Vote!

Get out and vote today! At lunch! After work! In the morning! Take your children! Go with a friend!

At Hartland's polling place, the old high school. Dane is at the polling place all day so come out and say hello!

Over the last few days, Dane has been putting out his last signs, making phone calls, and knocking on doors.

Remember: Dane has concrete priorities for the County Commissioner position

1. Bring parks and recreation to Livingston County, and specifically Hartland Township

2. End full-time benefits for part-time Commissioners

3. Increase transparency in County government – put meeting minutes online and televise meetings

4. Repair our roads

5. Hold a town hall meeting to educate the public about Hartland Township and the County’s special assessment debt issue

If you are interested in these issues head up to the polls and talk with Dane!

The polls are busy on this sunny morning!

If you want a new face on the County Commission and a Commissioner from Hartland Township, vote for Dane Morris!

Video and text on Hartland Patch

Check out the just-launched website for local Hartland news and its story on Dane. Dane answers three questions about the county commission position and his answers focus on bringing transparency to county government, developing parks and recreation for our youth, and searching for consensus and common sense solutions to today’s problems.

The Livingston County Board of Commissioners’ other greatest achievement? Keeping you in the dark about where tax dollars are spent

Do you know who your County Commissioner is?

Do you know what the County Commission does?

That’s a problem. And if you don’t know the answer to those questions, surely you don’t know where the county taxes you pay end up. The current County Commissioners love to talk about the low millage rate in Livingston County. But what would you rather do – pay a low cost for an unknown services or get a tangible return on your investment?

Our roads are some of the worst in the state, so the money can’t be going to improve them. You have to hire a private company to come pick up your trash, so the money can’t be going there. The county spends $0 on parks, so there’s no money put into outdoor recreation. Most people hire DTE and have septic and well systems, so there’s no money spent on providing utilities. There’s no comprehensive public transportation, so no money being spent on alternative forms of getting around.

The Commissioners make it difficult to find information on County-level activity. The Commissioners’ webpage looks like it was created in 1999 and never updated. Meeting minutes are sparse, and only recently were complete Board Meeting minutes posted online. There are no videos. The recent mishandling of minutes may be in violation of Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. Community residents should not need to file cumbersome and expensive Freedom of Information Act requests to view something as simple as meeting minutes.

County government needs to be easily accessible to make it easier for civic participation in the democratic decision making process. The Commission needs a 21st century website with a comprehensive combination of video, audio, and text to accommodate all residents. Sure, the Commission puts up financial reports, but provides it to residents on the back end, saying: Here’s the information, we’re done. The Commission should utilize its website to say: Here’s the information, help us make a decision.

Dane is knocking on your door and running for County Commissioner because he's committed to bringing renewed political discourse to a governing body that's been ruled by one party for 25 years

If you told an incumbent Republican Commissioner that the Commissioners’ need a new website and more transparent communication with taxpayers, he would write you off as a Democrat talking about irrelevant issues. Unfortunately for the current Commissioners, this issue sticks. The idea of using technology to pry open previously opaque organizations isn’t going anywhere. Their party’s gubernatorial candidate, Rick Synder, believes in the importance and necessity of using the web to increase transparency and accountability of government. In fact, he’s made the issue a cornerstone of his 10 Point Plan to revitalize Michigan.

Just like at the state level, we need a new face in order to promote a community of clear, transparent, and accountable County government. Vote for a new face on the County Commission. Vote for a taxpayer upset about the county’s lack of services. Vote because you want to be an integral part of County decisions. And remember: you can split the ticket in the general election. So no matter who you vote for in other races, vote for Dane Morris for County Commissioner.

The Livingston County Board of Commissioners’ greatest achievement? Doing what every municipality is required to do by Michigan law

You’ll hear the current all-Republican commissioners talk all day about balancing the county budget. What they don’t tell you, however, is that almost every other municipality in Michigan has done the same thing. It’s nothing extraordinary that our county has a balanced budget. In fact, it’s required by state law. All municipalities have made difficult cuts to balance the budget. Muskegon Heights did it. Genesee County did it. Grand Rapids did it. Washtenaw County did it. Ingham County did it (and the Ingham County Board of Commissioners is currently focusing on the 2012 budget instead of wasting time lauding its required achievement). The list goes on.

The current County Commission points to the dollars and cents as the bottom line for our county. Dane thinks a little differently. First, Dane doesn’t see a balanced budget as a landmark accomplishment – he views it as an expected outcome of a County Commission. As a contract negotiator for teachers, Dane is familiar with making concessions and working with others.

Fillmore County Park, gifted land to be used as a recreation area for county residents. Current Commissioners lease the land as a source of revenue. Dane will develop the land for its intended use - outdoor enjoyment for our county families.

Second, Dane views our County as more than a dollar figure. Dane knows the success and continued growth of Livingston County resides in the people here. That’s why Dane will be an advocate for parks and recreation. He knows that parks and outdoor recreation improve quality of life and attract business and residents.

Eight More Days!

Matching Yard Signs

Nearing the end of the campaign, Dane knocked on more doors in Hartland Township over the weekend. Dane is hearing from you about the lack of playing fields for our youth. Voters are excited to learn about the potential for parks and recreation right here in our backyard. We have a 100 acre plot of unused parkland on the north side of M-59 between Bullard and Fenton Rd. Dane knows we need more fields to support HAYAA and other activities and is ready to be an advocate for parks and recreation on the County Commission.

What a County Board of Commissioners meeting is like

You have probably never been to a Livingston County Board of Commissioners meeting. You probably don’t know what the Board of Commissioners is.

Wondering what happens at their meetings? Not much.

The Monday, October 18 Board meeting was no exception. The meeting started with the pledge of allegiance, an attendance roll call, and small correspondence. During the call to the public, Kelly Raskauskas, Democratic candidate in District 7, spoke of the need for a town-hall meeting about the County’s special assessment district (SAD) debt issue. Her comments were ignored.

There were no tabled issues from previous meetings, the agenda was approved, and two Commissioners provided small reports. Then the meeting rolled into voting mode. In this phase, the board Chairwoman reads the resolution. Then a Commissioner immediately motions to adopt the resolution. Then a Commissioner seconds the motion. Then everyone on the Board says “Yay.”

There is no discussion. Sometimes an audience member is asked to provide information about a specific resolution, but it’s a mere formality. The Commissioners have a streamlined system: motion, second, yes. Motion, second, yes. They have done it thousands of times.

In an unprecedented event, Commissioner La Balle motioned to table an agenda item for further discussion. The motion passed. Dealing with employee pay grades, it is the only resolution known to us that has not passed unanimously. For some reason, the historic vote felt planned and executed.  The rehearsed nature of the full Board meeting is not surprising when we realize that Commissioners actually discuss and decide these issues at their Finance Committee meetings. Convenient for the general public, these meetings take place every other Wednesday at 7:30am.

Another call to the public and no response. The meeting is over at 8:00pm. Starting a few minutes after 7:30pm, the meeting lasted approximately 27 minutes.

Do you think these meetings should have more discussion and debate about the issues affecting our County? Dane does. As president of his local teacher union upon retirement, Dane knows what it’s like to negotiate complex issues and arrive at compromises. County government should account for a variety of perspectives, manage trade-offs, and create a unique solution that is appropriate for all stakeholders. It is well known in the private sector that successful strategic and project management teams are diverse. A CEO would never put nine like-minded people on a team because the CEO knows the team won’t question their peers, challenge assumptions, change opinions, or arrive at innovative ideas; the members will merely agree on the status quo.

Do we see a variety of perspectives on the Board of Commissioners? We see nine Republicans. We see a governing body that has been ruled by one party, to the best of our knowledge, since the mid 1980s. A CEO wouldn’t choose our current Commissioners to be on a leadership team together. Voters should borrow this insight from the private sector and elect a new Commissioner. Dane is ready to work with constituents and Board members to create the unique compromises and innovative ideas that will move our County forward.

WHMI Report: Democratic Candidate Challenging Commissioner’s Expenses

Yesterday, WHMI ran a story on Dane’s recent press release (available for reading right here) about Commissioner Domas’ excessive use of taxpayer funds. Maybe you heard the story on WHMI yesterday. If you didn’t catch it, here’s the text from http://whmi.com (highlighting added).

“10/14/10 – The Democratic candidate hoping to unseat a long term commissioner is challenging his county reimbursement record. Hartland resident Dane Morris is alleging that District 3 Commissioner Dave Domas (pictured) leads the entire board in requesting additional compensation and personal reimbursement at $2,340. Morris says transparency is lacking at the county level and says various democratic candidates have had to file freedom of information act requests for items he feels should be posted online, such as expense accounts and committee meeting minutes. He tells WHMI that Domas is taking credit for freezing his salary but after investigation, feels he’s making up for it with his expense account. Domas defends mileage reimbursement is a common tool for both businesses and government and the county does not abuse it. He says the board is always working to improve county government and reduce costs but protecting the public is the number one responsibility. He says it’s important that members of the board and others have the opportunity to travel to complete assignments. He says the amount is likely for trips associated with various public safety departments for meetings since he chairs the committee. He says every department in the county has a line item for mileage reimbursement and the commissioners likely have the smallest one, adding that the board reduced the mileage reimbursement rate by about 40% last January so year-to-date figures are likely lower than what’s been released. All county commissioners are part-time elected officials who receive salaries and various benefits. Morris is a retired teacher from Grand Blanc schools. Domas, who also resides in Hartland Township [sic], has served various terms on the county board. The pair will square off November 2nd. (JM)”

Let’s take a closer look at Mr. Domas’ logic. He claims that his $2,340 in requested funds, compared to the average Commissioner’s $845, is due to trips relating to his position as Chair of the Public Safety Committee.

One would expect the other Chairs of important county-wide Committees to have equally high expense accounts. Not the case. Commissioner Mantey, Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, requested $0 in additional taxpayer funds over the same time period. Commissioner VanHouten, the Chair of three committees, requested less than half of Commissioner Domas’ expenses. In fact, of the eight other Commissioners, six are Committee Chairs and all requested far less money than Commissioner Domas.

Is Commissioner Domas really “Standing Up for Livingston County Taxpayers?” Once we peel back the opaque veil created by our all-Republican County Commission, we see that Mr. Domas is a “fiscal watchdog” when it comes to everything except his personal compensation. Is there any other part-time job in the State of Michigan that pays $15,000 annually, provides full medical benefits, life insurance, and a pension? With residents in our county unemployed and losing more homes than almost any other county in Southeast Michigan, should we provide our part-time Commissioners with full-time benefits?

As a public school teacher for 34 years, Dane understands that benefits and salary must be aligned with the type and amount of work performed. He is committed to working with County residents to move our community foward through open, interactive, and engaging conversations. In the meantime, if Commissioner Domas is committed to reducing the size of government, he should start by reducing the size of his personal compensation.

Press Release: What are County Commissioners doing with extra taxpayer money?

Below is the text of Dane’s most recent press release. Obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the figures show that Commissioner Domas has received nearly twice as much additional taxpayer money as any other Commissioner.

For Immediate Release 10/11/10

County Commissioners are part-time elected officials who receive salaries ranging from $15,325 to $18,114. In addition to their salaries, Commissioners also receive full health benefits, dental benefits and life insurance from the county, as well as county pensions.

The taxpayer-funded perks don’t stop there: Commissioners are also eligible for per diems to attend meetings and mileage allowances.

District 3 Commissioner David Domas, a sixteen-year veteran, leads the nine-member Board of Commissioners in requesting additional compensation. Over the past year, Domas has requested and received over $2,000 in “personal reimbursement,” “per diem” and other payments – in addition to his salary, benefits and pension eligibility.

Domas has personally received as much as the next two Commissioners combined and more than triple the reimbursements of three Commissioners. Two Commissioners did not request reimbursements in the past year.*

$2,340 Domas

1,274 Dolan

1,069 VanHouten

789 LaBelle

769 Jones

765 Williams

602 Griffith

0 Parker

0 Mantey

Dane Morris, Mr. Domas’ opponent in the District 3 Commission race, questioned Mr. Domas’ committment to fiscal responsibility. “I don’t know how you can call yourself ‘fiscally conservative’ when you are taking nearly $200 a month from the taxpayers in addition to all the other compensation received. That’s like a worker demanding extra pay just because he commutes and shows up at work.”

Morris, a retired teacher and youth soccer coach, lives in Hartland with his family

###

*Reimbursement figures based on data provided by County Clerk Margaret Dunleavy on 9/30/10 in response to a FOIA request.

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Dane Morris, 2837 Sun Terrace Dr, Hartland, MI 48353. Printed in-house. Labor donated.

Field Trip to Livingston County Parks

Getting around Livingston County Parks is not an easy task.

Lutz Park

According to the website, Lutz Park is located at 3415 E. Cohoctah Rd Howell, MI. Well, not exactly. And it’s no surprise that the County website is inadequate and years outdated (see here). If you drive to 3415 E. Cohoctah Rd, you end up at the farmstead and barns which are privately used.

Lutz Homestead

After turning north onto Latson Rd, the signs for Lutz Park start to appear. Unfortunately, there are no park signs at Latson Rd and M-59, a major intersection that could increase awareness about the park and draw traffic from M-59 to the park.

Lutz Park sign on Latson Rd. Unfortunately, no park signs appear at the major Latson Rd/M-59 intersection

The signs end at a small dirt parking lot. A display at the parking lot showcases the only informational material in the Park. There are no bathrooms or trash receptacles.

The only information in Lutz Park

Most of the walking in Lutz County Park is done by guesswork. There are no signs or maps in the Park, so visitors must struggle to recall the map at the parking lot. Since there are no marked trails, many visitors have created “social trails” that create complex webs of partially-created trails. Following these numerous trails can leave a visitor lost and straying onto adjacent public hunting land. The main “trail” is a two-track road that leads past a few benches and picnic areas.

The first picnic area. Is this what Mr. Lutz envisioned for his park?

Parts of the park are separated by electric fence

After quickly finishing the 1.3 mile “groomed trail system,” visitors are back to the parking lot. Another look at the Trail Guide shows the extent of underdevelopment at the park.

Trail Map. Source: http://www.co.livingston.mi.us/planning/parks/lutz/lutzTrails.htm

Of the 302 acres in Lutz Park, the one public trail utilizes one edge in the northwest section. In 302 acres of gifted park land, the best our Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee could muster is a 1.3 mile trail that’s simply an existing two-track road, one information sign, and a handful of benches and picnic tables. Most of the park is still active crops.

At Lutz Park you can look - but you can't actually walk through or use these fields that are reserved for growing crops.

Lutz Park is the start of a park – it has a short walking trail. But where are the interactive and educational displays? What if our county schoolchildren could take field trips to the Park and learn about the history of agriculture in our rural communities? After all, honoring our agricultural tradition was part of Mr. Lutz’s vision for this land. What if county children could come here to play soccer, throw frisbees, ride bikes, and get the outdoor play time that’s necessary for child development? Even if part of the land remains active crops, why is there no educational information about the type of crops or the process of raising crops?

As an educator, fifth-grade camp leader, father of three, and avid outdoorsman, Dane appreciates the value of incorporating the outdoors into our lives. Dane is committed to bringing parks and recreation to Livingston County.  The ineffectiveness of our County Commissioners in creating play fields for our youth and families is no better seen than at Raymond Fillmore County Park.

Raymond Fillmore County Park

No surprise that the County website again gives incorrect information about this park.

Park location map. Doesn't this park look great? It's big, in Genoa Township, and near the population center of the County. Source: http://www.co.livingston.mi.us/planning/images/2010%20Location%20Map.jpg

Simply put, there is no park. The Fillmore County Park outline in the map actually outlines a working farm. There are no signs that would let any passer-by know that the land is publicly owned by Livingston County. Instead, there is a barbed wire fence around a barn.

This land was gifted to the County five years ago. In five years, the best use our elected officials have come up with is leasing the land as a working farm. From the website:

“He [Raymond Fillmore] wished for the entire 198 acres be retained as open space. He wanted the park to be a pleasant setting for the residents of the county to enjoy, whether it be used for baseball diamonds, picnic grounds, hiking paths, etc.  The Livingston County Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee are exploring possible park opportunities for this land.”

Does a visitor see baseball diamonds and hiking paths? We see this:

Barren crop fields at Fillmore County Park

Even more saddening is the fact that directly across McClements Rd there is a private recreation area. In an area prime for park development and donated to the County with the intention of creating outdoor activities for County residents, our Commissioners have done nothing for five years.

Our current Commissioners are robbing our youth of an educational and recreational asset in our own backyard. By allocating $0 for parks and recreation, the Commissioners have signaled that providing play fields for our youth is not a priority.

Has our Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee, and Commissioners VanHouten and Dolan who sit on the Committee, fulfilled its duty in executing the vision of our generous benefactors? Should our public lands, donated for the enjoyment of ours and future generations in our County, be leased as farmland with electric fences and private residences?

We can do better in Livingston County. We can develop our park lands to be the vital resource they can be in improving quality of life in our County. Dane is ready to be the Parks and Recreation Commissioner. He is ready to work with community residents to create parks that will be used by our youth and families for recreation and education, not for late night beer drinking parties around bonfires. He is more than happy to be a one-term Commissioner and focus his time in office on improving our County through parks and recreation. The County Board of Commissioners needs an advocate for parks and Dane is ready and qualified to fulfill that role.

Livingston County Democratic Party Fundraiser

Dane was one of the County Commissioner candidates to speak alongside Attorney General candidate David Leyton and Denise Langford Morris (no relation), candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court.

Speaking at the fundraiser

Dane reminded the audience that after 34 years of listening to the concerns of parents, he is ready to listen and address the concerns of Livingston County residents. He cited our County’s lack of parks and recreation as the reason for his candidacy. Our County Commission, with gifted land intended for parks to be enjoyed by County residents, has instead chosen to rent the land to farmers. The gifted land is marked with numerous “No Trespassing” signs.

With the other candidates, Dane outlined the Democrat’s campaign that is based on in-depth research into the issues facing our county. The Republican incumbents are running on business as usual and not getting the job done.

Dave Berry (Conway Township) spoke about the lack of respect showed to our veterans in Livingston County. Did you know that the low County millage rate praised by our current Commissioners was robbing our veterans of needed support? Until public outrage in 2009, the current all-Republican County Commission failed to levy a state-mandated tax that provides relief for indigent veterans. As a US Army Veteran, and father of a son who just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, Dave is well-qualified to address the issues our local veterans face. With Dave on the Commission, members will no longer be able to ignore the needs of residents who have given their service to our nation.

Barry McBride (Green Oak Township) opened his speech by asking the audience if anyone traveled to the fundraiser by plane. Did you know that your tax dollars fund an airport that benefits the select few that own a private airplane or use the airport? As the Spencer J. Hardy continues to see lower revenue and traffic, it has benefited from a $2.7 million dollar bailout from the General Fund and Delinquent Tax fund over the last decade. Barry believes that our tax dollars should fund public improvements in roads and safety services.

Finally, Kieth Tianen (Putnam Township) focused on the disconnect between our current Commissioners and residents in Livingston County. Do you know who your Commissioner is? Do you know where your tax dollars are being spent? Keith spoke about his proven experience working together with residents in the community. In 2009, he worked with residents and local business owners to change a construction plan on M-36 in Hamburg Township. Without his leadership, the MDOT construction project, fully endorsed and passed by the County Commissioners, would have wiped out local businesses for months.

You can see that the Democratic Candidates for County Commission are qualified, knowledgeable, and ready to work with residents to improve our County.