Rochester Hills Native Announces Bid for Rochester Hills City Council Member At-Large

Rochester Hills native Matthew Berard, 33, has announced his campaign for Rochester Hills City Council Member At-Large for the November 2 general election. Berard, raised in Rochester Hills and a product of Rochester Community Schools, lives in Rochester Hills with his wife Kelly, and two sons; Jack and Charlie.

A man and woman squat down with two young children in an outdoor setting with an old car in the background.
Matthew Berard and Family

“I am running for City Council because I want to ensure that the City of Rochester Hills is a safe and prosperous place to live for our families for generations to come,” said Matthew Berard. “As a City Council Member, I will always ensure the best interests of the residents of Rochester Hills are at the forefront of all decisions. We need a leader who will not simply follow the crowd and who is not afraid to ask the tough questions on behalf of our neighbors to address the challenges facing our City. I am that leader and I will be a City Council Member for all residents.”

Berard is focused on the future of Rochester Hills by planning for better infrastructure, including safer state-of-the-art roads, sustainable energy, and Electric Vehicle charging stations, as well as ensuring Rochester Hills is ahead of the technology curve to facilitate more cost efficiencies in City government. “Many other cities have modern day conveniences that are the wave of the future, but you do not see them in Rochester Hills. I believe we should be doing more than just maintaining the status quo, Rochester Hills needs creative and bold thinking to put us ahead of the curve so we are not left behind,” Berard said.

A man stands on a wooden bridge along a trail wearing a shirt and sport coat.
Matthew Berard, 33, has announced his campaign for Rochester Hills City Council Member At-Large

After graduating from Rochester High School, Berard stayed in Rochester Hills and earned his B.S. in Political Science from Oakland University. During his junior year at Oakland University, Berard became the Senior Judicial Court Clerk at the Oakland County Circuit Court, where he continued to work full-time as he later attended the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law for his Juris Doctor. These experiences, Berard says, have shaped who he is today, and how it makes him uniquely qualified to serve as a City Council Member.

“I have a proven track record of hard work and I will demonstrate that work ethic day in and day out to serve the residents of Rochester Hills. I will scrutinize spending proposals, ensure that tax dollars are not being wasted, preserve the unique character of our community, and work to curb the overdevelopment of our City,” said Berard.

Berard is a Partner at the law firm of Bowman and Brooke LLP in Bloomfield Hills where he defends various products in litigation, many of which are designed and manufactured by residents of Rochester Hills and other parts of Metro-Detroit.

Berard has experience serving on the Oakland County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council as an alternate, the Village of Lake Orion Board of Zoning Appeals, and is currently a board member on the North Oaks Homeowner’s Association.

“I am truly honored and humbled by the unequivocal and unwavering support I have received for my candidacy across Rochester Hills and I am eager to listen to every resident,” Berard said. “I want to improve our quality of life with initiatives to get ahead of the challenges that we know are coming and to proactively shape our future in Rochester Hills, rather than to simply let it come to us.”

About Rochester Media

Rochester Media publishes The Community Edge digital newsletter of recently posted articles from Rochester Media, a hyper-local news outlet covering all things in and around Rochester, Rochester Hills, and Oakland Township. Send us you press releases and news happenings to editor@rochestermedia.com.

Comments

  1. Sandy Tabacchi says

    Best of luck, Matt. I remember you as a youngster growing up with my boys. I’m proud of all you’ve accomplished. You’ve got my vote.

  2. Dr. Lawrence R. Mead says

    The very idea of electric vehicles is mad. Batteries must acquire the energy they use. How will
    that be accumulate? Just like always – burning coal (75%). In addition, even the best of batteries
    use toxic metals – you had better figure out beforehand how do deal with such pollutants!

    • In early 2000’s the percentage of total power generation of coal was 64% in the state of MI. By end of 2022 the last of coal will be shutdown or converted to natural gas. In other words, Michigan is no longer on coal.

  3. Why don’t these folks announce the political party they represent. For me there are but two. Democrats (Socialists, Communists, Progressives, RINOs, Independents, Greens) and Republicans.

    • Amen to that statement. So important these days.

      • Denise Warren says

        Since Mayor Barnett is backing David Walker I think it is safe to say he is a “R” conservative, as the Mayor is.

        • That may be the case. However, the mayor’s staff consists of many different political persuasions, from the left to the right and everything in between. Rochester Media believes the mayor endorses those whom he can work with and have a vested interest in the city. Right now that is David Walker, in the future that could be Matthew Berard … only time will tell.

    • Open your eyes, Brian. The GOP is not what it used to be. They are a party without merit and only worship one deity (Donny Jessica Trump). Until they change their ways, the GOP/GQP will never get my vote again.

    • Party affiliation is not required at the city level. Of course, most candidates lean one way or the other, but they are not required to announce it when running for mayor or city council.

  4. These platform statements are too general for me. What will you be doing to support the have-nots who live in our city? What do you see for possibilities to help the sick, poor, abused, etc. end their suffering now and in the future?

  5. I cannot find anything, anywhere, that indicates party affiliation. If no information regarding same, then no vote.

  6. Mary Cardella says

    For those of you who are trying to ascertain Matthew Berard’s party affiliation, in a Twitter post, he stated that he was happy that Obama had been president and that he (Berard) voted for him. Of course that doesn’t necessarily mean he is a Democrat. I also noticed that he claims to be non-partisan.

    • LAURA L CHARTIER says

      Right!!!! they have to say their non partisan, but we all know it’s not true….

    • Veronica Sroka says

      If he voted for Obama he clearly has a leftist view and going in that direction The fact that he is for “Electric Vehicule Charging Stations” tells me he has not investigated the full ramifications of going electric verse fossil fuel which God so freely gave us. I am a NO for Matthew Berard!!!

  7. I want a Republican Canidate, the Democrats are ruining this Country!

  8. LAURA CHARTIER says

    You’re right Brian … I would also like to know their party affiliation, just because they say…’ city council is supposed to be non-patrician.” We all know every votes their own political … to say the city council is not “political” is a total load of ____.

Trackbacks

  1. Feature on RochesterMedia.com - Matthew Berard | Rochester Hills City Council says:

    […] Read Full Article […]

Speak Your Mind

*