Candidate Profile: Terry Marecki For Wayne County Commissioner

Terry Marecki, a Livonia resident is running for Wayne County Commissioner District 9.

Age: 64
Party affiliation: Republican Party
Family:I am married to my husband Mark, mother of 4- Jordyn 40 years old, Brynn-30, Aaren-28 and Andrei (deceased) and a grandmother of 5. I am a life long resident of Livonia, graduating from Bentley High School. My children attended Livonia Public Schools as well as some of my grandchildren. I have been very active in this City for years. I graduated from Madonna University as a Registered Dietitan and worked at the University of Michigan Medical Center for several years.
Occupation:Currently Wayne County Commissioner since 2015, Registered Dietitan for 35 years
Previous elected experience:Current Wayne County Commissioner representing Livonia, Northville Township, part of the City of Northville. Prior to this, I served as past Livonia City Clerk, a Livonia City Council member and a LIvonia Board of Education member
Family members in government:Daughter Jordyn Sellek, Executive Director of the Conference of Western Wayne
Campaign website: TerryMarecki.com

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
The State and County have been hit hard by Covid. The Business world is reeling and trying to get back on their feet again. I have been an active member of the Wayne County “Back to Work” task force. The County has distributed over 50 million dollars worth of grants to small businesses to help with their expenses. I am a member of the WC Ways and Means Committee and have worked very hard to balance the budget for the next two years in spite of the uncertainty of our final income numbers. The priority of our newly passed budget is to continue to serve the citizens of Wayne County, including fixing our roads and infrastructure, public safety and public health.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
My experience. I have been the County Commissioner for the past 5 years, besides my in-depth municipal experience. I am the appointed Chair of the Committee on Public Services which includes oversight of roads and parks. Wayne County Parks are a passion of mine. I have a goal of expanding the accessibility of our park system and developing our parks into areas that families, young adults and people of all ages can enjoy. Wayne County has many exciting plans and ideas to meet the goal of increasing the usage of our park system.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have been the Commissioner in Livonia, Northville and the City of Northville for 5 years.I have shown that I can work very well with the elected officials in all three areas, working closely with them to get road projects done, make improvements on park projects and anything else they may desire from the county. I am the only Republican on the Wayne County Commission but am appointed by the Chair of the Commission to chair the Public Services Committee and serve as a member of the Ways and Means Committee. I am very accessible to the public through sending newsletters, holding office hours, making phone contact and answering emails. I work for the public and that never leaves my mind.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?
As a member of the “Back to Work” task force, we have worked with small business and developed plans to assist them in getting started again. The task force will continue as we enter winter months which could adversely affect businesses as they move forward. Wayne County granted almost 12,000 businesses monies form the CARES ACT and we are completely focused on what we can do to help them along.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?
The Conference of Western Wayne and the NAACP starred “listening tours” that were to take place through 18 communities. These tours were to be dialogues between the police and community citizens. The first couple tours were held and then COVID hit our community. The tours stopped. The groups are attempting “virtual” tours in the future. Communication and dialogue are needed to address the concerns on both sides of these groups.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:
I am elected to work and protect the constituents of my areas. I filed a law suit, along with the Wayne County Commission, to stop a ballot proposal that would have been placed on this November ballot. This would have cost the people of Wayne County $42 million dollars of increased taxes, if passed. The County Commission would have had zero control how how this money would have been spent. I had very significance concerns that the areas I represent, would not have seen the benefits of this huge tax increase. The areas I represent pay many taxes and I will not be part of any program in the County that will raise taxes further.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I have been given positions of leadership by my colleagues, all of whom are the opposite party of me. I get things done, whether trying to help a citizen, working with elected officials, working with organizations or just donating to great organizations in the district. I am the only County Commissioner that posts my office budget on line. The public is my boss and I take this position very seriously.

This article originally appeared on the Detroit Patch