Politics & Government
Meet the Candidates: Les Bland
Former Fenton Department of Public Works director vying for council seat.
The Nov. 8 election will be a big one for There are seven seats on the council, four of which are up for election.
One seat will be in the mayor's race where Councilman Tim Faricy will oppose longtime Mayor Sue Osborn for the two-year term.
Incumbent Cheryl King, former Department of Public Works director Les Bland, former Fenton Mayor Patricia Lockwood and newcomer Michael Piacentini will compete for three four-year term council seats.
Find out what's happening in Fentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The seats of King, Faricy and John Rauch will expire. Rauch will not run for re-election. The winners will join Benjamin Smith, Dianne North and Bradley Jacob on the city council.
During the next several days, we will take a detailed look at each candidate. You can read below or watch the attached video from the Meet the Candidates forum held by the Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.
Today, we profile Fenton's former director of public works
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1. What are your work and educational backgrounds? Retired from the Fenton Department of Public Works after 41 years. I went to New Albany High School in Southern Indiana, and I went to Indiana State University for a year.
2. How old are you, how long have you lived in Fenton, and who are your family members? I'm 64. I have one son, Daniel, 37, in Arizona, and two grandchildren there, Payton, 11, and Noah, 5. I have two daughters, April, 32, and Autumn, 30. My grandson, Andrew, 9, lives with me. I've been a Fenton resident since 1966.
3. What public offices have you held, and how are you involved in the community? I haven't held any public offices. I am on the Committee, and have been a representative to the city park board and cemetery board. I have been on numerous committees through the years, with the city. I'm a Life Member of the American Public Works Association and I am the Michigan delegate to the National Board for it. I've been active with the Fenton Lions Club for 19 years now, and, in the past, the Jaycees.
4. Why did you decide to run for office? I felt, with all the knowledge I know about Fenton, it would be a good time for me to run for council. There's a few things council has done that I don't agree with. I'll see if I can do it a little different. I have a little more insight with the years of service I have. It's a good time for me to do it. I'm retired, and everything is pretty fresh in my mind.
5. What issues, in your opinion, are big ones for Fenton? Budgetwise, it's where the cuts are, if we have to make them, and where they're coming from. It should be throughout all departments, not just a few, especially when it comes to personnel. I feel, the DDA, some spending they are doing — there are some things that they do that I just don't agree with. If they're in the district, why don't they fix all the roads. That's what people look at. And the city spending money at rehabilitating houses, then laying people off. Spending so much money for writing specs for the 911 system. Which is more important? That or having someone doing repairs on streets and plowing snow. I just think I can give a little better perspective on things. I know the budget. I know where money comes from and goes to. Eighteen thousand is a lot of money to spend for someone to write a 911 system. Cutting overtime for the police department, and laying DPW employees off. Some people are unhappy with some of the choices the current council has made. Maybe they'll want a change. We'll see what happens.
