Bill Rausch believes that anyone who steps into the political arena should arrive with an open mind’and no ax to grind.
Last week, Rausch threw his hat into the ring with four other candidates running as write-in candidates for Clarkston City Council.
One of the key reasons for deciding to run in the Nov. 7 election, he said, was to lend a voice in support of the local police department.
‘I don’t think doing away with the police department is a good idea,? Rausch said. ‘We can definitely trim it up and make it more fiscally responsible, but I don’t believe you get the same services when you contract out.?
Rausch, who lives off Waldon Road, said police are often running radar and patrolling in his area, a level of service he thinks the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department would have trouble maintaining, primarily because they are already patrolling 36 square miles in the township.
‘They can’t afford to give us the resources or the time we need out here,? he said.
A retired General Motors Maintenance Supervisor, Rausch served as an Independence Township volunteer firefighter for 29 years, and currently sits on the board of Woodland Park Academy, a charter school in Grand Blanc.
Rausch characterizes himself as an honest and straightforward individual, and said he has the ability to keep an open mind and take in the facts as they are presented.
‘You can’t go in with a single issue or an ax to grind,? he said. ‘When you get elected, you get elected to do a job. That means you take care of everyone, not just a few.?
Rausch has a penchant for vintage fire engines, and enjoys restoring the trucks and running them in local parades. Old buildings also get his attention ? and his handiwork. He and his wife Jan have five children and seven grandchildren, and have lived in Clarkston 25 years.