Saline MI
10-10-2015 12:31pm

Vote 2015: Meet Saline City Council Candidate John (Jack) Ceo

City of Saline voters will elect three people to city council in the Nov. 3 election. The four candidates are Jack Ceo, Linda TerHaar, Lee Bourgoin and Heidi McClelland.

Name:  John J. Ceo, Jr.  (I am best known by my nickname, “Jack”)
Age:  67 years
Family:  Wife Pam of 40 years, and two grown children, John, III, and Christina and their spouses, Crystal and Andrew.  John and Crystal also have two sons we greatly enjoy.
Occupation:  Co-manage the Washtenaw County 800 MHz Radio Consortium, 2011 – Present
Relevant experience/education: 

  • MBA, Eastern Michigan University, 1983
  • Past member of the Saline Board of Education, 1992-1999
  • Current member of the Saline Planning Commission
  • Current member of the Saline Zoning Board of Appeals
  • Retired Deputy Chief of Police, Saline Police Department, 1999 - 2011
  • Retired Deputy Chief of Police, Ann Arbor Police Department, 1972 – 1999
  • Served in the US Army with the rank of Captain, 1969 – 1972.

Why do you want to serve on Saline City Council?

I was raised by a family who believed in community service as an obligation of citizenship.  I, too, believe in that idea.  I think that we need leadership with the kind of experience and common sense that I feel that I possess to help our community face the challenges we now see coming. 

Why should voters elect you to Saline City Council?

Given my years of government service, including the time I spent on the Saline Board of Education, I feel that I have the experience to know the role that should be played by a Council Person in helping to shape the policy direction for the city.  We hire professional staff members to perform the specific job functions.  A Council Person is there to give guidance in the form of setting policy and formulating goals for the accomplishment of the city’s functions.  I feel that I have the ability to listen to constituents, and the common sense to move the city in the direction that would best suit the majority.

Name a few things Saline does very well. Name a few areas where Saline needs improvement.

Despite recent challenges in some areas of city operations, Saline city government provides well for the health, safety and welfare of the community.  We live free from fear of crime.  We have roads that are well cared for.  Sewer and water services are provided with very few problems.  All that said, things can always get better.  I feel that in order to continue to provide excellent service, and to avoid problems, the city and its staff must continuously strive for improvement.  No matter how good we think we are, we can always improve operations and service.  We are coming out of tough financial times, but we must be ever mindful of being good stewards of the tax revenues provided by our citizens, and not spend money frivolously.

The city has gone back and forth on limits in the downtown parking lots. Should Saline enforce parking lot regulations with parking tickets? Does Saline need more downtown parking, and if so, would you support the acquisition of more property?

Most communities enforce parking limits with tickets.  Rules without consequences are not obeyed.  Parking limits are there to insure parking turnover, and availability of parking spaces to potential customers of our businesses.  Therefore, given the legitimate purpose of parking time limits, they should be enforced.  I have always found a place to park in town – maybe not right at the door of the place I was trying to patronize, but within a short walk of a block or two.  With the exception of large events, like the Christmas parade, there is always a place to park if one plans in advance, leaves in time to find a place to park, and is willing to walk a block to two.  We should not have to purchase additional parking lots to accommodate events that only occur once or twice a year.

A common refrain heard from some residents is that the city shouldn’t be spending money on events and activities for the community. Do you believe that? Why or why not?

When I worked at the Saline Police Department, we always budgeted overtime costs for known events, like Celtic Festival, and the other regular community events.  Community events are part of the fabric of the community, and part of the reason most of us choose to live here.  As such, we should be willing to pay for them.  Fund-raisers should, as part of their overhead, pay a reasonable amount for the city services necessary to put them on.

Should the city actively encourage growth (by annexation or otherwise)? Why or why not?

The City of Saline should actively encourage growth of its boundaries.  Cities that do otherwise, stagnate and die.  It has to be done with due respect for and in conjunction with the wishes of our neighboring jurisdictions.   It needs to be done with care and foresight for the provision of basic city services, not only for the new areas, but with consideration for the existing areas of the city.  In other words, expansion should not take place at the expense of current residents.  New residents need to pay their fair share for city services, too.

The Rec Center membership is up 10 percent, but the facility has been dogged by expensive repairs. Do you favor continued support of the community facility? Why or why not? Are there ways to better financially sustain the center? Or is it just time to accept that such a facility comes with costs?

I believe that the care and maintenance of the Rec Center is a city obligation.  It is has now been there for quite some time, and maintenance and repairs are a part of doing business if it is to remain a viable place for people to recreate and exercise.  I think that it should continue to be supported as an important part of the service the city provides to the community.

Despite the improved economy and the work of many officials, there are still vacancies and underutilized commercial buildings and property downtown, on the west end, and at the shopping plazas on the east side. What approach should the city take to find the right tenants?

The city’s part in making Saline attractive to possible business tenants is to continue to provide excellent city services, and to make this an attractive place to live and work.  Property owners share in the responsibility by setting rental and lease rates at reasonable levels, and keeping their parking lots and outdoor lighting serviceable and in good working order.  The city’s Main Street efforts, and the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce and other business partnerships in Saline need to also be supported by the city in any reasonable requests they make for assistance and cooperation. 

There were issues this year that cast the DPW and SPD in a negative light. What should be done from the council table to ensure that public trust in the city departments is well-placed?

Council should work with the city staff to insure that government functions smoothly and efficiently, and that problems are also dealt with promptly and properly.  Oversight by Council should always insure that issues are dealt with in a proper, timely manner. 

The AAATA’s “The Ride” now connects just east of town in Pittsfield Township. What, if any, public transportation do you believe is needed in the City of Saline? When would you like to see it start? And will you support funding the service with tax dollars?

The City of Saline currently contracts for public transportation of its citizens via participation in the People’s Express bus service.  After requesting a ride in advance via a call-in reservation, residents of Saline can ride within the city for a cost of $2, and outside the city at a cost of $3.  In order to go beyond supporting this service, I would have to be convinced of the need in a way that I have not seen to date. 

 

 

 

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