Meet the Candidates for Grosse Pointe Shores Council

There are 11 candidates seeking office in , nine of which are seeking a seat on the council. There are six available seats.

.

The election is a bit historical in nature because it is the only time all of the positions are up for a vote--a unique situation from the municipality's transition from a village to a city.

According to the city charter that took effect in 2009, the top three vote-getters of this election will serve four year terms and the next three top vote-getters will serve two year terms to begin the process of election rotation. Whomever wins the mayoral seat will serve a four year term. 

The candidates are to appear tonight at the for a in which a variety of questions will be posed and answered before a public audience.

The council candidates are listed below in alphabetical order:

Alexander Ajlouni

Ajlouni has lived in the the Grosse Pointes since 1996 and in the Shores since 2004. He is a doctor operating his own medical practice.

He highlights his own management of his household as well as his medical practice and the importance of staying in the black when it comes to income and expenses. He wants to help achieve more efficiencies for the Shores because he believes an occassional tax rate increase is ok as long as residents know every possible efficiency is being made to ensure the best use of the money.

If elected, Ajlouni would like to address the following issues:

• eliminate waste
• achieve more efficiencies
• end the high level of politizing that goes on in the Shores
• maintain the high quality of life in the Shores

Robert Barrette Jr.

Barrette has been a resident in the Shores for 10 years. He is a DTE Energy retiree, before which came 40 years of experience handling projects from construction to maintenance to operation with a budget of $2.5 million. He also helped improve work flow and reduce operational costs by working on both union and management teams.

He highlights his professional background as an asset to the Shores, where he believes better planning is needed.

Among the issues he'd like to address if elected:

• establishing a short and long term operating budget
• improve efficiency and fiscal management through the use of a single manager
• streamline council meetings with clear and concise agenda to facilitate participation by residents
• to avoid residents walking out of meetings
• to develop monitoring policies for the municipality

He currently serves as the treasurer for DEAR, or Detroit Edison Alliance of Retirees, which is a not-for-profit representing retirees in maintaining retirement plans and benefits.

Bruce Bisballe

Bisballe has lived in the Shores for nine years. He retired in 2002 from his own company, which was a major automotive supplier. Bisballe is a CPA and attorney. He practiced in both professions before holding senior management positions in the steel and automotive supplier industries.

He highlights his entrepreneurial skills and professionalism--both he believes would assist him in helping operating the Shores.

Among the issues he wants to address if elected:

• improve services
• protect, enhance property values
• long-term financial planning
• increase citizen participation through more transparency
• conduct operational audit of departments with the Shores

He enjoys gardening and going to the opera in his personal time.

Julie Kay Felt

Felt first purchased property in the Shores in 1986 and then moved into a newly built home in 1993. She is a retired attorney with a speciality in health care practice who is now teaching a course at Oakland University on health care law, ethics and values. 

She highlights her years of experience in listening to people--a skill she said has been the basis of her career and one that is much needed in the Shores. She also highlights her decades of experience on legal, community, national and other boards and committees. As an attorney, she often advised clients about financial responsibility--a cornerstone of operating a municipality.

Issues she would like to focus on if elected:

• listening to the people
• following sound management practices and fiscal policies
• responding to the needs of older residents
• supporting the children of the Shores

David Galbenski

Galbenski has lived in the Grosse Pointes since 1996 and in the Shores since 2003. He is founder and chairman of Lu Men Legal, a legal staffing and consulting company, as well as a portfolio entrepreneur.

He highlights his leadership abilities, which have been demonstrated in his personal and professional life as a current councilman, the liasion between the council and blue ribbon committee and his involvment with non-profit organizations. He's won awards, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Crain's Detroit Business 40 Under 40 Award. Leadership is a necessary skill to help the Shores implement and advance the long-term plan for the city, Galbenski said, also highlighting his campaign theme: Building Our Future Together.

If re-elected, Galbenski wants to focus on:

• maintaining premier services
• generating operating efficiencies
• tackling legacy costs
• controlling payroll and non-payroll expenses
• stablize revenue balance to put city on solid financial ground
• address infrastructure and asset needs of community

Something he wants voters to know:

"I am an author. I published a book in 2009 entitled Unbound that reached #1 on Amazon in the legal services category. I am currently writing a second book on the transformation of the legal services that will be published in 2012."

Brian Geraghty

Geraghty has lived in the Grosse Pointes for 39 years and in the Shores for the past 23 years. He is a retired engineer from Ford Motor Co. where he worked for 42 years. He has two master's degrees.

He highlights his management experience at Ford, where he was also appointed to the vehicle committee for the International Association of Chiefs of Police to assist policing agencies with vehicle issues. Geraghty believes his management experience coupled with his municipal work then and now serve him well in addressing complicated financial matters. He's served on the Parks and Harbor Committee since 2006 and was appointed to council in April 2010. He also worked on the Shores Charter Commission in 2008.

If elected to continue serving the Shores, Geraghty wants to focus on:

• controlling costs while maintaing key services for residents
• a continual review of legacy costs
• to continue the study of additional consolidations, such as dispatch

Additional information Geraghty wants voters to know:

"I also was the Commodore of the Bayview Yacht Club, which is a very small service oriented business with about the same number of employees as our City. That experience gave me the appreciation of how important it is to have and keep the employees that make the operation a success....I occasionally lecture at the Engineering College at Wayne State. I have degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Drexel University and Wayne State University, am a Licensed Professional Engineer and hold 2 patents. I enjoy boating, skiing and traveling with my wife."

Robert Gesell

Gesell has lived in the Grosse Pointes for more than 50 years. He has lived in the Shores for the past 14 years. He is a practicing attorney who has operated a private practice for more than 40 years with a focus in real estate, business, transactions and corporate law.

He highlights his years of professional experience coupled with his years of personal service, most recently on the Shores Blue Ribbon Committee, a former president of the Parish Council for Our Lady Star of the Sea and more, will aid him in moving the Shores forward.

If elected, Gesell would like to focus on:

• reducing expenditures
• creating efficiences
• increasing revenue
• reuniting of the community when it comes to tough, sensitive topics

Gesell wants voters to know how important integrity is to him and will continue to be if elected.

Elias Ropotos

Ropotos did not submit information to Grosse Pointe Patch. According to his affidavit filed to seek office, Ropotos has lived in Wayne County for 13 years and in Michigan for 46. 

Due to a communication glitch, his information is not available through the Grosse Pointe League of Women Voters either.

Dan Schulte

Schulte has lived in Grosse Pointe Shores for more than 18 years. He is seeking re-election to council to help continue moving the city to a more accountable, efficient and transparent operation.

He highlights his performance on the council since taking office in 2009, including votes against tax rate increases, implementing televised council meetings, identifying harbor problems before problems arose and more. He also highlights his success in managing finances personally and professionally in an efficient manner without sacrificing quality.

If re-elected, Schulte wants to address:

• maintaining a high level of safety, services in the Shores
• maintaining the streets, parks and facilities in the Shores
• maintaining infrastructure at a high quality level
• be cost effective
• include residents in the operation of the city

He wants voters to know he is the only certified emergency financial manager currently serving on the city council.

Two candidates who originally filed for the election, current councilwoman Victoria Boyce and resident Vito Cusenza, withdrew their petitions from the race within the three day window following the filing deadline.

During the last council meeting, the council voted to have Boyce and councilman Robert Graziani--who is also not seeking re-election--to serve on the election commission.

The decision drew criticism from some residents because of the appearance of impropriety considering the last election resulted in a near successful recall campaign against many of the council members and Mayor James Cooper.