Rochester-Rochester Hills City Council, Mayoral Race Preview

ROCHESTER-ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — There are multiple municipal elections in the Rochester-Rochester Hills area in November's general elections.

Voters in Rochester Hills will determine a city council seat and the mayor's race. Incumbent Mayor Bryan K. Barnett will face challenger Ariane Paviani for the seat. The winner will be elected to a four-year term.

There are also two candidates running for one Rochester Hills City Council seat, which represents the second district. Incumbent David J. Blair will face challenger Nicholas A. Sahu. The winner will be elected to a four-year term.

In Rochester, multiple candidates will bid for four open seats on the city council. The top three vote-getters will be elected to four-year terms, while the fourth vote-getter will be elected to a two-year term.

Rochester and Rochester Hills voters can vote in person at their local precinct anytime from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Any absentee ballots must have been requested by Nov. 3 by mail and by Nov. 6 in person.

Absentee early voting began on Sept. 28 and ends Nov. 6. All absentee ballots must be returned by Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. You can submit them by mail, or by hand-delivering the ballot to your clerk’s office or their drop box.

Here is a little about the races and the candidates:

Rochester Hills Mayor

Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan K. Barnett is running as a write-in candidate for the third consecutive time, because the Rochester Hills City Charter prevents a mayor from seeking re-election on the ballot after having served two full consecutive terms.

However, the charter sets no limits on how many times a mayor can run as a write-in candidate.

He has been mayor for 17 years after successfully winning re-election in 2019, 2015 and 2011. He was first elected mayor in 2006.

In a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters Oakland Area back in September, Barnett said his job is one that he "absolutely loves and is passionate about every day."

"There are still so many things that I’d like to see happen in the community," Barnett said. "I still love the blessing of being mayor. I still feel like I’m able to make a difference and I feel like I still have a lot to give."

Challenging Barnett is Ariane Paviani, who grew up in Rochester Hills and attended Rochester Community Schools. She began her career volunteering and working with the Kensington Community Church and later went on to work internationally as an advocate for an anti-human-trafficking nonprofit organization for four years.

When she returned to Rochester Hills six years ago, she began working as a technology assistant at Rochester Community Schools temporarily, before going back to school to get a degree in political science.

In the same September candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters Oakland Area, Paviani said her goal is to make Rochester Hills’ government "a collective government."

"I just saw the city start to change in a way that was a little alarming to me — where it was becoming more and more inaccessible in a way, and I wanted to make sure that it stayed a place where the people who grew up in Rochester Hills could continue to live in Rochester Hills," Paviani said.

Rochester Hills City Council

Councilman David J. Blair will face challenger Nicholas A. Sahu for Rochester Hills' second district, which includes the northernmost of Rochester Hills. The winner will be elected to a four-year term.

Blair has served as the District 2 council member since 2019. He works in technology services and has lived in the city since 2008.

"I like to make sure we maintain a focus on public safety," Blair told the Oakland County Times. "We are without question focused on keeping public safety at the top of our list of strategic goals and objections. An unbelievable 98 percent of our residents feel safe in their home and 94 percent feel safe walking through the neighborhoods, and we don't take these numbers for granted."

Sahu, on the other hand, told Patch he feels curbing urban sprawl is the most pressing issue facing residents in the district. He would look to increase resident participation and say in the planning process.

"Expanding the current notification ordinance from 350 ft to a much larger distance will include more residents in the decision-making process," Sahu said. "This will get developers and residents on the same page."

Rochester City Council

Multiple candidates will bid for four open seats on the city council. The top three vote-getters will be elected to four-year terms, while the fourth vote-getter will be elected to a two-year term. The candidates are: Incumbents Douglas Gould, Ann Peterson and Marilyn Trent, and challengers David A. Berletich, J. Christian Hauser and Debbie Jones.