For the first time ever, voters in the Village of Lake Orion are going to the polls in September.
Five candidates are on the Sept. 13 ballot vying to fill four village council seats.
Incumbents Bill Siver and John Ranville hope to return for another term. Newcomers seeking a spot on the council are Julie Drabik, Dan Kowalski and Michael Toth.
Current council members Harry Stephen and Tom Albert are not running for reelection.
Last year, due to a new Michigan election act, village officials had to change its March election to either September in odd-numbered years or November in even number years.
Village council members agreed to conduct elections in September with staggered two and four year terms.
The three candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be in office for four years. The fourth highest voter earner will hold office for two years.
Polls open at Blanche Sims Elementary School on Jackson Street at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Candidates were asked to fill out a Review questionnaire. No information was received from Kowalski and Toth.
JULIE DRABIK
Lives On: Bellevue
Family: Husband Dennis
Age: 42
Employment: N/A
Education: Studied Business and Management and Marketing at both Oakland University and Northwood University
Clubs/Organizations: Active fundraiser for a number of charities including the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers (a nonprofit charity enabling seniors and disabled people to live independently in their own homes), Muscular Dystrophy and Our Soldiers in the Middle East.
Currently Drabik is serving on the village’s planning commission and said she has 100 percent attendance and 100 percent voting record.
Why Running for Office: ‘As a self-motivated professional with over 24 years of experience in marketing, sales, finance and management, I possess strong leadership, motivational, communication and negotiating skills.?
She said she is achievement oriented, understands the importance of teamwork and strives to attain win-win results whenever possible.
‘I’m a person with high integrity and expect it of others, especially those in public office.?
Drabik is very familiar with Lake Orion and the greater Orion area. Her father grew up living and working at the Scripps farm in the Joslyn/Baldwin Roads area.
Her family often vacationed in Lake Orion before her husband and she established residence here.
‘I love Lake Orion, its charm and especially its people and look forward to serving them as a member of council.?
Important issues: According to Drabik, village residents shared a variety of concerns with her and several were mentioned over and over.
The first was the value of the village.
‘The village exists to provide residents with specific services and to ensure our community isn’t overrun by developers or by county and state government.
‘I will work to ensure the services provided by the village are both value-added and enforced to preserve our traditional values and charm.?
In order to do this, Drabik seeks to maintain the historic significance of the downtown area. She wants to preserve and improve the lake and parks, enforce ordinances and nuisance complaints and make sure personal and rental properties are kept up.
Another concern is the planning commission and board of zoning appeals process.
‘Businesses and residents are entitled to a professional and timely response to their requests by both the PC and the BZA. I will work to ensure all parties are able to present their case and receive decisions without undue delay or unreasonable requirements.
‘I believe pairing small town values with a contemporary vision is a balanced approach best suited to servicing the interests of all village residents and ensuring their tax dollars are spent responsibly.?
JOHN RANVILLE
Lives On: East Shadbolt
Family: Wife Linda
Age: 56
Employment: Retired Village of Lake Orion DPW superintendent
Education: Two years of college
Clubs/Organizations: Currently a council member; serves on the village’s parks and Main Street Design committees; is a past president. Melvin Jones Fellow and life member of the Lake Orion Lions Club.
Why Running for Office: ‘I grew up in Lake Orion, lived here all of my 56 years; graduated from Lake Orion High School; had two years of college; served in the Navy for three years and worked for the Village of Lake Orion for 37 years — 21 years as director of public works.
‘So I believe I know the workings of the village and the departments very well?
Ranville supports the village having its own police department and public works departments.
Important Issues: Ranville believes one of the most issues facing village officials is the concern about drainage.
‘Knowing what I know of the storm drain system and the improvements that need to be addressed, I plan on working with the village engineers to assist them, seeing we have no records or maps of the system.?
Ranville said he will be trying to provide the same services to the taxpayers while working with a tax base from 1986. ‘I believe that’s when the DDA was formed.?
Ranville wants to make sure village management and employees are more respectful when dealing with the public.
‘That’s what they’re there for, to serve the public in a friendly manner, also to follow their own policies.?
BILL SIVER
Lives On: Newton Drive
Family: Two children
Age: 52
Employment: Developer/Painting contractor
Education: High school diploma, one year of college (business), taking Michigan Municipal League courses while on village council
Clubs/Organizations: Past president of Lake Orion Lions Club, member of the Sons of the American Legion
Why Running for Office: Siver wants to continue to contribute to the health, safety and welfare and concerns of village citizens.
‘I want to see the projects that physically have been started through to completion, along with projects that are being let out for bids and future projects that are in the planning stage.?
Siver lists those projects as ones where the village and Downtown Development Authority are working with private development.
‘Our village is unique in that the boundaries are spread out, yet we have a small population.
‘I care very much about our village and intend to stay informed pertaining to all the aspects of how our village is run, regardless if its the administration, police DPW, DDA, planning commission, BZA, parks and rec committee or outside contractors.?
Important Issues: According to Siver, health care costs are rising for village employees.
‘But we have little or no new revenues to maintain our current tax base so the increase will not have to be passed on to the taxpayer.?
Camera work by Oakland County has shown the village has problems with the infrastructure which will have to be dealt with.
‘We need to be maintaining our roads, sidewalks, cemeteries and parks. Edges of asphalt roads are cracking. Sidewalks are sinking, causing flooding in front of homes.
‘We need to improve the appearance of our cemeteries and DPW and continue the improvements in our parks, to keep them safe for our citizens.
Siver wants to do his very best to ensure the village’s ordinances reflect what is happening in the village.
‘Our growth is limited as to new construction though remodeling or demolishing and totally rebuilding has increased in recent years. This is very obvious whether you are in a car or on a boat.
‘I believe our ordinances need to reflect this construction, but at the same time have precise, but not such restrictive rules as to limit applicants for what they would like to do to their own properties.
‘Our ordinances truly need to be more user friendly.?