Election: Meet Your Berkley City Council, Mayor Candidates

Berkley voters will go to the polls Nov. 8 to elect a mayor and three City Council members – all uncontested races – and Berkley Patch has the scoop on the candidates.

Mayor Marilyn Stephan did not file to run in the  election, which leaves current Councilman Phil O'Dwyer as the sole candidate for the two-year term. Stephan was elected mayor in 2005 and before that had served on council since 1999, Berkley City Clerk Cheryl Printz said.

If elected, O'Dwyer would leave a vacancy on the City Council that would have to be filled within 30 days by appointment, Printz said. The appointment would require at least four council votes, she said. The appointee would serve until the next city general election, which also is when the term expires, and would be eligible to run in that election, she said.

Councilman Dan Benton is not seeking re-election in November, Printz said, opening up one four-year term; incumbents Daniel Terbrack and Eileen Steadman are seeking re-election for the remaining two four-year terms.

Below are responses the candidates provided to questions asked by Berkley Patch, in alphabetic order.

Alan H. Kideckel

Age: 52

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wayne State University.

Political career: Chairperson of Berkley Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, member of CruiseFest Committee, member of Berkley's Citizens Committee.

Professional career: Self-employed.

Personal: Widowed.

Contact information: AlKideckel@aol.com

What inspired you to run:  As a resident for 20 years, I believe that I can make a positive impact in our city. After volunteering with the City of Berkley in various capacities, I am ready to take the next step.

What are your priorities if elected?:  A primary goal is to make sure that our core services continue to improve. In Berkley, we are fortunate to have great services as well as dedicated employees. Due to our struggling economy, we must be conscious of our budget while prioritizing the needs of our residents. Being an advocate for children, I have always felt it is important to include them, when appropriate. Believing they are our future, I would like to explore the idea of forming a Berkley Junior City Council. These children would be students who are Berkley residents. Without the caring and hard work of our volunteers, many events would not be as successful. In addition, residents who volunteer on boards and commissions help make Berkley even a better city. It is important that we continue reaching out to residents who will be an asset, serving on our various boards and commissions.

What is your favorite thing about Berkley?: Having a neighborhood atmosphere with a downtown we can walk to. I also love the people in Berkley.

What is the biggest problem facing the city?: Keeping our great services strong while balancing our budget, as we continue to lose revenue.

Phil O'Dwyer

Age: 63

Education: Doctorate in counseling psychology from Wayne State University; graduate studies at University of Detroit and University of Notre Dame; undergraduate studies at Saint Patrick College, Ireland.

Political career: 6 years on Berkley City Council.

Professional career: President of Brookfield Clinics, adjunct professor at Oakland University.

Personal: (My wife) Jeanne and I moved to Berkley 31 years ago, where we raised our son, Tim.

Website: odwyerformayor.com

Contact information: pod3@aol.com

What inspired you to run: Public service is a time-honored endeavor. I believe one is called to contribute one's talents to the community. We have a large number of volunteers in the city who work tirelessly for the betterment of Berkley. The example of their generosity inspires me to serve.

What are your priorities if elected?: As mayor, my primary task will be to ensure that our citizens' views are heard and that their concerns are objectively considered. This will be accomplished by conducting City Council meetings with fairness, civility and equity and by representing the city in a professional manner. My second priority is the financial security of Berkley. Amid diminishing resources this is a pivotal issue for every resident. I will ensure the prudent management of our limited funds and I will seek the direction of the residents on major financial decisions that could impact the services they receive. Enriching our Berkley quality of life is my third priority. Its essential features include: preserving our neighborhood spirit, encouraging property enhancement, attracting valued businesses, supporting our dedicated employees, improving our parks, expanding our talented and generous pool of volunteers and facilitating citywide dialogue through new technologies.

What is your favorite thing about Berkley?: Berkley's most endearing quality is its friendly neighborhood spirit.

What is the biggest problem facing the city?: Years of cutting budgets, reducing staff and deferring needed maintenance eventually have a real impact on the quality of life. Our community coffers are distressed as we face the challenge of navigating these difficult times while seeking to preserve the kind of city we all value.

Eileen Steadman

Age: 67 

Education: Bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University and master's degree from Oakland University, both in special education  

Political Career: I have been serving on Berkley City Council since 1997. I also served on the Planning Commission from 1993 until 1997. Prior to (my time on City Council), I was very involved in (the Parent Teacher Association), serving as Hamilton () PTA president and PTA council president during the 1980s.

Professional Career: I taught special education in the Royal Oak School District from 1966 until I retired in 2006. During this time, I taught all grade levels, beginning with high school and ending with early intervention (birth to 3-year-olds and their parents).  

Personal: I am the mother of four daughters (my most challenging job) and the grandmother of ten, ranging in age from 6 to 21 . 

What inspired you to run?: I just enjoy public service and feel it is our duty as citizens to participate in whatever way possible, whether it is by voting, supporting a candidate or becoming a candidate. What are your priorities? First, to continue our resolve to find ways to combine or consolidate city services to save taxpayers money while maintaining the high quality of services that we are known for. Secondly, to continue our efforts to attract new residents and keep current residents here. We were recently given the distinction of the best and most affordable city in the United States by Bloomberg's Business Week. This was due to good city and financial management, good decisions by current and past councils, and a resident and business community dedicated to living and/or working in a thriving community with a "hometown" feeling. I want our city to continue to live up to these standards. Third, we need to do everything we can to maintain financial solvency without sacrificing city services or any more valued personnel.  

What is your favorite thing about Berkley?: My favorite thing is its small town atmosphere, its walkability, its great employees and city services, and a that knows and cares about our residents. 

What is the biggest problem facing the city?: It clearly is finances, as it is with every municipality in Michigan. We have stayed afloat because of wise decisions and great management over a 10-year span, but it has cost us valued personnel. While we are in a better financial position than some of our neighboring cities, we can no longer count on state-shared revenues and a booming housing market to carry us through. Those days are over, and we must find new avenues and resources. 

Daniel J. Terbrack

Age: 31

Education: Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education and Master of Arts degree in educational administration and leadership.

Political career: Elected to Berkley City Council in 2007, appointed mayor pro tem in 2009.

Professional career: Principal of in Berkley.

Personal: Married to Jacqueline Terbrack; daughter Addison is 2 years old and a second daughter is due Dec. 16.

Website: www.electdanterbrack.org

Contact information: dterbrack@berkleymich.net

What inspired you to run: As a lifelong Berkley resident, I care deeply about my city. Once we bought our home in Berkley, I wanted to get more involved in an effort to give something back to the city that had given me so much, so I joined the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. After serving on the board for a couple of years, I wanted to get involved on a larger scale and ran for the vacant council seat in 2007. I was truly humbled when the residents put their faith in me by electing me that November. Although my first four years on council have been quite challenging, I believe I have provided residents with thoughtful, research-based opinions on what I feel is best for all residents.
 
What are your priorities if elected?: My top priority is continuing to provide our residents with the quality services that they have been accustomed to, while preserving a healthy fund balance. Although the budget has gotten increasingly tighter since 2007, our residents have not seen a drop-off in city services – but the fund balance has been decreasing due to lost revenue as a result of the sagging economy, recent loss of state-shared revenue, and potential loss of the personal property tax. Berkley was named “Best Affordable Suburb” by Businessweek in 2010 for many reasons; but a significant factor was recreational offerings for all residents. However, we are currently short on community green space and our parks and recreational offerings are in need of an infrastructure upgrade. Even though there are fiscal constraints, we cannot lose sight of the critical role that our Parks & Recreation Department has on our youngest to eldest residents. In 2010 we had about 25 new businesses open in Berkley, and so far in 2011 we’ve had 34 new business applications. I’d like to ensure that Berkley remains an attractive location for new businesses by working more closely with our Downtown Development Authority, Chamber of Commerce, and Planning Commission.
 
What is your favorite thing about Berkley?: Small town feel with the vibrance of a big city.

What is the biggest problem facing the city?: Loss of revenue from the budget due to the sagging economy, loss of state shared revenue, and potential loss of personal property tax.