Herrick Would Make Public Safety Her Top Priority

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 Leslie Herrick, who is seeking a city council slot:

Biographical Information
Job Titles: Communications Specialist, Dearborn Public Schools & Program Manager, Dearborn Community Fund
Education: BA Speech Communications & Journalism, Wayne State University
Graduate of Dearborn High School (Dearborn Public Schools, kindergarten through high school)
1. Relevant Experience
I am uniquely prepared to serve on Dearborn City Council, having dedicated both my career and volunteer time to lead projects that benefit our city. Through professional roles at Dearborn City Hall, the Dearborn Schools, and the Dearborn Community Fund, I’ve brought people together to celebrate Dearborn’s spirit of community and cultural understanding. I lead events like the Homecoming festival, the city-wide Youth Art Show, and the Memorial Day Parade.

I raise over $110,000 each year to make the music, activities and fireworks at Homecoming free for everyone to enjoy. In communications at the Dearborn Schools, I share stories of best practices and resources that teachers use to improve our children’s education. I’ve helped residents, serving on the front lines at City Hall. Looking out for the health of neighbors and our environment, I am an advocate who fights with the Sierra Club to protect our air and water quality. I’ve also made a positive impact by serving in leadership roles as President of the Ford Homes District, on the boards of the Education Foundation and Symphony, and volunteering with the Boy Scouts, Dearborn Historical Museum, Goodfellows and other charitable organizations.

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Why I’m running for City Council
For me, serving on council is about building on my decades of work fighting to give my son and our city’s residents the best opportunities and quality of life possible. I will take that experience to council to ensure that Dearborn remains the safe, family-oriented, welcoming place that it was when I grew up here. I have the experience and understanding of our city to help our neighborhoods and business districts make the most of our new opportunities. I want to build on the strong foundation of Dearborn’s rich history of appealing neighborhoods, high quality city services, outstanding parks and recreation, and engaging arts and cultural programs. Together we can make Dearborn a destination where people are eager to live, work and visit.

Top priorities
The safety of Dearborn residents will always be my top priority. I will continue to ensure that our police and fire departments have the personnel, equipment and training they need to protect and serve our city and its changing needs.

Second, I will work to further develop all our business districts. As a council member, I’ll work to provide opportunities for a variety of retail businesses to open as well as attracting new commercial operations to the industrial areas of our city.

Third, I will push to implement a long-term arts and cultural plan for Dearborn. This will add to the vibrancy of our city, providing new social and entertainment options for residents and drawing visitors to spend money in our business districts.

Fourth, I will be a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility, and will work with the community to ensure that residents are able to benefit from the growth of our city through tax relief and improved city services.
Finally, I will bring my communications experience to the table to improve how the city communicates with residents and market Dearborn across our state and the country.