Until he was appointed supervisor of Oxford Township in May 1999, seeking public office was never one of Bill Dunn’s goals in life.
“I’ve never thought of myself as a politican,” he said. “I don’t like politicians much, so I never thought I’d become one. I guess it’s life’s little joke on me.”
Five years after his appointment and four years after his election to office, the 56-year-old Republican and Vietnam veteran announced he will seek re-election this year.
“I like my job. It’s a challenge,” Dunn said. “I like helping people and solving problems. I like the idea that I’m hopefully making a difference for the better.”
Dunn is proud of the things accomplished during his tenure as supervisor, particularly the “smooth transition” from the now-defunct Oxford Police Department, which served the township and village, to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, which serves only the unincorporated township.
“We’ve now got first-rate police service at a much, much lower cost with no scandals or failed millages,” he said. “It wasn’t easy to get there, believe me, but we did it. In my book, that’s a success story.”
Dunn is also proud that he was able to get approximately four miles worth of township roads resurfaced at zero cost to the taxpayers of Oxford. The supervisor convinced the Levy Corporation to donate “thousands of tons” of new gravel and Loren Yaros at the Oakland Couty Road Commission to spread it over E. and W. Drahner, Coats and Sanders roads.
“Levy and Yaros really deserve most the credit,” he said. “I’m just the middle man who got things moving. But anytime I can get something to benefit the township without the residents having to pay for it, I’ll do it. I’m not ashamed to put my hat out, if it will do some good for others.”
Dunn considers helping oversee the successful construction of new brand new fire stations another accomplishment of his time in office.
“We went from a cramped pole-barn to two new, larger facilities designed to increase our fire department’s ability to save people’s lives and protect their homes,” he said. “Public safety has always been my first concern. If the fire department is going to do the best job that it can, it needs the right equipment and facilities. And that’s what we gave it.”
Helping create the Oxford Preparedness Task Force to plan for and deal with local emergencies, and implementing the emergency information hotline (628-9911) are considered by Dunn to be two more feathers in his supervisor’s cap.
“If we’re not adequately prepared for emergencies, then we’re not doing our jobs as elected officials,” he said. “The task force and hotline are all about keeping the public safe and informed. I proud I was able to help get both created and hope they each have to be used as little as possible.”
As far as taxes are concerned, Dunn is pleased the township has not raised its operating millage under his watch.
“Everyone continues to pay 0.95 mills and that’s fine with me,” he said. “I’m going to do my best to make sure it either stays at that rate for another four years or is lowered. Nobody wants to see an increase especially me.”
The supervisor is regretful about the township’s deteriorating relationship with the village.
“I wish things were better between us,” Dunn said. “I think I’ve tried my best to patch things up and cooperate, but it hasn’t worked out that well. Gas keeps being thrown on the fire.”
“I don’t hate the village or its residents,” explained the supervisor. “I am a village resident. I’ve lived on Dennison Street for about four years now. As the township supervisor, I am partly elected by village residents, so I serve them too. I always keep in mind that the village is part of the township.”
Dunn said the accusations by some village officials that he wants to take away the fire department and not share it with them are unfounded.
“Do I want the township to have 100 percent ownership and oversight of the fire department? Yes,” he said. “But I still want it to serve village residents because its their fire department too and the village is part of the township. As far as I’m concerned, the department is owned by the taxpayers, both village and township. Placing it under township control is just a means of making things run more efficiently and getting rid of OPFEC (Oxford Public Fire and EMS Commission), which everyone hates. Township officials represent village residents too, so why can’t we govern the fire department alone, without OPFEC.”
When asked what his goals are if he’s re-elected in November, Dunn replied, “To continue to do my best for the people I serve and deal honestly with them. That’s all I think I, or any elected official, can really promise to do and mean it.”