Tucked away on the third floor of the Community Arts Building is a business that helps people get out and explore their world. Step on Tours is a charter bus tour company that focuses on offering a variety of interesting bus trips in Michigan and beyond.
My grandkids love me (“Pa”). I may be escorting one to Ferndale pre-school soon!
My years of sales experience have given me the ability to quickly see the big picture and make common sense decisions about the steps needed to take to have a positive outcome for all those affected. Common sense, knowledge and understanding of the issues are my strongest abilities.
The bill, H.R. 6129, titled the Ban the Use of Credit Scores in Auto Insurance Act, would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act so that reports on consumer credit can’t be used in the underwriting process.
Citizens for Fair Ferndale has received funding to sponsor The Civility Project – a community wide conversation to consider how to best create and promote our own culture of civility. The goal is to strengthen the capacity of our community to engage in fair, honest, inclusive, and constructive conversations.
Oakland County residents are losing representation as a coordinated Republican effort to gain control of the redistricting process has succeeded. The Commission will be cut from 25 Commissioners to 21, and control over drawing the districts has been taken from the apportionment committee and handed to the representatives themselves.
For the Feb. 12, 2012 forum on the school bond, Citizens for Quality Education Treasurer Bob Borkram discussed why he thinks people should vote for the school bond. Resident and occasional political candidate Tom Gagne spoke against the bond.
Over a dozen Michigan Cities, including Ferndale, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit, could be stripped of their local human rights ordinances if Michigan HB 5039 passes.
As retired Ferndale Police Chief Michael Kitchen and his wife Meri prepared to head south to Florida for the winter, the 56 year old life-long Ferndale resident sat down with The Ferndale 115 News to talk about his years in the department and his views about how the City has changed.
To hear what candidates had to say, see the video below which was filmed for CFF by Keith Dalton.
Voters will be asked to choose from three candidates for two open seats.
Citizens for Fair Ferndale hosted a forum on Oct. 23, 2011 for the upcoming Nov. 8 elections. Current Mayor Dave Coulter and Ray Willis are running for the Mayor position.
David Coulter, Mayoral Candidate
The Summit was put on by a coalition of groups and individuals, including: ACLU of Michigan, Adult Well Being Services, Affirmations, Citizens for Better Care, Equality Michigan, Jewish Gay Network, the Jim Toy Community Center, and S.P.I.C.E. Information collected at the summit will be used to guide the coalition in working to solve the problems faced by the aging LGBT population.
The Ferndale Area Chamber of Commerce held a forum for business owners and residents to discuss Proposal A. Representatives from local and County government were there, as well as a representative from each of the citizens campaigns. Dennis Whittie spoke on behalf of Yes to Ferndale’s Future. Sean House represented FACT (Ferndale Against Council’s Tax).
On May 3, 2011, voters in the City of Ferndale will be asked to vote on a property tax increase to help fill in where lost state revenue sharing and lost property taxes have left the City $2.3 million short. Campaigns have organized around both sides of the issue, and there are two upcoming forums where residents can hear about and discuss the vote.
“Shall the City of Ferndale, County of Oakland, Michigan, be permitted to increase its authorized millage rate in 2011 for a term of five (5) years ending December 31, 2015, by an additional 5.4552 mills ($5.4552 per $1,000) on each dollar of the taxable value of all real and personal property in the City of Ferndale, which will restore to the City the Charter-authorized millage amount for general purposes which has been reduced by Section 31 of Article IX of the State Constitution of 1963, all of which tax revenues would be disbursed to the City of Ferndale; provided that the City shall not be authorized to levy more than three (3) additional mills in 2011. The Charter-authorized millage amount has been reduced by required millage rollbacks in recent years to 14.5448. If approved, the initial three (3) mills authorized for levy would raise approximately $1,681,806 in 2011.”
In response to concerns raised at the January 24 Council meeting, the Special Events Committee February 15, 2011 met to discuss Council’s comments and concerns and made revisions to the Special Events Policy and Ordinance, most of which were approved by Council.
2011 State of the County Address
(L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County Executive)
This is the speech given by L. Brooks Patterson on Feb. 1, 2011.
At the council meeting of Jan. 10, 2011, the Ferndale City Council considered the applications of twelve individuals and selected three to interview for the position of Mayor, which is open since former Mayor Craig Covey became elected to County Commission and had to resign the post.