Who is Michael Miltich, 2023 candidate for Cornelius Board of Commissioners?
Name: Michael ‘Dr Mike’ Miltich
Age as of Nov. 7, 2023: 71
Campaign website or social media page: miltichforcommissioner.com
Occupation: Retired ENT physician/surgeon
Education:
Chief Resident Associate - Otolaryngology
Mayo Graduate School of Education
Rochester, Minnesota
June 1982 to June 1983
Otorhinolaryngology Fellowship
Mayo Graduate School of Education
Rochester, Minnesota
June 1978 to June 1982
Medical Degree
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, Michigan
Sept 1974 to June 1978
Bachelor in General Studies with High Distinction
University of Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Sept 1970 to Jan 1974
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought or held)
I have served 3 terms (6 years) as Town of Cornelius Commissioner, including one term as Mayor Pro Tem.
Please list your highlights of civic involvement
I was Chair of the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) 2020-2021 during which 5 major initiatives were passed in spite of pandemic restrictions.Currently member of Beyond 77 Mobilization Task Force.Currently serving on the Board of the Lake Norman Community Development Corp (affordable/workforce housing) and co-founder/board member of Cornelius Early Scholars (non-profit scholarship Christian preschool serving local children-in-need).
What are, in your view, the most important issues facing Cornelius, and what would your approach be to handling them if elected?
Traffic is the #1 concern. When re-elected, I will continue to advocate for regional transportation solutions including sustainable transportation funding. Growth in the region is #2. It has to be managed appropriately to preserve the qualities that make living here desirable.
Communities across Mecklenburg County have seen growth and development as well as a hot real estate market in recent years. How should Cornelius approach development and housing issues?
Cornelius has a Land Use Plan to guide growth, and has grown only 0.6% in the last 2 years. However, there is a mismatch as more than 80% of those living here work elsewhere, and 80% that work here live elsewhere, and they meet each other every day on I77 and while driving through Cornelius. Development needs to better balance the type of employment available to the type of housing those jobs would support.
What separates you from your opponent(s)?
No one else has the transportation knowledge and the regional recognition that I have acquired as CRTPO Chair. My Town service on the Cornelius Land Development Code Advisory Board (LDCAB) (2014 - 2021), Predevelopment Review Committee (PDRC) (2018 - 2021), Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) (2018 - 2021), Cornelius Affordable Housing Task Force (2020 - current), and I was the Cornelius representative to CMS Municipal Education Advisory Committee (MEAC) (2019 - 2021)
What one professional or political accomplishment are you most proud of?
Professional: President of the Mecklenburg County Medical Society (1998) plus the many thanks from my patients.
Political: I championed the approval of the CRTPO Strategic Plan which, among other things, calls for that organization to begin actively advocating for the transportation needs of our region including Cornelius.
