deputy, Dennis Szymanski, deleted 7,000 long-expired permits from the city’s database.

Eck wanted to create reports on active issues so they could be tracked and addressed.

But his boss, Community Development Director Rachel Loughrin, told him to reactivate the old permits and require inspections. Eck asked a city attorney for a legal opinion on the order.

On March 3, Loughrin claimed in a disciplinary action form that Eck pursued personal legal advice from the city attorney. Eck said he made the request in his official capacity. He refused to sign the document and was fired.

Eck, a certified building official, building plan reviewer, and building inspector, worked as West Bloomfield Township’s building director for 19 years and Dearborn’s safety official for a decade. He is a board member for the Southeast Michigan Building Officials and Inspectors Association, which sets professional standards for and trains building officials and code inspectors. He told The Oakland Press he has never been fired or disciplined in his career.

Gordon and Hutton said they don’t believe Loughrin knew the proper way to address the invalid permits.

Defendants in the lawsuit include the city and Loughrin, in her personal and official capacities. They have 28 days to respond to the lawsuit, which was assigned to Sixth Circuit Court Judge Nanci Grant.

Ferndale voters delivered two victories on Tuesday. Proposals before Clawson and Lamphere Schools’ voters failed.

Ferndale voters’ ballot included a city millage and school bond proposal. The city asked for a 10-year, 5.4 millage to restore money lost through the Headlee Act rollbacks. Of the 4,230 voters who cast ballots, 2,455 voted yes and 1,775 voted no. The city will receive an estimated $5.4 million starting in 2026.

Voters approved Ferndale Public Schools’ request for a 30-year, $114.8 million bond with 3,665 voting yes and 1,563 voting no.
The district will move ahead with renovations and additions to the middle/high school buildings, upgrading fine art spaces and athletic fields and purchasing new equipment, furniture, and technology.

Clawson residents affirmed a commitment to the city charter approved in 2023 by a nearly 70% majority. Proposal 1 would have kept the city council at four members, while the new charter allows six members. cast 888 yes to limit the board and 1,573 voting no on Proposal 1. as stated in the city charter approved in 2023.Proposal 2, would have set council terms to four years with elections every  two years. Only 907 voted yes while 1,549 voted no. Now, the three candidates with the most votes win 4-year terms and the candidate with the fourth-highest vote wins a 2-year term of office.

Lamphere Schools’ 30-year, $85 million bond request didn’t fare well. While 1,066 voted yes, 1,449 voted no.

The district had planned a new gym for the high school, new equipment for the middle-school robotics program, along with remodeling facilities, upgrading playgrounds and athletic fields. Some of the money would have been used to buy new technology, equipment, furniture and for new secure entrances at the school buildings.

The next election, the Aug. 5 primary, includes mayoral, council and library races in Pontiac and Southfield‘s mayoral race. Voters in Novi will decide a $120 million public-safety bond question.

Oakland Township voters will be asked to renew the 4-year, 0.1134 millage that expires this year and add a 5-year, 0.14 millage. The township’s library millage supports the Rochester Hills Public Library. If the existing millage is renewed, it would provide an estimated $235,000 and the new millage would add an estimated $289,000.

Northville Public Schools will ask voters to renew a 10-year, 0.9357 millage for its building and site sinking fund. The district serves communities in Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. If approved the district would receive an estimated $4.1 million starting in 2026. The money is meant for building construction or repair, security improvements, buying or upgrading technology and other items as allowed by law.

Learn more at https://www.oakgov.com/government/clerk-register-of-deeds/elections-voting.

In July, 32 communities will begin paying more for county assessments, which are used to calculate property taxes.

The rates will rise each year on July 1 over three years. By 2028, those cities and townships could be paying more than double the current rate for county assessment services.

The county commission approved the increase during an unusually contentious meeting last week.

The county has provided assessment services for more than 50 years at varying rates. The commission vote standardizes rates for contracts.

Nearly half of the county’s 62 cities, villages and townships have their own assessing departments. The 19 cities and 13 townships with county contracts pay a per-parcel rate, which ranges from $15.88 in Royal Oak Township to $28.64 in the City of Orchard Lake Village. By 2028 all 32 communities with assessment contracts will pay $41.55 per parcel.

For Royal Oak Township, that’s a 260% increase. Orchard Lake’s costs will rise by nearly 150%. And Pontiac, which paid $474,171 this year, and will see a 230% increase to more than $1.1 million.

Pleasant Ridge Mayor Bret Scott said cities like his are almost done with their annual budget planning and said the county didn’t follow a responsible process. Pleasant Ridge’s costs will rise by more than 250%, from $22,243 this year to 32,586 starting July 1 and$ $56,963 by July 1, 2028.

“This is like you’re lobbing a grenade at us and asking us not to throw it back at you,” he said, asking the board to slow the annual increases. He praised county assessors and said concerns about the contract costs are no reflection on their work.

Pleasant Ridge City Manager James Breuckman called the timing and the manner in which Oakland County made the change disappointing. He said the city is looking at other assessment options.

A bipartisan group of county commissioners voted to delay a decision until June 11 to give communities more time to negotiate rates. But Commission Chairman Dave Woodward recessed the meeting to lobby for more support.

Commissioner Mike Spisz, an Oxford Republican and the minority caucus chair, said reviving the measure for a second vote during the meeting was an egregious violation of board policies. He and other Republicans said the county risks losing assessment contracts.

Woodward, a Royal Oak Democrat, said the county subsidizes the contracts. The 2025 subsidy was $2.5 million, he said.

Communities are allowed by state law to collect 1% of property taxes to pay for assessment costs, but not all do.

Oxford Township’s treasurer, Joseph Ferrari, was among local officials who asked the commission for a slower transition to higher rates. The township paid $17.97 to assess each of its 8,903 parcels this year, more than $160,000. By 2028, the cost rises by 230% to $369,905.

“Five months of our (fiscal year has) already been burned,” Ferrari said. “It’s gonna be hard for us to come up with that money.”

He later told The Oakland Press the township board hasn’t met to discuss the issue. He said the board will likely use from the general fund or from savings, to cover the cost of the first year.

Ferrari wants to negotiate the next two years’ costs. He objects to the way the county compiled the full cost of the contract, because in addition to a county assessor’s salary and benefits, the contract price includes depreciation for the assessors’ county building.

“Their building will depreciate whether we have a contract or not,” he said. “You don’t eat at a restaurant and get a bill that charges you for using your fork.”

Oxford Township doesn’t charge residents the 1% allowed by the state for assessment costs.

“I’ve never recommended that because it’s a tax to collect a tax,” Ferrari said. But that may be an option for the township, he said, because it could raise an estimated $494,000.

Meanwhile, the township is checking to see what private companies charge for the same services. Ferrari said the county’s assessment work is specialized and the service is excellent.

No one disputed the need for communities to pay the full assessing cost. But many commissioners supported helping the communities adapt to the full prices.

Commissioner Michael Gingell, a Lake Orion Republican, said the unintended consequences of a triple-digit increase would force communities to look for alternative services. County contracts would have to be increased significantly after that for fewer communities or county assessing employees would lose their jobs, he said.

He represents Orion Township, which paid $298,626 for this year’s assessment services and will see increases totaling more than $387,000 over the next three years, from $160,016 this year to $690,325 in 2028.

Gingell’s amendment to slow the increases failed. He said last year’s controversy over sheriff’s contract increases led to an understanding that the county would provide advance notice of rate increases for the sake of timing, communication and fairness.

Democrats Charlie Cavell of Ferndale and Kristen Nelson of Waterford added their support for a slower timeline.

Contracts for law enforcement services from the sheriff’s office are paid by local millages, Cavell said. Assessment costs are paid from a community’s general fund, which is money from property taxes, state revenue sharing and a community’s service fees.

“Your budget is how you state values in a community. It’s spent on potholes and schools, maintaining parks … clean water and making sure sewage doesn’t back up into your basement,” Cavell said.

He said communities may be faced with cutting essential services or jobs to meet the new assessment costs.

“For Huntington Woods to go from paying $40,000 to $82,000 in 60 days is not a small increase. That $40,000 is someone’s annual salary,” he said.

Communities were notified on March 3 about impending increases, Woodward said.

“The county has made the costs as manageable as possible to maintain the highest-quality staff and deliver the highest-quality product and most-accurate rate for communities,” Woodward said, adding that he’s confident communities will not look for services that cost less.

The commission agreed to create an assessment study group, to include representatives from the commission, administration, assessment office and cities, villages and townships with county contracts. The proposal initially failed with three Democrats voting no with Republicans. Woodward asked for the board to reconsider the vote. Smith Charles said she would, adding that the group should have been formed last year to give communities a greater say in the contract rates.

Nelson asked that the group be formed as an ad hoc committee so members would be required to meet open meetings standards. Woodward rejected her suggestion.

The commission’s next scheduled meeting is 6 p.m. Thursday, May 22, in the commission auditorium at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac.

Early voting ends Sunday in Oakland County for three communities — Clawson, Ferndale and Madison Heights — with special elections on Tuesday.

Early voting hours on Saturday and Sunday are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be no county-run central voting site for this election at Waterford Oaks County Park.

Voters can cast ballots early at municipal sites, by absentee ballot at their city clerk’s office or in person on Election Day, Tuesday, May 6, when polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All absentee ballots must be returned to the municipal clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on election day.

Clawson

Voters will decide two city charter amendments.

Proposal 1, if approved, would maintain the city council at four members plus the mayor. If the proposal is defeated, the council will expand to six seats plus the mayor, as stated in the city charter approved in 2023.

Proposal 2, if approved, would set terms of office for the city council members to four years, with elections every two years. If defeated, the three candidates with the most votes win 4-year terms and the candidate with the fourth highest vote wins a 2-year term of office.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Troy Community Center, (use the east entrance), 3179 Livernois Road in Troy.

On Tuesday, voters will find an information booth outside City Hall, 425 N. Main St. hosted by a group called Clawson Votes Matter. Sam Paulus of the Paulus Group said the main effort of Clawson Votes Matter is to get the city council to pass a cannabis ordinance and create a process for retailers to set up shop.

Voters approved legalizing marijuana sales with 3,826 yes votes and 3,270 no votes. The yes votes represent just under 54% of those who cast ballots.

Paulus said the council’s delay is a form of ignoring the voters’ wishes. He said the same was true for Tuesday’s ballot proposals aimed at reversing a charter amendment approved by voters in 2023.

City officials did not respond to questions from The Oakland Press.

Ferndale

City voters will be asked to approve a 10-year, 5.4 millage to replace money lost through the Headlee Act rollbacks. If approved, the city would receive nearly $5.4 million starting in 2026.

Taxes on a property with a state-equalized value of $150,000 would increase by $174 a year, or $14.52 each month.

Voters in the Ferndale public school district will decide a 30-year, $114.8 million bond question. The money would be used to pay for additions and renovations to Ferndale’s middle/high school buildings as well as for new equipment, furniture and upgrading fine art spaces and athletic fields and improved technology.

The district serves Ferndale, Oak Park Precinct 9 and Precinct 10, Pleasant Ridge, and Royal Oak Township Precinct 1.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Hazel Park Community Center, 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd. in Hazel Park or Oak Park Community Center, 14300 Oak Park Blvd. in Oak Park.

Madison Heights

Voters in Madison Heights’ Lamphere school district – those living in Precincts 5 through 9 – will decide a 30-year, $85 million bond proposal.

If approved, the bond will increase property taxes on a home with a state-equalized value of $200,000 by $415 a year or $34.58 each month.

The district will use the money for remodeling facilities, buying new equipment and furniture, upgrading playgrounds, athletic fields and adding secure entrances at school buildings. A gym will be added to the high school and district technology will be upgraded, including equipment for the middle-school robotics program.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Leo Mahany/Harold Meininger Senior Community Center, 3500 Marais Ave. in Royal Oak.

Learn more at https://www.oakgov.com/government/clerk-register-of-deeds/elections-voting/voter-information or contact your municipal clerk’s office.

The Aug. 5 primary ballot in some communities reflects an increase in interest in running for local office.

In Pontiac, for example, six candidates have filed to run for mayor, up from five in 2021. In Southfield, three candidates are running for mayor.

Pontiac

Six filed for the Pontiac mayor’s seat being vacated by Mayor Tim Greimel, who is running for the District 10 Congressional House seat.

Pontiac’s mayoral candidates:

•  Gill Garrett, Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy and former school board president.

•  Mark E. Holland, Sr., a former city councilman and former deputy mayor who ran for the District 9 commission seat in 2017 and for Pontiac’s school board in 2012.

•  Mike McGuinness. Current city councilman and board president.

•  Deirdre Waterman, former two-term Pontiac mayor.

•  Kermit Williams, Oakland Forward’s executive director and former city councilman and board president.

•  Wendell Woods, former teacher

Three are running for Pontiac’s new at-large council seat: Adrian Austin, Marcus Bowman; Rev. William Parker, Jr., an incumbent councilman; and Sennel K. Threlkeld, an Oakland County Sheriff’s deputy who works in Pontiac.

Sixth District candidates are Cassandra Bradford, Regina K. Campbell and Troy F. Craft. Craft is currently a Pontiac school board trustee.

Southfield

Long-time Mayor Ken Siver has two opponents for the next 4-year term: Sylvia Jordan who has served 17 years on the council and has previously run for the mayor’s seat, Ryan Foster, who has run for council twice, state senator once and last year campaigned for Congress.

Early voting starts Saturday for a handful of Oakland County communities with measures on the Tuesday, May 6, ballot.

Voters can cast ballots in person on Election Day, early at municipal sites or by absentee ballot.

There will be no county-run central voting site for this election at Waterford Oaks County Park.

Early voting hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through May 4. Thursday’s early voting hours are noon to 8 p.m.

Election day hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All absentee ballots must be returned to the municipal clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on election day.

Clawson

Voters will decide two city charter amendments.

Proposal 1, if approved, would maintain the city council at four members plus the mayor. If the proposal is defeated, the council will expand to six seats plus the mayor, as stated in the city charter approved in 2023.

Proposal 2, if approved, would set terms of office for the city council members to four years, with elections every two years. If defeated, the three candidates with the most votes win 4-year terms and the candidate with the fourth highest vote wins a 2-year term of office.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Troy Community Center, (use the east entrance), 3179 Livernois Road in Troy.

Ferndale

City voters will be asked to approve a 10-year, 5.4 millage to replace money lost through the Headlee Act rollbacks. If approved, the city would receive nearly $5.4 million starting in 2026.

Taxes on a property with a state-equalized value of $150,000 would increase by $174 a year, or $14.52 each month.

Voters in the Ferndale public school district will decide a 30-year, $114.8 million bond question. The money would be used to pay for additions and renovations to Ferndale’s middle/high school buildings as well as for new equipment, furniture and upgrading fine art spaces and athletic fields and improved technology.

The district serves Ferndale, Oak Park Precinct 9 and Precinct 10, Pleasant Ridge, and Royal Oak Township Precinct 1.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Hazel Park Community Center, 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd. in Hazel Park or Oak Park Community Center, 14300 Oak Park Blvd. in Oak Park.

Madison Heights

Voters in Madison Heights’ Lamphere school district – those living in Precincts 5 through 9 – will decide a 30-year, $85 million bond proposal.

If approved, the bond will increase property taxes on a home with a state-equalized value of $200,000 by $415.00 a year or $34.58 each month.

The district will use the money for remodeling facilities, buying new equipment and furniture, upgrading playgrounds, athletic fields and adding secure entrances at school buildings. A gym will be added to the high school and district technology will be upgraded, including equipment for the middle-school robotics program.

Early voters can cast their ballots at the Leo Mahany/Harold Meininger Senior Community Center, 3500 Marais Ave. in Royal Oak.

Learn more at https://www.oakgov.com/government/clerk-register-of-deeds/elections-voting/voter-information or contact your municipal clerk’s office.