Saline City Council Candidate Linda TerHaar

Linda TerHaar

Family

Husband, Bruce Westlake

Education

B.A Calvin College, M.A. University of Cincinnati, M.S.L.S University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Employment

Retired in 2008 as Head, Shapiro Undergraduate Library, University of Michigan

Government Involvement

• Councilmember, City of Saline, appointed October, 2010

Community Involvement

• Friends of the Saline District Library volunteer since 1996, trustee since 2008,
• Book Shop Committee chair since 2009
• Saline Lindenberg Friendship Committee member and volunteer since 2003, Board member since 2009, Liaison to Harvest of the Arts Oktoberfest planning committee in 2009, 2010, 2011
• Saline Brecon Friendship Guild member and volunteer since 2007
• Saline Leadership Institute, 2009
• Northside Presbyterian Church (Ann Arbor) member since 1994, have served on various committees and the Session (governing board), currently serving as Financial Secretary

Why Are You Running?

Citizens have a responsibility to contribute in their communities. As a resident for nearly 16 years, I appreciate Saline’s great qualities and am invested in seeing our community continue to be an excellent place to live and work. My training and experience have given me management, planning, and collaboration skills useful for the work of City Council. In our present challenging times, I believe it is especially important for differing points of view to be respectfully heard and thoughtfully considered during the decision-making process.

What Are The Top 3 Issues Facing The City And How Should Council Address Them?

1.  Preserve financial stability in the present challenging fiscal climate.

City staff and council have a history of hard work and planning to anticipate financial challenges and to position the city to be able to meet coming challenges. Staff and council must continue this excellent work.

2.  Maintain Saline’s status as an excellent place to live and work.

Support growth of existing businesses and provide an attractive environment for new businesses to locate in Saline. Encourage and support the business, community and volunteer groups that contribute so much to our local quality of life.

3.  Work responsibly to provide services and programs.

As council members, be well-informed and educated about issues and context, engage in respectful discussion, base decisions on the best interests of the whole community, and ensure that state government officials understand and respond to the obligations of local government units.

(This page will be updated as we publish the candidate's answers to the questions we posed.)