Letter to the Editor: 'We Want Partnerships, Not Divisiveness' from Mayor

Dear Editor:

I have lived in Troy all my life.  I’m a product of the Troy School District.  I am reflection of the culture and the mores of the City.  Mayor Daniels, as I understand it, you have only lived here for the past dozen years or so.  I wonder if the cause of some of your missteps is that you don’t understand what the residents of Troy really want in our leaders.

We want partnerships, not divisiveness.

We want a leader who will partner with Troy’s community – whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or atheist;  straight, gay, or bi-sexual – on projects that benefit the community as a whole, not just projects that the leader is drawn to.

We want a leader who partners with the business community, especially the Chamber of Commerce, not one who alienates them with scorn and tries to plant seeds of doubt so that the overall community will distrust them.  

We want pragmatic solutions, not ideology and hyperbolic claims.

We want a leader who will work with all types of thought leaders to find the best feasible solutions to Troy’s problems.  We want those solutions to be specific to Troy’s needs, and not just be a notch in a political party’s belt.  After all, ideologies do not solve problems, but pragmatic, open-minded people do.

We want accountability, not excuses.

We want a leader who owns up to his or her words and actions.  And when I say “own up," it means acknowledging those words and actions in the context in which they were given.  It means apologies for unintentionally hurting and marginalizing constituents.  It means admitting when mistakes or errors in judgment have been made.  It means making amends.  It means the buck stops with the leader.

We want a leader who focused on bettering Troy.

We want a leader who recognizes that Troy didn’t become one of Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live, or one of Michigan's safest cities without EXEMPLARY City Staff, Police, and all-volunteer Fire Department. 

We want a leader who recognizes that it takes YEARS to build a great city like Troy and that accolades received today are truly based on decisions made by previous leaders and executed by that EXEMPLARY City Staff, Police, and all-volunteer Fire Department.

We want a leader who respects employees and treats them fairly.  After all, that is the most effective way to get the best out of people.  Plus, it’s just the right thing to do.  

Above all, we want a return to dignity, professionalism, and decorum.  

You need look no further than the previous decades of council members, city staff, and school board members for sterling examples. People like former mayors Richard Doyle and Jeanne Stine; former Councilmen Dave Lambert, Randy Husk, and Tony Pallotta; former City Manager Frank Gerstenecker, the former School Board Member Tony Spagnola, current School Board Member Ida Edmunds, and the late School Board Superintendent Dr. Jopke. Despite their differing views, they were able to develop the plan to grow Troy responsibly and then partnered with residents and the business community to make the vision a reality.  They did it with integrity.  They did it with respect.  

I am grateful to our wise forefathers who wrote provisions for a recall into Michigan's constitution to ensure citizens have quality representatives that reflect their communities.  I am grateful that the City Charter thoroughly addresses vacancies of office.  I am grateful that the City Attorney and City Clerk have provided a detailed memo clarifying what exactly would happen if a recall were successful.

The question of a recall is a serious one and I don’t take this constitutional right lightly. To me, it's a question of leadership.  

Mayor Daniels, despite your best efforts, I don’t think you meet the expectations of what Troy residents want, expect, or deserve in a leader.  This is why I, and so many others, will be voting “YES” on the recall.

Edna Abrahim

Troy Patch accepts letters to the editor. Send yours to jen.anesi@patch.com; please include your full name and hometown. Letters may be edited for clarity.