Bruce Pearson, 55, has lived in Addison Township for eight years and works in law enforcement. He has a son, Cody.
Question #1 Why are you running for township office? What experience, skills, talents or qualities do you have to offer the public?
I have worked in law enforcement for 33 years serving Addison Township since 1979. I know the area street by street and talk with the residents daily. I have heard their concerns and needs. The qualities that I would bring to the office of township supervisor are my dedicated work ethic, excellent communication skills with all people and a desire to listen.? I also have a strong foundation in mediation anchored in fairness to help meet the needs of our citizens.? The ability to network and establish relationships are also a necessary skill that I have. I participate in and support local events and organizations. I feel that now is the time to give back to the community that has given so much to me and my son, Cody.
Question #2 What are the top three issues/priorities facing the township and how would you go about addressing them?
Our concerns in Addison Township are the same as many townships in America. We need to improve how we spend each tax dollar received. We can eliminate waste thereby diverting funds to more community type services.
I, as township supervisor, would oversee all property assessments to ensure each assessment is a fair assessment reflecting today’s property values.
One of the supervisor’s responsibilities is to be aware of the conditions of the roads in the community. I would work with the Oakland County Road Commission’to ensure safe roads are maintained in our community.
The parks that we currently have should be accessible to all Addison Twp. citizens. With the rising costs of fuel limiting our travels, we have an oasis in our own back yard that residents can enjoy. We need to open the parks up for all our citizens.
Question #3 What would you do to increase public involvement/input in township decision-making?
I would have an open door policy with regular office hours. Office hours would be designed to fit the needs of the community. I want residents to know when and where they can reach me. There will also be evening hours so that residents will not have to miss work to discuss issues with me.
I would also like to develop a monthly community newsletter to inform all of the residents of upcoming events and issue that they need to know about. These issues would be placed in local businesses free of charge for people to read. This would add another source of information in addition to our local cable channel and newspapers. Hopefully better informed residents will lead to more participation in the local government process.