Rochester Hills Candidates

November Election for the City of Rochester Hills

Rochester Media reached out to the candidates running for office in Rochester Hills to inform our readers about the people headed to the Rochester Hills City Council.

Council Member At Large

Voters will see two names on the ballot for the November 5 election. Candidate Jeff Lauth has withdrawn from the race. However, state law requires his name to remain on the ballot.

Kevin S. Brown is the other candidate named on the ballot. “After completing five years of service in the US Navy, my wife Leslie and I moved back to Michigan and selected Rochester Hills as our home and place to start a family. This is an exciting time for the city as we recover from the economic downturn and I am seeking the position to give something back to the city I have called home for over a decade. As a veteran, graduate of MSU’s electrical engineering program, U of M’s MBA program and an experienced business professional I am confident that I can make a positive impact on the City Council. My goal as a member of the Council is to serve the citizens of Rochester Hills by representing their interests with honesty, integrity and fairness. I believe that my sound decision-making process and experience will allow me to be a strong contributor and leader on the council.”

Council Member 1^st District

Steph Morita is a graduate of the University of Michigan (with honors in religious studies and a dual concentration in political science) and Wayne State University Law School, with post-graduation accounting coursework. She is focused on Adams Road traffic and safety issues, improved code enforcement, and faster building permit issuance. Morita also is concerned about the potential environmental impact of horizontal oil and gas drilling. “If you want a respected leader who will be able to represent the needs and advocate on behalf of District 1, you should vote for me.”

Steph Morita is running unopposed.

Editor’s Note: Dee Hilbert has announced her intention to run as a write-in candidate for this position.

Council Member 4^th District

Thomas W. Wiggins is also unchallenged in his district.

Editor’s Note: Lisa Winarski has announced her intention to run as a write-in candidate for this position.

Library Board

The two candidates for the Rochester Hills Library Board are Robert Bonam and Anne Kucher. Since there are two open positions for this office, both candidates are running unopposed to fill the two 6-year terms.

How it Works

Because all of the candidates are essentially running without completion, the voter will have an easy selection on Election Day. Council members serve 4-year terms and library board members serve 6-year terms.

Kevin S. Brown and Steph Morita were the only candidates to return our request for information by the time of publication.

One Proposal

Voters will see one proposal on the Rochester Hills ballot this time. It’s a proposal to revise the green space millage of 2005.

“At the September 13, 2005 Primary Election, City of Rochester Hills voters approved a Proposal to provide funding to permanently preserve green spaces and natural features within the City “by funding the purchase of land and interests in land, and enabling the City to seek matching grant funds by levying a new millage of up to 0.3 mills.” It is proposed to revise the permissible use of tax revenues derived from this millage to authorize it to be used to fund the protection, care and maintenance of, and to improve pedestrian accessibility to and within, green spaces and natural features owned, acquired or controlled by the City, in addition to funding the purchase of land and interests in land.

Therefore, shall the permissible use of tax revenues derived from the green space millage be revised to authorize it to be used to fund the protection, care and maintenance of, and to improve pedestrian accessibility to and within, green spaces and natural features owned, acquired or controlled by the City, in addition to funding the purchase of land and interests in land? If approved, this proposal will not authorize any new or additional tax or renewal of any current tax.”

Voters will vote “yes” or “no” to revise the 2005 millage.