Meet the Candidates for Grosse Pointe Park Council

Five residents are seeking office in Grosse Pointe Park this November. Of the five, one is seeking the mayoral seat and four are vying for the three council seats.

Longtime --a fact that he appreciates and says helps him focus on making progress in the city rather than focusing on campaigning. He is seeking his 15th term and is genuinely excited to continue serving the residents.

Of the remaining four residents seeking office, three are city council incumbents and one is a newcomer. The incumbents highlight their years of service to the residents and accomplishments during that time. The newcomer is looking for change. 

One resident who originally filed to run in the election for a council seat, Marie Hackleman, withdrew her application from the race within the proper time frame.

The candidates participated in in city council chambers. The questions asked during the forum focused on blight in the city, the city's acquisition of properties, DTE service, police staffing and more.

The general election is Nov. 8, 2011.

Patch asked candidates to answer a few questions about themselves, their interest in the position and their goals. Information for the candidates was compiled from their answers to questions,f the Grosse Pointe Park website, their answers during last week's candidate forum and campaign information.

Listed alphabetically, the candidates are:

Clark has lived in Grosse Pointe Park for 33 years, according to the League of Women Voters of Grosse Pointe voter guide. He worked for 33 years for the U.S. Social Security Administration and has worked 27 years in field operation management.

He was first elected to the council in 1987 and during last week's forum he highlighted his experience as a reason for re-election. Among the accomplishments, Clark included development of the business district, stablization of the neighborhoods and a reduction in crime.

The accomplishments are among is goals for his next term if re-elected. He wants to focus on the continued reduction in crime, development in the business districts and to keep the Park what he describes as a destination of choice within the metropolitan area.

Clark believes all of the Pointes need to seriously make progress on consolidation efforts, noting until recently all the talk has been just that, talk.

Denner has lived in Grosse Pointe Park for 29 years. He is retired from Accenture, where he was a partner for the global management and technology firm.

Denner highlights his active role within his neighborhood association, Audubon-Whittier Property Owners Association, and the community as a whole. He has served as the block captain, treasurer, vice-president, president and secretary for the organization. He has also been active with the Grosse Pointe Park Foundation.

He was first appointed to council in 2003 to fill a vacancy and has been re-elected since. If re-elected, Denner wants to focus on revitalizing the northwest section of the city.

Denner is disappointed consolidation projects, specifically the 911 Dispatch Center, have not yet happened. He believes the Park should continue pursuing efforts to make consolidations where appropriate.

Teodecki has lived in the Park for 20 years. He is a product engineer and has been heavily involved with the Detroit Institute of Opthalmology's Eyes on Design program through the North American International Auto Show.

He is the newcomer seeking to unseat one of the three incumbents. He highlights his work with Eyes on Design, for which he was able to reduce operational costs by 30 percent--a point that he feels exemplifies his ability to help the city be financially responsible. If elected, he wants to preserve the quality of life for residents through the city as a whole, its neighborhoods, water service and more. For more information, he has a Facebook Campaign page or his campaign website.

Teodecki wants to see consolidation projects implmented within the year. He believes each Pointe needs to assess its strengths and capitalize on those within all of the communities. He wants big and small projects to be completed.

Theokas has lived in Wayne County for 46 years, according to the affidavit he completed to seek re-election. He is a small business owner and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1973.

He is the mayor pro-tem for the current council, serves as the chairman for the finance committee. He was first elected to council in 1995 and has been re-elected since.

Theokas highlights his 16 years of experience on the council and the savings achieved in the budget as a result of work by the finance committee, employees and the council. If re-elected his focus would remain on operating the city in the most efficient way, maintaining amenities for residents, DTE service for residents and businesses as well as keeping the Park from being classified as a flood plain by FEMA. 

Theokas believes the Park has done well on its own by taking steps to reduce costs and it is a good sign that the city does not have reliance on the other Pointes.