‘I’m excited to get to work,? said Trustee-elect Andrea Schroeder. After the board is sworn in on November 19, Schroeder will roll up her sleeves with Ron Ritchie, David Lohmeier, and Jose Aliaga who were also elected as trustees in the general election.
On board with the trustees are Clerk Barb Pallotta, who retained her seat; Paul Brown who will take the reigns as treasurer; and Pat Kittle, who will reside over the board as Supervisor.
‘I’m pleased that there’s a wide cross section of backgrounds,? said Ritchie of the new trustees to the board.
Aliaga agreed. ‘People are looking forward to working together,? he said.
The trustees aren’t only ready to dig into the work, they are also thinking about initiatives they hope to advance during their tenure.
Aliaga’s top goal is to get the McLaren hospital project moving. He plans to seek support from legislators in Lansing and ‘create a friendly environment for McLaren,? he said.
‘There’s a big need to be more efficient,? said Ritchie. He feels one way to encourage efficiency would be to get each township department using the same software for budgeting.
He also thinks ‘the township could do a better job of making meetings available for people who want to watch.? Ritchie would like to see board meeting videos posted online for residents to view and control at their convenience.
Schroeder describes her goals as personal choices. ‘I hope to be respectful in disagreement,? she explained. ‘If and when I disagree with someone, I’ll find out more about their position,? she said.
Although Lohmeier won’t be returning to work with all the same board members, he said, ‘I’m very excited about the new board.?
Thus far, each new member to the board seems to be thinking positive. ‘No one is coming out of the gate on opposite sides,? said Schroeder. From her point of view, the new faces on the board offer an opportunity to ‘press the reset button? and ‘show people in he community how it should be done,? she said.
Residents will have the opportunity to see for themselves how well the board will work together once they are sworn in on November 19 at 7 p.m. at Township Hall on Waldon Center Drive. The first meeting they will preside over takes place on November 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Township Hall.