Newly elected council shares vision for Madison Heights

MADISON HEIGHTS — A new council has taken shape in Madison Heights following last month’s election, including a new member and some historic firsts for diversity in the city.

Following the swearing-in ceremony Nov. 16, Mayor Roslyn Grafstein, who ran unopposed and was reelected, noted that the city’s 35th council includes its first Black councilman, Quinn Wright, and its first Jewish councilman, Sean Fleming.

Grafstein herself was first elected for the 34th City Council, at which point she was the first Jewish mayor in the history of Madison Heights, as well as the city’s first female mayor in 40 years. Prior to that, she was the city’s first Jewish councilwoman when she was elected in 2017.

Fleming was originally appointed to the council in September 2021 to replace Kymm Clark, who resigned. In the Nov. 7 election, he finished third among five candidates running for three full four-year terms.

“In addition to being the first Jewish man (on council), while we’ve had veterans on the council in the past, I’m also the only veteran on the council right now,” Fleming said. “I have a couple goals. We still need more police officers and firefighters, and the budget for them will have to go up so that we can compete by offering incentives for hiring and keep our police accreditation with ongoing training and the best equipment. That’s a top priority.

“Another priority is that we change the way we make improvements to our parks. Instead of diluting our funds buying brand-new stuff across the parks, we need to focus on one park at a time, and make it really awesome, so that it can be a competitive park hub for our residents,” Fleming said. “I think we should focus on making a huge impact there.”

Wright was first appointed to council in November 2021 to fill the vacancy created by the late Robert Gettings. Now, he has been elected by voters.

“It’s a new council, it’s a new mindset, and I think we’ve already started out on a different tenor than we did last time. Last time, I was thrown into the middle of things, which messed up the dynamic, but being elected, it feels different,” Wright said in a phone interview.

He added in an email that he ran for council because he wants safe places for kids to play and families to thrive, and a community “rich with creativity and opportunity.” His immediate goals include developing the streetscape on 11 Mile Road near Woodpile BBQ and creating a walkable “downtown feel” to attract new businesses and visitors. Eco-friendly policies are another priority, as well as improving access to quality mental health services. But first, he said the council needs to focus on preparing the budget for next year, making sure resources are spent wisely.

“The thing I appreciate most about this election is I didn’t shy away from who I am and what I believe. As a person of color, it can feel like we tacitly suppress our culture and who we are to fit in,” Wright said. “More than anything, I’m proud to have run as my authentic self, and be accepted for it.”

Emily Rohrbach was the top vote-getter in the Nov. 7 election among the five candidates running for four-year terms.

“I am excited for the new beginnings that are possible with our new council,” Rohrbach said in an email. “In the short term, I’m looking forward to seeing our plans come to fruition for residents in 2024, including the DDA streetscape development on 11 Mile Road, the new bandshell coming to Civic Center Park, and the addition of more trees being planted in our neighborhoods. As for the longer term, I’m excited to get our environmental sustainability plan moving forward, and updating our ordinances so that they are more accessible and welcoming for small businesses. I really want Madison Heights to become more inviting for small businesses to get established and flourish.”

Bill Mier is a new addition to the council, replacing Toya Aaron, who lost her bid for reelection and plans to run again. Aaron ran for one of the four-year terms and lost to fellow incumbents Rohrbach, Wright and Fleming, while Mier ran unopposed for a partial term ending in November 2025.

Mier has served twice on the Lamphere Public Schools Board of Education, totaling 10 years. A computer software manager by trade, he has been with the same company for 24 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and has lived in the city of Madison Heights for 32 years. He has been involved in many ways, including as a board member for Little League Baseball for 30 years, as an officer for the Lamphere Athletic Booster Club for 24 years, and as a member of the Library Advisory Board and the Historical Commission for two years. He is also a 2021 graduate of the city’s Citizens Academy, which teaches residents about government.

He said in an email that he has been attending council meetings for several years now and is “very excited” to be on the other side of the table working with the other council members.

“I’m hoping that this council can continue working on moving the city forward with improvements to our parks, supporting our police and fire departments and our active adults, and promoting economic development,” Mier said.

In the short term, he aims to restart the City/School Liaison Committee, deepening the bond between the school districts and the city. He also strongly supports the creation of a co-responders program to help nonuniformed personnel de-escalate situations when police officers are on calls.

Looking ahead, Mier wants to allocate more resources for first responders and find less costly ways for the city to address EMS calls that aren’t actually emergencies. He also wants to better highlight the city’s parks in a bid to attract families to the city, and to work with state representatives on policies improving educational opportunities in both school districts.

“The council needs to work together on the challenges we face (in order to) be successful at enhancing quality of life and helping keep (Madison Heights) as the city of progress,” he said. “I will work to apply common sense to all decisions I make.”

Soltis said he wishes the new and returning members well.

“I want to congratulate them,” Soltis said. “I really look forward to working together with them to make the city a better place.”