COUNTY COMMISSION 11TH DISTRICT

Part of Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake

DEMOCRAT

MARCIA GERSHENSON

Marcia Gershenson is the incumbent Oakland County Commissioner, a position she has held since 2004. She is currently vice chairperson of the board of commissioners. Gershenson is a retired educator who received a BA in English and teaching credential from University of Michigan.

Underground and surface waters

I have lived on or near water most of my life. I am a strong advocate to raise awareness of homeowners about the dangers lawn fertilizer products through mailings and media. These dangers apply to chemicals used to fertilize or kill weeds that can runoff into streams and lakes causing toxic algal blooms that are harmful to aquatic life, people and pets. Excess fertilizer runoff from lawns and agricultural applications can contribute to aquatic “dead zones”. Dead zones are areas of water where aquatic life cannot survive because of low oxygen levels. They are caused by nutrient pollution, and are a problem for bodies of water since they receive excess nutrients from upstream sources. Fertilizer contains nutrients that plants need, like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. If not applied properly, those nutrients can be carried away by stormwater runoff and washed into lakes and ponds and spur algae growth. I have never applied weed killer to my plants or lawn. I believe lawns do not have to be made up of just grass and be perfectly manicured. I do think ordinances regulating lawn chemicals would be a good idea.

Septic testing at point of sale

I do support testing septic wells. Rather than only when a house is sold, I would favor adopting a requirement to protect surface and underground water supplies with septic testing requirements. I think inspections should be on a regularly scheduled check up schedule. Although the burden of paying for inspections falls to the homeowner, if they had maintenance checkups, the costs could be similar to an end of life maintenance, or upon the properties sale. I think the health of the septic must be disclosed to new buyers if there are no disclosure or testing requirements. In counties where an inspection is not mandatory, a lender will typically still require one, or the buyer will need to request one. It is an advantage to a community If an inspection is mandated because the health department could provide a list of certified and approved inspectors. This should reduce the number of fraudulent companies that offer to complete inspections at a discount.

Public museums tax

I do support letting the voters who will be paying this tax decide if they want to support our local museums with their tax dollars. I think our cultural institutions play an important role in the vibrancy and desirability of our communities. The budgets of most of our art museums have been under tremendous strain over the years so most need additional funding to survive. I would like to see a portion of this tax money go to Oakland County museums. If an authority is created, like the DIA and Zoo, I would suggest the authority create the criteria for museums to apply. I wouldn't limit it to specific museums in our county, I would rather see any that qualify, be encouraged to apply.

Validity of voting returns

Yes, I accepted the results of the 2020 election and will accept the results in November 2024.

Key issues

Affordable housing is a problem in our county. We funded a Housing Trust Fund (HTF) to support the development and preservation of affordable, and mixed-income housing. HTF funds will prioritize developments that meet the specific goals and needs of the county and its community partners. I support and would continue this funding. I am committed and support efforts to increasing access to health care and mental health services. We need more Community health workers to connect people to resources and nurses who can provide services to residents where they live. Also, our co-responder pilot programs are successfully addressing the treatment of residents with mental health issues when interacting with law enforcement. I support our new integrated urgent care center in Pontiac that provides primary care and emergency mental health services, for patients in crisis, regardless of their ability to pay. The transit millage money is being used to strengthen our existing operations, make repairs and learn about areas we need to improve and expand. We are working closely with existing transit programs and are developing new partnerships. I currently serve on the advisory board to oversee and support the expansion of transit in our county.

REPUBLICAN

JOHNETTE EGGERT

Johnette Eggert did not return the candidate questionnaire and bio materials.