Byrnes Running To 'Create Positive, Visible Change In Our Neighborhoods'

DEARBORN, MI — Tuesday’s primary election is an important one in Dearborn. Voters will be asked to select single candidates for mayor and clerk to run in November’s general election. Likewise, more than a dozen candidates are vying for seven seats on city council.

Patch recently sent questions to the candidates. The idea is for the candidates to introduce themselves and their ideas to voters. Three profiles were published on Friday, including David Bazzy, Robert Abraham and Sharon Dulmage. More candidates will follow on Sunday and Monday.

What follows is a verbatim transcript of the questions and answers from candidate Erin Byrnes, who is seeking a city council slot:

Biographical Information
Dearborn is my home. I grew up playing in our parks and swimming in our pools, and now own a home in the city.

After attending UM-Dearborn, I became a middle school special education teacher in New York City where I worked full-time while earning my Master’s degree in Education. I returned home to Dearborn in 2010, and have been actively engaged in the community ever since. I currently serve as Chair of our City Beautiful Commission, and plan family-friendly events in our business districts as part of the Downtown Promotions Committee.

I have worked as an educator at the University of Michigan since 2011, and currently manage a literacy tutoring program that reaches more than 1,000 elementary students each year. I also lead our campus-wide effort to increase rates of student voter registration, and to educate students on important social and political issues. In 2015, I completed the Michigan Political Leadership Program at Michigan State University and gained experience working with people from across the state with diverse political views. I have spent my entire career advocating for others, and will be a strong voice for our residents on City Council.

Why are you running for City Council?
I am running for City Council to create positive, visible change in our neighborhoods and business districts. I have demonstrated my commitment to this work as the Chair of the City Beautiful Commission, and a member of the Downtown Promotions Committee.

Over the past four years, I have organized neighborhood clean-ups that bring homeowners, students and business owners together and as a Council member, I will work closely with residents to ensure that our neighborhoods are vibrant. Our business districts are also key to our city’s success, and establishing diverse retail options that meet the needs of our residents will be an area of focus for me.

I will bring a proactive, community-centered approach to City Council while working to empower the members of our community.

What are your top priorities for your term if you win?
My top priorities are informed by the needs residents have shared with me. Public safety, with an emphasis on traffic enforcement, is key in our neighborhoods and on major roads. Ensuring adequate staffing, training and equipment for our firefighters and police officers is essential, and protects those who protect us.

Making our city more accessible is also very important, and involves dedicated public gathering spaces for events, expanding our walking and bike paths and supporting senior citizens with high-quality housing and methods of transportation. The maintenance of our parks and pools is a top issue for many residents, and I am committed to maintaining amenities we can walk to in our neighborhoods.

Monitoring and improving air quality across the city, and particularly in the south end is something I will focus on. I believe that having clean air to breathe is a basic human right, and the health of everyone in our community is paramount. As a City Council member, I will work closely with residents who are directly impacted by this issue while pushing forward environmentally-friendly initiatives such as investments in solar panels and the expansion of the recycling program in our schools.