2016 Candidate Interview Vicki Barnett for Oakland County Executive (video)
(Crystal A. Proxmire, July 31, 2016)
Farmington Hills, MI – The race for County Executive is now down to two people.  Democrat Vicki Barnett of Farmington Hills is challenging incumbent L. Brooks Patterson for the position.
Barnett is the former Mayor of Farmington Hills and a former State Representative.  She is also a financial planner.
Among the reasons given when asked why people should vote for her, Barnett included her financial planning background.  “I’m also a dollars and cents person. So for a county that’s very fiscally responsible, residents are very concerned about money here, as they should be.  We want to make sure their tax dollars are used wisely.  A tax dollar is a very special dollar and those of us in government need to recognize that.  Because if I take a dollar from your family income to use towards taxes, I have to provide you a service commensurate with that sacrifice your family is making.  These are special dollars. They aren’t my dollars, they are our collective dollars and they need to be spent wisely on government services.
“My goal has always been to deliver the highest quality services to our residents – the services they want and desire, at the lowest possible price with the most efficiency.  I did that as mayor.  I did that on city council. I worked toward that end as a State Representative and I will continue to work toward that as a county official,” she said.
In her interview with oc115, Barnett also talked about issues she hopes to work on in office, including public transit and better services for residents.  She talked about successes in previous positions, including helping with the Detroit bankruptcy, advocating for honey and maple syrup entrepreneurs, and coming up with funding solutions in challenging economic times.  She also talked about her passion for Gilda’s Club and the need for regional cooperation.

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Learn more about this candidate’s campaign at: http://www.vickibarnettforoaklandcounty.com/.