Saline MI
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Wednesday October 19 2022 9:03am

Write in candidate for Mayor

This post expresses the views and opinions of the author(s) and not necessarily that of The Saline Post management or staff.

If you live in the City of Saline, we need a writein candidate to run against the present Mayor of Saline, Brian Marl.

Deadline to declare your Candidacy is October 27, 2022.

Review of Brian Marl accomplishments: NONE

Failures are: Everyone get their Water Bill, WOW. My last bill was $191.00, this one $914.00.

Ever heard this: The eyesore Hotel, “it will start up construction soon”!

What do you think of our roads?

Water Condition: We are supposed to have a State of the Art Water Plant. Well, how many times have we had Black Water in our houses?

Wastewater Plant: When I was Superintendent, The State of Michigan demanded that the City reduce the amount of Ammonia we were putting back in the Saline River.

Design was made to put Biological Discs which were suppose to remove ammonia.

Construction was completed and the new system went into operation. Everything when well until the discs started growing Algae on them. That was the start of the Odor Program.

Everything has been tried to reduce the odor, but nothing has worked and never will. (My Opinion)

Downtown Saline: It seems we always have empty store fronts.

The City is always closing streets, until the Fire Chief rejected the closing on South Ann Arbor for Safety Concerns.

Please give me anything that has happened within his tenure.

I worked for the City of Saline for 36 years and worked under 9 Mayors and Brian Maul has been the worst.

Any comments would be welcome, good or Bad.

Thank you (Gerald Austin)

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Replies

10-23-2022 10:52pm

The necessity of the increase is every bit as much current council’s fault as all previous members that neglected to act. Negligence is not acceptable and continuing to be negligent is even more inexcusable!

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10-23-2022 11:33pm

Yes. That was 5 days ago.  Please read between the lines and consider what you read online to what really comes out of City Council.  This is the spin that the city puts on things when they think we are all clueless.  These increases are not a one time thing. Maybe a credit now to distract us but what about next quarter and next year?

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10-21-2022 8:50am

Spelling and grammatical errors aside, I'm not sure Mr. Austin has been paying much attention - so let me help him out, here are a few things we've accomplished, working collaboratively these past 10 years -

The first ever fund-balance policy, growing fund balances for 9 years, a elevated bond rating, numerous additional contributions to pay down our post-employment benefits, the only municipal risk-mitigation initiative in the region, better roads, a pay-as-you-go funding system, elevated PASER ratings, growing business parks, numerous new or expanded businesses receiving some level of municipal support including, Emagine Theater, MMI, American Soy, Michigan Sports Academy, Salt Springs Brewery, and Ace Hardware to name a few - the first comprehensive sidewalk initiative since the early 1990s, modernized/streamlined regulations/ordinances thanks to our new Code Review Committee, record investment in water/sewer infrastructure, a new asset management program, better staffed police and fire departments, the first new City park, (Salt Springs) in more than two decades, better communication with residents via social media, new reporting tools, online surveys, numerous public forums, and a new 411 text message initiative.

Additionally, if you read any of the local papers or Mlive, you'd know that I voted against the most recent utility rate increase, (May 2022) -

And speaking of records, Mr. Austin was WWTP Superintendent in the late 1990s - the economy was booming, the City was flushed with cash - this would have been the ideal time to make new, critical investments in our wastewater infrastructure, specifically, our plant. Sadly, we missed this opportunity.

Mr. Austin clearly has animus towards me personally, the feelings are not mutual, I wish him well. Further, he obviously has some very strong opinions - As such, he should be a candidate for local office, or at a minimum, volunteer for a City board or commission - talk is cheap, it's action that counts. Best wishes all - have a wonderful weekend -- 

 

 

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10-23-2022 9:41pm

First of all, condescending comments about someone’s grammar or spelling is inappropriate. Everyone has the right to speak their mind per 1st amendment rights and it’s certainly not government’s job to discriminate based on specific reference.
Secondly, continuing to constantly point to our past is not progressive. Just casts more light into current government’s lack of accountability. 

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10-24-2022 6:25pm

“Continuing to point to our past is not progressive?” That is exactly what the OP is doing. Pointing to everything in the past and blaming it on Marl. The Mayor defended his tenure with specific examples and pointed out the flaws in the posters, including his grammar. Making a jab at his spelling and punctuation doesn’t negate his first amendment rights, and suggesting it does is inflammatory at the worst, and sour grapes at the least. Either way, very Karen.

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10-23-2022 10:39pm

More political rhetoric.  Look at what we’ve done not the things we haven’t. Own up!
Doesn’t explain anything about why we have a Wastewater Treatment plant that has leaked into the drains and the Saline River. The neglected maintenance is inexcusable and has a potentially far reaching impact on our neighbors down the river that city government is trying to keep on the down low.  City government is constantly passing the buck. Time to stop passing the blame and accept responsibility. EPA is watching and waiting.

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10-23-2022 11:10pm

Sacré bleu! Monsieur Marl is so full of it, I can almost smell him over the waste water treatment plant. First Monsieur Marl insults the intelligence of a city employee of 36 years, and then seems to imply that the same employee failed to adequately invest in city infrastructure! Surely, Monsieur Marl knows that the role of the superintendent would have been to advise city government and request funds, not to appropriate them. Record investment in water and sewer infrastructure you say? Was that a difficult record to set considering decades of neglect? I assure you Monsieur Marl we are all paying attention. Nothing personal, mon ami.

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10-24-2022 6:29pm

Again, I’m not the Mayors biggest fan either. But the sewer problem didn’t happen overnight and it didn’t start on his watch. Yes, it’s been handle extremely poorly, but it isn’t just by him. He’s not a scapegoat. By all means, run a QUALIFIED candidate against him- not “anyone” just to stick it to Brian Marl. 

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