Ferndale Mayor Shares State of the City Address
(City of Ferndale, May 22, 2025)
Ferndale, MI – Ferndale Mayor Raylon Leaks-May held the State of the City Address on May 13 at Affirmations. Here’s what she had to say:
Good Evening, I’m Mayor Raylon Leaks-May and I’m here tonight to talk about what connects us – The great City of Ferndale.
Ferndale has always felt like home to me. I moved here 34 years ago to a little house on Saratoga. I knew this was meant to be my home the moment I saw it. It reminded me of the house I grew up in. It had a quaint charm to it, that can be found in so many of our homes. I’m sure our stories of falling in love with Ferndale are very similar. Things seemed a little simpler back then. These days it’s easier to see our differences. Turn on the news or open social media and you’ll quickly see what divides us. Tonight, I want to focus on what unites us.
Though we may say it differently, at the end of the day, everyone wants the same things. We want to feel safe. We want to feel secure. We want to be happy. You aren’t in this alone and neither are we. These are the things that connect us.
Like so many of you here tonight, I got my start as a volunteer. At first, it was as a young mother, helping at the schools with Brownies and Girl Scouts and the theater. From there, I took it to the next step and was elected to the school board. But I wasn’t done yet, when I saw that Ferndale’s City Council didn’t have any parents or people of color sitting on the dais, I ran for City Council. I wanted my voice to be heard.
When the opportunity to run for mayor opened up, I talked it over with my family, and here we are today. There’s just something in my bones that makes me want to go out and help. You know that feeling. You wouldn’t be here tonight if you didn’t.
Volunteers don’t just do hard work for the city; they represent the best of it. Thank you to all of you who have helped make Ferndale everything it can be. From election workers and clean-up efforts to helping with festivals to running committees and boards, everything you do is appreciated. You keep Ferndale cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful. You make it more fun, more vibrant, and more of a community. You are an important piece of what makes Ferndale, Ferndale.
I’d like to recognize our wonderful City Council members, Donnie Johnson, Rolanda Kelley, Mayor Pro Tem Laura Mikulski and Greg Pawlica, Ferndale is fortunate to have such stellar leaders guiding the way. I’m fortunate to get to work with them. I’ll talk more about them a little later. Lastly, I want to thank Affirmations for welcoming us into their beautiful space. They are a crucial piece of our downtown that represents and advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community. Thank you to Cheryl Czack and her fabulous team. I’d also like to extend a special “thank you” to Michael Lary for organizing this event.
Throughout this speech, I encourage those who are being recognized to please stand and give us a wave.
Headlee and the Schools
Before we move on, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention last week’s election. I am thrilled that we were able to pass the new and improved version of the Headlee Override. Thank you for using your voice to preserve and sustain our municipal services. We heard you, and by evidence of the successful May 6 Election results, you heard us, too.
After the failed Proposal in November, City Council prioritized community engagement to understand the best way to evolve the next proposal. But, the effort doesn’t end here. City Council and I will move forward with staff and the community to ensure responsible fiscal management while maintaining services that you and I depend on. Thank you, Ferndale, for trusting in our leadership. We are stronger when we work together!
The Headlee Override Millage Proposal wasn’t the only positive outcome from the last election. The school millage passed with flying colors. Now we have the opportunity to bring meaningful, long-lasting improvements to our schools, including enhancing learning environments, upgrading aging infrastructure, expanding opportunities for students, and strengthening the heart of our community. These investments will positively impact every student, every family, and every neighborhood in our district.
Congratulations to Ferndale Public Schools for getting their bond proposal passed and thank you to the community. You chose to support safer, more modern classrooms, aging infrastructure, and making it possible to expand creative arts spaces, availability, and opportunities. It starts with leadership at the top and our superintendent, Camille Hibbler, is a great champion of our schools. Thank you to Camille, Felicia Wright, our Deputy Superintendent, and the Ferndale Public Schools Board of Education, our kids are lucky to have you.
This school year was full of great accomplishments. Giggle Pickles (Robotics) The Giggle Pickles, a robotics team from the Ferndale Middle School, made it to the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in Houston, Texas. They put up a 7 and 3 record and came in 14th in the world! This incredible achievement is a testament to their innovation, teamwork, and dedication. We couldn’t be prouder to have them representing our community on the global stage.
Congratulations to Coach Fred George, Ferndale Upper Elementary’s Behavior Interventionist. Coach George has trained many athletes throughout his time in Ferndale, however, most recently, he was in Paris, France attending the Paralympics as Coach to Ferndale Alum, Jaydin Blackwell. With the guidance of Coach George, Jaydin won Gold Medals in track for both 100 meters and 400 meters and broke the record for 100 meters. We are so very proud of Jaydin Blackwell and Coach Fred George for not only representing the USA but also Ferndale Public Schools. What a historic achievement!
Indigenous People’s Day
Last fall, I received individual letters from 3 different fifth-grade students at Ferndale Upper Elementary – each requesting that the city acknowledge Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day. I was so impressed by these young women, that I knew I wanted to do something. You don’t ignore passion at that age.
In 2022, The city passed a resolution that states the City will recognize October 13 as Indigenous People’s Day. So I had Dean Lent, Ferndale’s City Clerk, print out the resolution that was adopted by Council. With the resolution in hand, I took a morning off work and went to Ferndale Upper Elementary and presented those students with the hard copy of the resolution.
Later, I received an email from Gregory Williamson, an instructor who had previously taught some of my kids. It said: “Thank you for taking the time out. You can’t imagine the impact this had. The girls shared with our class and you could see how impressed they were with the connection and impact of the letter. I have been teaching for more than 30 years and this will be a highlight that stays with me. Please feel free to use the picture and thank you again for helping to show the potential impact of becoming active.”
I’m so glad I had the opportunity to connect with those young women. It’s all about the connections–people working together to make a better world.
I’m proud of the partnerships that our departments cultivate. As we talk about Health and Safety, you’ll see time and again how we go farther, together.
HEALTH AND SAFETY LEADERS
Ferndale police officers and firefighters—or as our community knows them, superheroes, lifesavers, and educators—protect and serve Ferndale’s community. In 2024, the Fire Department responded to 2,663 calls. Most of these calls were in fact not for fires, but for EMS-related cases. They also respond to hazardous conditions, severe weather and natural disasters, and other specialty responses. The Department provides full-scale fire rescue and EMS services for the communities of Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, and Royal Oak Township. Our fire department expands our training and response capabilities as a part of OAKWAY, a mutual aid group of 11 fire departments. They include Bloomfield Township, Southfield, Birmingham, West Bloomfield Township, Royal Oak, Waterford Regional, Madison Heights, Rochester Hills, Farmington Hills, Independence Township, and Ferndale.
Over 600 firefighters are represented in these eleven communities. Nearly 460,000 residents and approximately 174 square miles are protected locally. We help keep our neighboring communities safe and they do the same for us. Now that’s a partnership! I’d like to say a huge thank you to Chief Teresa Robinson for her leadership and to her crew for all of their important work. We are a safer city because of you.
This safety is balanced by the incredible efforts of the Ferndale Police Department.
The Police Department
Thank you to Chief Dennis Emmi and his team, for consistently going above and beyond. This year continues the partnership with the Co-Response Community Outreach or (CoRe) Program with our neighbors in Royal Oak, Madison Heights, and Hazel Park. This innovative mental health community outreach initiative contracts two mental health clinicians from the Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN) to work with the four police departments. This partnership provides community members affected by mental health and substance use disorders with additional support. The program aims to supplement police response with specialized approaches, offering support before, during, and after a crisis. So far, the first quarter has reported 70 matters that CORE has assisted with.
Recent innovations have given them new advantages in detective work. The Police Department’s response has been timely, efficient, and professional. I’d like to acknowledge the Police Communications liaison, Evan Ahlin, for his swift and informative communications. I’d also like to celebrate Audrey Raymond. 2025 marks Audrey Raymond’s 40th year of dedicated service with the Ferndale Police Auxiliary. A proud resident of Ferndale since 1980, Audrey has served as a Squad Leader for 25 years and is a two-time recipient of the Auxiliary Officer of the Year award. She comes from a proud law enforcement family and is married to retired Detective/Lieutenant Norm Raymond, who served the City of Ferndale for 34 years.Together, they have three children and five grandchildren. Since 2022, Audrey has also been part of the team at Ferndale Republic Parking, continuing her commitment to the City she’s called home for over four decades. Thank you for all of your years of service.
The conversation of education and safety amplifies as we think of our Public Works team.
As they do every year, the team at the Department of Public Works has been hard at work behind the scenes. Plus, this week is National Public Works Week, so let’s give them some extra love tonight.
Last year they put up some incredible numbers: – The DPW planted 20,000 flowers and 125 trees. – They repaved six and a half miles of roadway and four parking lots.
The DPW also took the lead on the Get The Lead Out Initiative, partnering with the EPA to identify and replace lead service lines across the city. By doing that they were able to verify 1,000 lead service lines, half of which have been replaced. They’ve cleaned 60,000 linear feet and repaired another 8,000 linear feet of the City’s service lines. Service Line Material reporting is an important part of the Program. The City created a self- reporting tool to allow residents to identify the service material inside their homes. This data is used to better understand the water supply system as a whole and how to determine which blocks were first addressed. So far, there have been 470 reports made in the system, which is a great stride. I’d like to thank Public Works Director Jim Jameson and his incredible team for everything they do for team Ferndale. Thank you!
Parks and Recreation
Our Parks and Rec. Team has been busy as always, livening up the Ferndale community with so many events, programs, and sports for all ages. Parks and Recreation Director LaReina Wheeler and her crew continued their efforts to revitalize our parks with major improvements to Martin Road Park and Wilson Park including new activities, sustainable features, and accessibility standards. They received the Park Design Award from the Michigan Recreation and Park Association (mParks) for the work done at Wilson Park. This award recognizes exemplary park projects that demonstrate innovation, accessibility, and a strong commitment to community well-being— and Wilson Park embodies all that and more.
This year the summer camp program sold out in just 3 minutes! And that was with a 60% increase in camp size. It’s terrific that we are able to offer such an invaluable service to working parents over the summer. (And the kids love it, too!)
Thank you to Parks and Recreation staff Emanuel Johnson, Robert Burch, Christion Johnson, Taylor Furda, and all of the counselors for their time and efforts.
Parks and Rec has continued to build relationships with our senior community. This year they expanded their offerings for seniors, thanks to Alicia Pardo, the City’s Program Specialist. Alicia champions the Ferndale Senior Group and fosters a fun and lively environment. The seniors have had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of classes, social events and fun trips, including the very popular Mackinac Island Grand Hotel Experience. Thank you to the hardworking Parks and Recreation Department for your efforts in making Ferndale a fun and vibrant community.
CITY HALL
None of us would be able to do what we do without the incredible staff at City Hall. I can’t thank you all enough for all of the work you do behind the scenes to keep Ferndale moving. And that starts with the top.
City Manager’s Office You’ve already met Colleen O’Toole, Ferndale’s new City Manager, who joined our team in March. Happy is an understatement. I’m absolutely thrilled with the presence Colleen has established in our community. In her short time here, Colleen has managed to revitalize this community through transparent and timely communications, proactive budget review and analysis, and honest, forward-thinking as we approached the second Headlee Override election. Her leadership was needed in a much-needed time of uncertainty, and I credit her efforts for helping Ferndale.
I’d also like to introduce James Krizan, Ferndale’s Assistant City Manager. In short, James is the glue of the City Manager’s Office. He supported the City with the previous City Manager administration, by himself in the Interim period, and now in a team with Colleen. James’s positivity and optimism is heavily valued by staff. He is the voice of reason, particularly in a time of great uncertainty. He leads the City with organization and immense knowledge of the field. As a team, they inspire staff to be the best they can be. I look forward to seeing where their leadership takes Ferndale.
The Human Resources Department hosted the second Bring Your Kid to Work Day that welcomed 20 kids. This was such a fun day, and I’m grateful for the efforts of Emmanuel Robinson, Justin Giorlando, and Dan Jacey from the HR Team. I was particularly touched because Michael Olson, the Deputy DPW Director, specifically asked if I could attend to meet his grandson. All he wanted was to meet the Mayor because he wants to be a future Mayor. I was honored to meet him, and I can’t wait to see him out campaigning one day. He’s got my vote!
When it comes to hiring practices, the City of Ferndale believes that equity is not just a goal—it is a shared responsibility that informs every aspect of how we hire, develop, and support our team. Through continuous learning and improvement, we strive to build a culture where all employees feel inspired, supported, and empowered to thrive. Since this time last year, we’ve promoted 4 employees and welcomed another 17 to the team. We are always looking for new officers to join the force. If you believe in community-focused policing, pro-active detective and investigative work and want to work in a true-team atmosphere, please consider applying.
Retiree Benefit Savings
Through an innovative change, the Human Resources Department has found an alternative way to provide our retirees the same or even better healthcare with substantial cost savings to the City. I’m grateful for our HR Team for constantly finding better ways to take care of our City of Ferndale Team.
Fern and Learn
Communications Specialist Reilly Coleman is administering the Fern and Learn Program for the third year in a row. This weekly in-person program is hosted by every department, complete with helpful presentations, station tours, activities, and games. This is a great opportunity for residents to personally get to know their City leaders, learn more about the City, and make friends with their neighbors. As much as this program is about teaching the public, it’s also about teaching staff what we can do better, and how we can better serve Ferndale. Thank you to all of our Fern and Learn students–current and present–for your drive to learn and engage with your community.
I’d also like to offer a special shoutout to our returning students this year. Your passion for Ferndale inspires us.
Sustainability
The Zero Waste Manager Logan Applebee leads the sustainability initiatives for the City. Thanks to our new compost program, the City facilitated over 160,000 pounds of compost last year. 183 new households signed up for the residential compost program. How many people in this room are signed up for the program? If you didn’t raise your hand, let’s get you signed up! The City collaborates with Spurt Industries to process our yard waste and food materials and turn it into healthy soil. Spurt is a local, family-owned and operated business with over 30 years of experience manufacturing certified compost, planting soils and custom soil blends designed to enhance and maintain plant and soil conditions.
SOCRRA and Car Trucking oversee the waste and recycling collection with the City. They are great partners in making sure our community is staying sustainable. Their collaboration with City staff has developed and enhanced sustainability awareness in the community. The Cleanup Club is a champion in volunteerism. They are a Michigan-based 501c3 nonprofit founded by environmental advocate & artist, Hannah Tizedes, dedicated to protecting our communities & Great Lakes from plastic pollution while having fun through cleanups & creativity! They have hosted many cleanups in Ferndale parks and other spaces. Thank you to the Cleanup Club for keeping Ferndale clean and beautiful.
City Clerk’s Office
The May 6, 2025, Election saw a turnout of 4,240 voters, which is 25.6% of the Ferndale population. Last year alone, we had 4 elections with over 22,000 ballots processed. Thank you to our City Clerk’s Office, Dean Lent, Dave Movilla, Rande Horn, and Reggie Sutherland for all of the work you do. I also want to thank our election workers. Do we have any in the room with us? Thank you for working tirelessly to ensure the election process is smooth and efficient. Your work is so important. You should be so proud of yourselves.
Precinct Consolidation
Ferndale voters are increasingly voting by mail or at the in-person early voting sites, which has decreased the demand for in-person voting on Election Day. As such, we’ve consolidated from 9 to 6 precincts. The consolidation saved the City an estimated $3,375-6,750 per election in wages, along with election equipment and related testing. I’m very proud of our Clerk’s Office for identifying this opportunity.
They also help me with one of my favorite mayoral duties, Marriage Ceremonies. We did 29 last year and 12 so far this year. I hope we can do even more this year!
Community and Economic Development
Roger Caruso and his team have been hard at work all year long. They do an incredible job. In the last year alone, they issued over 2,000 permits, developed a new draft of the Zoning Ordinance and most excitingly, they completed the Woodward Moves project in partnership with MDOT, DPW, the Communications Department, and the DDA.
Mayor’s Business Council
I hosted my first Mayor’s Business Council Meeting this time last year at the Jim Shaffer and Associates Community Corner. It was an incredible turnout with representatives from local businesses including ROSS Controls, Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters , Gage Products, Pure Honda Ferndale, Betterform, and Ferndale Labs, along with representatives from Michigan Works! Association, Ferndale Public Schools, and a variety of City staff. We had a great conversation and I look forward to the next one.
OLSHA Home Chore Grant
The City of Ferndale and the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) are pleased to announce a $380,000 Home Chore Grant for Ferndale residents. Qualified low-income senior and disabled residents can apply for home repairs and yard cleanup for projects up to $5,000. We have 22 applicants so far, which is a great start. Applications are still open! $90,000 of that grant funding is earmarked for grass cutting and snow removal to serve 45 people over 2 years.
Safe Streets for All
Throughout the United States and Michigan, traffic fatalities have been trending up over the last decade, including pedestrian and bicycle crash fatalities. Southeast Oakland County is working together on a plan, known as Safe Streets for All, to reduce and eliminate traffic- related fatalities and serious injuries on our streets. We’ve partnered with 6 other local communities to bring this plan together.
Downtown Development Authority
In 2024, Downtown Ferndale received some impressive accolades. Ferndale was named one of the 50 Best Places to Live in the US by Money.com and voted Best Neighborhood To Live In by Detroit Metro Times. Downtown Ferndale was awarded nearly $300,000 by Oakland County through ARPA funds dedicated to placemaking. The funding will be matched by DDA reinvestment towards upgrades of the downtown signage and wayfinding, and repairs to the sidewalks from Livernois to Bermuda. These improvements will make it easier and safer for persons of all ages and abilities to enjoy our wonderful downtown.
Downtown Ferndale added three new public art installations at Sneakers, Syndicate, and Western Market, and launched the first annual Art March to celebrate the local spirit of art and creativity. The downtown had a net gain of 3 new businesses.
And lastly, they also received additional funding through attention to training, topping $17,000 from Main Street Oakland County. Partnerships like MSOC make it possible for businesses to flourish, like Shionne Designs who was awarded more than $2,000 in funds and services through MSU FCU and Oakland Thrive. Thank you to the amazing Jennie Beeker and Sommer Realy for all of their hard work. You are the heart of our community. It’s partnerships like this that show what we can achieve if we work together.
We have a number of great volunteer-run committees that do great work all year round.
COMMISSIONS
The Ferndale Arts and Beautification Commission, not only partnered with the DDA, they’re also behind the Pollinator Parade taking place next month. Every year, they hand out beautification awards to local residents who go all out to make their properties beautiful (or spooky, for the Halloween Awards). In the last year, they also established an Artist’s Think Tank – a quarterly meeting of local artists to come together to talk about all things art and they were behind the super secret flash mob that popped up at last year’s pride.
The Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission is dedicated to furthering Ferndale’s sustainability goals. The commission supports the sustainability efforts of the city, with the goal of ensuring equity in the environment, society, and economy. Recently, Commissioners have advised on home energy efficiency, native plant programming, and Ferndale’s plans and policies. They also provided rain barrel demonstrations and distributed a curated native seed mixture to Ferndale residents through a program that was entirely funded by grants.
The Accessibility and Inclusion Advisory Commission studies challenges and barriers relating to persons with visual, hearing, cognitive, or mobility disabilities and the interaction with the community. They are a crucial resource for City Council and City staff on current events and findings. They hosted a Sensory Zone at Ferndale Pride last year. They recognize and advocate for Disability Pride Month and the ADA Anniversary. Last July the group hosted an Ice Cream Social taking suggestions from the public. They also award local businesses for offering extra access above state and federal requirements. Lastly, they provide insight on accessibility for city planning and programs (Master Land Use Plan, Zoning, Housing, Parks, DDA, etc).
CITY COUNCIL
I’d like to take a second to recognize the members of Ferndale’s City Council. I’m proud to sit on a board that is a fitting representation of the city – An eclectic mix of strong leaders with strong points of view. Individually they show their love and devotion to Ferndale in ways that are as unique as they are.
This job goes beyond sitting in a council meeting. All of us sit on different commissions too. I also asked each of them to send me their favorite book, so we could get to know them a little better.
Rolanda Kelley: Daring Greatly by Brené [Bruh-Nay] Brown
Greg Pawlica: Get Your Sh*t Together – How to Stop Worrying About What You Should Do So You Can Finish What You Need to Do and Start Doing What You Want to Do
Laura Mikulski: How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying
Donnie Johnson: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
My Book: Creezy Greek City
Council is here to advocate for you. Because it’s our job to represent your best interests. If you never have, I recommend you stop by a council meeting sometime. It’s a great chance to see how the sausage is made. And who knows, maybe it will give you the courage to run one day yourself!
It takes a village to run this town. Tonight we’ve barely scratched the surface of all of the wonderful people who devote their time to making Ferndale a better place. And the truth is… we’re always looking for more. There are always opportunities to volunteer, because there are always new things happening in Ferndale.
In the next few weeks alone we have The Memorial Day Parade, Ferndale Pride, and Juneteenth, and I think you know how busy we get in the summer. The more involved you are, the further your voice will carry. Passing the Headlee Override was just the beginning.
We have much work to do. It’s time we take what we’ve learned and invest it back into the city. When I think back to seeing that house on Saratoga for the first time, I don’t know that I could have imagined what my future would hold, but tonight, standing before you, I am excited for the future of Ferndale. Because the future is all of us. Working together. Making Ferndale the best city it can be. Thank you for your time and energy. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for believing in Ferndale.
