Click on each candidates name for short bio and full answers to all questions.

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Sherry Archibald

"I don't think I can ad much to Chads's answer. I agree 100% with Chad on this question.  

  I will expand on the question though. We have beaches that are rockier than most tourist like. For those with out boats we have to walk on all those rocks to get to the sand bar and enjoy lake Huron. I support getting DNR permission if needed and then start picking up the rocks.  A 20 foot wide path with out rocks down the beach into the water and through the water to the sand bar would be a start. Over time the area cleared could grow.  Yes new rocks would get washed back. 

   This could be be done by asking those there to grab a bucket full of rocks and dump them into a bin as their leaving, my son all ready makes trips for hours with his plastic dump truck full of rocks. If there was a place to put them at he would empty his truck there. We could also ask for volunteers, donations which could pay people who need work, prison labor or other no cost options. 

   The rocks collected could taken to the city yard and made available to residents for free like wood chips are and sold to non residents or land scapers. There probably would be enough rocks gathered over time to fill a pier and create a beach like Harbor Beach."

'Yes we should allow drinking on the south side of Black River. The problem is that most of the property is private on that side east of Military St Bridge.

As far as the canal. That is a little more complicated. That canal was not designed to be navigable. It was to help flush out Black River.

The time the DEQ will allow to dredge is a very short window. But I would like to at least try to keep it dredged until a permanent solution is found. I believe there have been studies in the past and it was too expensive to make that a navigable waterway with a guaranteed depth. The amount of sand that gets moved in a storm is a big factor. The Coast Guard Station has to be dredge 2-3 times a year. And There are boulders the size of trucks that get moved around like pebbles.

I have also noticed that the banks are starting to slide in. More rip rap is sliding into the canal. I believe the slope is too steep to allow for a slow runoff of rain water. The more gradual the slope the slower the water will run down the banks. And last but not least. I believe there are a few landowners that are against any development. One in particular!

The best way would be to get a boat launch somewhere on the lake. We all know how dangerous the St Clair River can get in a south wind or heavy traffic.  20 miles between launches is too much for this area. Metcalf Rd or Harris Rd would be better. But expensive!

If elected boating will be promoted heavily. The Water St Marina needs to be open. There are going to be boats leaving when they start tearing up the Black River overpass. We need those people here for the summer. There are quite a few businesses that depend on them during the boating season.

We are called The Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes. And we need to prove it."

Sherry Archibald

"I remain firm in my believe that every council member should be concerned with and represent every resident of the city. Some say that a ward system will unit the city as it will allow each to feel they have a voice and a specific individual to go to with concerns, others including myself remained concerned that the division between North and South will be expanded to divisions between neighborhoods within the north or south. I have from the beginning voiced these concerns but have also stated that I would be supportive of a hybrid system that would combine the two with a greater number of seats being selected through the ward system and the remainder selected at large. I have listened to the residents who believe this system would provide better representation and would support it. I have not changed my position on this issue".

"I like the ward system because as a Libertarian I firmly believe the more local the decisions are made the better informed the decisions are. I prefer Individual Rights over City authority,  City Rights over County authority, County Rights over States authority and States Rights over Federal power.

  I understand that the decisions would not be made at the ward level if we switch to a ward system. However, I see the people that live near me more often then I see those who do not so I am more knowledgeable in the needs of my neighborhood than the needs of other neighborhoods. Having representation from all parts of Port Huron by using a ward system will bring up issues that otherwise council members may not be aware of.  

On a side note I am in favor of Charter revisions that will make Port Huron more competitive and am opposed to changes that add costs with no actual benefit. 

 An examples is that the Charter commission can change the date city property taxes are do from June 1st to December 1st. Short term this would provide those with escrow accounts a one time economic boost to help get through this tough economy in the form of a escrow account refund for the balance being too high.  Long term it will keep more money in the local economy and make Port Huron a smarter choice by allowing those who pay property taxes directly to pay before December 31st every other year giving them a larger itemized deduction on the Federal tax return one year and lower their itemized deductions the following year so that the standard deduction will be a larger deduction the next year.  This creates a larger 2 year total deductions on Federal taxes which means more money will stay in Port Huron instead of going to Washington DC.  The Charter commission has chosen not to do this after I presented it them. 

 An example on the other hand is that electing the mayor separately instead of allowing the elected council to select their leader.  This will cost more as primaries for Mayor will be more common than primaries for city council have been.  This might be worth the extra cost if the Mayor had any additional powers that the other council members do not such as veto power.  With the Mayor just being another council member except for ceremonial purposes it makes no sense to spend more money to elect the Mayor separate.  The current system of allowing the council to select the Mayor insures that a responsible council will elect the person who will be in the majority of most decisions the council makes.  Electing the Mayor separately or automatically making the highest vote getter the mayor will occasional lead to Mayor who is in conflict with the majority of council members.  What is the point of electing a Mayor separately and not giving them extra authority? The only result will be a frustrated Mayor who gets out voted on everything when the majority of council is not in agreement with that mayor most of the time.           

I am also opposed to staggered terms. Many voters wanted the old council out for choosing to dramatically raise water and sewer rates rather than find budget cuts. Staggered terms would have prevented the voters from being able to change that direction after only 1 year.  Those same voters took a chance on some unknown candidates like me and might want to make a change now not two more years from now.  

"I strongly favor a ward system for Port Huron. For over 30 years our current at-large system has left voters in areas of our city feeling disenfranchised by city government and Council.  Changing to ward representation would be a bold stroke of leadership, but it appears that the majority on this commission are not interested in inclusiveness, boldness or leadership. The majority seem timid and wish to stay with the status quo.

From Holland to Coldwater to Kentwood, Port Huron is the only community I have ever lived where the total Council is elected “at large.” Midland and Dowagiac, cities that Charter Commission Vice Chairman Carl Tomion worked for, have ward systems. The economic and voting disparity between the north and south sides of Port Huron nearly ensures that the south side will be less represented. Just as California and Rhode Island elect representatives to our federal government, so should Port Huron have wards to insure fair and equal representation. 

Those who support a total at-large system will cite "unity" or state a belief that the at-large system "ensures" council members to represent the entire city. Both arguments are flawed. First, elected by ward or at-large, every council member would "represent the entire city." Every member would have a say in all resolutions or proposals put forth on the agenda. Second, it is obvious that sections of our community feel under-represented or that their voice is ignored. You can hear it in the impassioned appeals of Council candidate, Edison Palmer who is trying to be sure his neighborhood is heard and represented. If the at-large system was truly effective in representing the entire city, we would not have a "South Side Coalition." I have yet to hear of a "North Side Coalition" organization."  

"I'm in favor of a ward system.

I think it would almost force citizens to pay a little more attention to who is running for office and will therefore vote. It would be a lot easier for candidates to get out and meet as many voters as possible and get their views on what are the major concerns to them.

If people feel they are not going to have a say they will not vote at all. We as a city need to be more receptive to the needs of the city as a whole. What happens in the south end of Port Huron should matter to residents in the north end.

My biggest concern is the apathy that is currently in some sections of town. That apathy is passed on to the young people in that area and it never ends.

I want more people in Port Huron to vote. Regardless of how they vote. 

I think this would help start that."

Sherry Archibald

"While I dislike the city's income tax, I believe the larger issue holding back the city, is our property tax rate. It is vital that we find a way to lower the property tax rates to bring us in line with the surrounding cities and townships. As the Times Herald has reported, property taxes on a $150,000 home are nearly $1000 more than in Fort Gratiot Township. That translates to a higher house payment of about $80 per month. High tax rates are stifling jobs and growth in our city. To achieve this goal, it will take a consensus of effort between Council, city administration and citizens of Port Huron. This will be difficult to accomplish, but the rewards will be great.

I also believe this is the wrong time to look at eliminating the city income tax. With the Blue Water Area Bridge expansion project, we are looking at the creation of 7000 new jobs (MDOT estimate), most of which will be in the city. Figuring just 5000 jobs at $30,000 average salary will mean a $750,000 per year increase of income tax collection. The figure will more likely be over $1 million dollars per year during the life of the project. This will help to replace the loss of state revenue sharing funds, provide more police and fire protection and give us the opportunity to keep water and sewer rates from increasing."  

"It should have went down the sewer it was set up to pay for 40 years ago!

I can't for the life of me figure out why we penalize our citizens to live and work in Port Huron. How do other cities survive without a city income tax. It creates a negative environment for commercial and residential progress. Just promising to not raise water rates is not enough anymore. The City income tax needs to go. If elected, reducing the city income tax to nothing will be my goal. And it can be done."

Sherry Archibald

"My answer is an easy Yes.  Council members have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure the taxpayers money is spent wisely and not wasted.   

   I asked to delay this resolution and not having a purchase agreement was one of the reasons I gave for that delay. I also voted no since I did not have enough information to make a $660,000 decision on with the purchase agreement not being there being one of them. 

   This topic was discussed by the Charter Commission at their last meeting as the Charter requires the City Manager, Mayor and a Lawyer to sign off on all contracts.  It was an enlightening conversation.

  As Real Estate transactions tend to be large and can carry hidden liabilities such as the Fort Gratiot Light House agreement wanting the city to take responsibility for all past asbestos exposures,  I personally want to see a real estate purchase agreement before I vote to ok it.  

Since a Mayor is required to sign all contracts they will get a chance to read the actual purchase agreement along with hearing what the City Manager and Lawyers think about it before signing it.  If they see something they do not like they can choose not to sign it. I mention this as that points out that the Mayor still has one more chance to vote and to them this was a preliminary step to keep the ball rolling and get a purchase agreement done so that he can review it.  A No vote on Monday would have ended the project.  Other council members will not see the purchase agreement until after is signed if it ends up being signed so this was our last chance to object to anything in it so I needed to see it.  

  Another situation that I might vote in favor of a purchase before a purchase agreement is available is when timing is critical and a 2 week delay might cause an opportunity to be missed and I have known the other people working on it long enough that I know they will do a thorough job and let me know about anything that comes up that may change my mind.

   I treat tax money as if it was my money being spent, which part of it is my money."   

"Yes,

However Chad I think the real question should be, should a council member always vote the way his or her supporters want them to vote?  Should  candidates always vote the way the Good O' Boys, Good O' Girls, or the the want-a-bees or anyone else would want them to vote on every issue.  If so then they should run for council and vote the way they think things should be.  I for one have always voted the way I though was right and the best for the citizens of Port Huron.  However I still believe we should all be adults and still be able to agree to disagree and still support the people we think are doing what they think is right and who we agree with most of the time.

Sherry Archibald

  "Apparently this question is too hot to touch as you’re bound to lose votes from either dog owners or from parents with small children who do not have dogs. I will attempt to get the ball rolling as this is a very legitimate question for communities.

  I personally have a 5 year old at home without a fenced in yard and have had an occasional stray dog wander into our backyard. The possibility of a stray aggressive dog attacking my son is a reality.

  I also know that some Pit Bulls are trained to be good and some are trained to be mean. This is true of other breeds of dogs as well. I know a child who was attacked by a German Sheppard and mauled badly.  Having cut grass for a landscaping company for many years I know gentle dogs and aggressive dogs come in all shapes and sizes.   

  I am not in favor of an outright ban on all dogs nor a ban on just some dogs.  One reason is that dogs are often used as security for some people. I know my neighbor’s dogs will start barking if a stranger comes between our houses for example. I do not think there are many who would argue that a German Sheppard does not deter some crime.

  I am very much in favor of prosecuting owners as if they committed the assault themselves when their dog attacks someone who is not on their property. If you going to have an aggressive dog, you are responsible to contain or control it at all times. Your dog putting someone in the hospital after getting out of your yard is your responsibility.

  I am also in favor of bans with severe penalties for training dogs to fight and penalties such as fines for not being able to contain and control your dog. If your pit bull or other strong breed is wandering the neighborhood by itself while you’re elsewhere then there should be a law that penalizes you for allowing that to happen.

  I know dogs occasional get out as I have helped more than one person round up their dog after it gets out of the yard. If it only happens once and it’s a gentle well trained dog I am sure you’ll have it back in the yard quickly and safely without any neighbors getting concerned. If it’s a dog trained to be aggressive then you should have taken more precautions as many responsible dog owners do.   

  Dogs are not the issue as much as the bad owners who have more dog than they can handle or purposely train the dog to be aggressive."  

"I would be more than willing to consider a city ban on Pit Bulls and other dangerous breeds. Urban living is different than rural living. Just as we have decided to enact noise ordinances to protect our citizens, we should at least look at enacting an ordinance about violent dog breeds to protect our citizens. It was noted in a report from the Centers of Disease Control and Protection, "the data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." Based on the research I have done, I would support such a ban."  

"To be honest I could go either way at this point, but let me say, I am not sure it is the breed or if it is the dog.  That is like saying certain people are bad just because there father or mother were criminals or the parents are back because their child turns out to be a criminal.  Just isn't always so.

Sherry Archibald

"I do not have a problem of answering questions from whoever wants to ask one. My phone number and email address are both posted on the city website.

Sherry Archibald

"I would not hold a fund raiser outside of Port Huron and think that is wrong. I think that is different then getting donations from non-residents and I am more concerned about the size of individual donations and the amount of money raised then the ratio of resident to non-resident donations. For example if I decide to spend money this campaign my Mom who is a non-resident maybe the only one who donates to my campaign. I do not think it’s bad for a parent to support their child with a $20 donation. I do think it bad if a Port Huron City Council candidate is getting donations over a couple hundred dollars from anybody rather the donator is a resident or not.   

Decisions made by the Port Huron city council affect not only city residents but others as well. Many of the non-residents pay city income taxes and or city property taxes on business’s they own and have chosen to locate in Port Huron, this would be taxation without representation in terms of being able to vote if they were not allowed to donate. Many non-city residents are also affected by our Water Rates which previous councils chose to increase dramatically rather than find more cost effective ways to deliver city services. In addition not everyone’s close friends and family live in Port Huron and donations often get started from you close circle of friends or family. 

That said it is important to know who the candidates are and not be voting for candidates just because they have a lot of signs or nice literature or other campaign material that donations allow them to buy. ...click here for more on bio page  

Yes I have raised campaign money from residents and non-residents. When I was one of the Regional Directors of the Michigan Young Democrats, I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the State of Michigan. I also was born and raised in Port Huron and many of my friends and relatives live in Port Huron and the surrounding areas.

I don’t feel that accepting campaign contributions from anyone sways how I vote. Those that have contributed to my campaign understand that I always vote to do what is best, in my own opinion, for the city and its residents. I think people understand that running a serious campaign cost money and involves a large time commitment. I truly believe that people have donated to my campaign because they saw a person who was out working hard, making level headed decisions, and who they thought was doing what is right for our city."

"I personally feel that fundraisers outside of city limits are wrong. If a candidate cannot draw city residents to support them, then maybe that should say something about their campaign, that their platform fits township residents interests and not Port Huron resident interests. I personally have felt that meeting PORT HURON RESIDENTS face to face and finding out what is important to them and showing how my platform of City Residents First will help our city.

Also, I will not take support from special interest groups such as Unions (like some incumbant candidate) or Big Players in the EDA (some challengers). I  feel that the regular working class family and our seniors on fixed income are my voters and prioity, not special interest groups"

"How do you like the work new city manager Bruce Brown is doing ? Please give examples of what you liked or disliked so far." Submitted by Mark Byrne 9-3-2009.

Sherry Archibald

"I think that Bruce Brown has done a wonderful job in his short time as Port Huron’s City Manager. He has brought many well thought out and creative ideas for the betterment of Port Huron to the councils attention. Bruce Brown has the ability to adapt to any situation which he may face with the city and brings a wealth of knowledge with him from his past experiences.

What I like best about Bruce Brown is his leadership skills. He arrived in the city at a rocky point in its history and has been able to get the majority of people on board with his and councils vision for the future of Port Huron."

Sherry Archibald

"Not only do I support the decision to stop having Port Huron taxpayers pay EDA dues for a 3rd way in our 2009/2010 budget,  I proposed eliminating the EDA membership dues during discussions on the 2008/2009 budget as well. 

  Port Huron Taxpayers pay county, city, PHASD, Library, County Parks and County Drug task force millage etc... Each millage has a stated purpose such as the PHASD millage is to pay for the school system and the County Millage is to pay for county wide services. 

   Port Huron has the highest unemployment and lowest per capita income in the county and yet we pay a county millage for county wide services of which there are several we do not receive. It is the city’s choice to not use these county wide services such as the Sheriff patrols and instead have our own Police Department. For opting out of some county services there is no refund or reduced county millage rate for Port Huron taxpayers. This probably works out fairly even as there are county services Port Huron uses at least our share of.  ...click here for more on bio page

I also feel that recent media coverage of  new business was an effort to slam this council's decision. These projects were in the works for months, not days, and it just goes to show how our city taxpayers money was spent to further St.Clair's industrial park."

Sherry Archibald

"While there may have been small items addressed I do not see how they took away from time spent on other issues. For example council meetings that addressed an issue such as the invocation would simply have ended earlier if no discussion on the invocation policy had taken place. 

A recent council meeting took an hour. Had we taken another hour to discuss any other topic it would have not taken time away from other topics.  

I for one think all issues are important and should be addressed promptly when they arise. While some may think restoring Freedoms to citizens is trivial I consider both your and my Freedoms to be extremely important as Freedom and responsibility are the basis this great country was founded on."

"I did not ask that at the forum. I do believe that some of the councils decisions were not really that important to making Port Huron better. One comes to mind is the Alcohol in the park ordinance. I feel that some areas are going to be  fine for this, as people have always drank small amounts for family reunions or picnics, and never had a problem unless they became unruly or drunk and the police had to get involved. But making this ordinance really didn't make our parks any more used or contributed to our economy more by enacting it.

The current city council drastically reduced the pay for the new city manager compared to the previous city manager, would you favor reducing the pay  level for department heads and eliminating severance pay when they quit?  Submitted by Chad Noetzel 8-12-2009.

Sherry Archibald

  These savings prevent the lay offs of Police Officers, Fire Fighters and others who perform critical essential services that we must maintain if we are start attracting people and jobs back to Port Huron. The alternative chosen by previous city council members and city administrations was to raise water and sewer rates making Port Huron a less attractive choice for people and business's to locate.     

 I am also in favor of and pushing for changes in the work rules that allow a person to accumulate sick and vacation days from the time they first start working for the city when they are often in entry level jobs and then cash them out later at their current often higher level pay 30 years later. This practice needs to stop as it creates several problems:  ...click here for more on bio page    "

Many of the city department heads also manage more than one city department. By taking on the extra responsibilities, they are saving the city thousands of dollars in salaries that are not being paid for a person to run a department.

Lastly, I believe that most of the city’s department heads, with their education levels and work experience, could make much more in the private sector. These are for the most part, the same employee that during the mid to late 1990’s and in the early part of this decade who did not complain that their salaries were not keeping pace with the private sector."

 When we hired Mr. Brown his salary and benefit package was worked on by myself and Mayor Pro Tem Fisher and Mr. Brown was given the average package of cities in the State with populations of between 25,000 and 40,000.

 As to the Department Heads I have lead the charge as Mayor with the rest of this Council to reduce pay, or to keep it at the level of cities with similiar populations.  I also have lead the charge to do away with double pensions.   For instance a Department Head leaving the City with 25 years of service and making $90,000 a year would receive a pension of approximately $56,250 per year for the rest of there life and in the second pension a 457 (which is like a 401K), if they had the lowest match of only 3%, they would have an additional $67,500 put into their 457 over the 25 year period by the tax payers of Port Huron, while we continue to raise the tax payers water rates who make $32,000 a year.

 As to getting a servance package for quitting, give me a break, I have never heard of such a thing and was proud along with my other council members running for re-election to do away with such packages."

This does not go to say that I feel that employees don't deserve good pay for good work. But governmental employees should understand that when private sector jobs are in the toilet, they can  not continue to live as if the economy was skyrocketing. As a personal note, the employer that I work for has already told us that we will not get a pay raise for next year and we will pay more for our benefit package. We also will lose one vacation day. This is mirrored all over the private sector, while government has not kept pace. Lets remember that government is payed for by tax payers, and should reflect that."

Sherry Archibald

"The current economic plan developed by the City Council by a unanimous vote with the concurring city manager is probably the first and most complete economic plan ever developed by a City Council, at least in recent years.
The plan includes:·  Teaming with the Blue Water Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and MainStreet to attract tourism and help lead the area in the scheduling of events throughout the city. A major step is to have one contact group for each area instead of having several different agencies going in their own direction. This is a positive step to centralize the activity.
·  Teaming with the chamber of commerce to develop new and to maintain current businesses in the city of Port Huron outside the downtown immediate area, this is a first for the city. Previous concentrations were on the downtown area and not on the city as a whole, as it should have been from day one.
·  Taking a leadership role in the direction of the (Downtown Development Authority) instead of just being observers. We suggested they be a part of the solution of McMorran Place by directing them to allocate $100,000 of their budget toward the complex. The businesses in downtown see McMorran as the cornerstone of the downtown, so the council took the initiative to direct the DDA to get involved in saving this most important commodity.
·  Large commercial property development in the city. This can be achieved by going out and recruiting new investors to come to the city to develop and change our reputation across the state and country of being a closed community for only locals to develop.
·  Lastly, by concentrating on the Industrial Park of Port Huron and getting the city taxpayers' money's worth in attracting and maintaining businesses in the city's industrial park. By providing this personal attention to our industrial neighbors, we hope to not only have a model industrial park to be proud of but one that again will be full with employees.

Sherry Archibald

"It's unfortunate Port Huron is faced with such a monumental debt and the task of deciding how to pay it off. As residents, we must be concerned where the money will come from to tackle the debt without raising rates or taxes, but we must face the inevitable: The debt must be repaid. Every effort should be made to keep rates where they are, however, we need to start addressing the debt, not keep pushing it into the future. Further budget cuts, grants and new sources of revenue need to be explored to start paying the debt and prevent future increases."

"Continue fiscal responsibility to make appropriate cuts in the budget. In the current economic times, it only would be disastrous to raise water rates for city residents and those in surrounding townships. Unlike the Times Herald Editorial Board, which praised council members who voted to raise water rates, I saw those votes as ways to make it possible for salary increases for employees. I voted not to give raises, which is a responsible way of paying for the sewer separation project.
I led the charge to eliminate the severance pay for employees quitting their jobs with the city and eliminating the double pension plans given to certain city employees. This is also a great way to assist in paying for the sewer separation project. These are long-term savings.
This year alone, we were able to save $3 million in the sewer separation project because of the bad economic times and having more companies bid with bids coming in under projections. Something we can't predict is the future.
Simply raising water rates is not the answer because every time we have raised rates, usage has declined, causing a shortfall in revenues. The best way to pay for the sewer separation project is by making our economic plan mentioned above work. By recruiting development we will increase water usage, bringing in more revenue."

"I do not know the balance in the water and sewer fund currently. However, I will be fiscally responsible to the citizens of Port Huron in meeting the terms of our debt obligations and will adhere to the director's order issued by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality."

Sherry Archibald

"Rising unemployment and the lack of living-wage jobs is by far the biggest issue facing the city. Next to that, there are several issues: education, tourism and the fact we are an aging city. Like many older cities, many of our homes and buildings are decaying. Commercial buildings are no longer cost efficient to operate. Vacant, blighted properties are detracting from our neighborhoods, industrial park and downtown. We need to continue the community development efforts city staff and others have started, seek additional revenue to further address these issues and make the city attractive to new businesses and residents."

Anthony America

"McMorran is a jewel in our treasure chest and must be kept up and in operating condition. This depression can't last forever, and when we rebound, McMorran will be one of our mainstays and revenue makers. Also, let's not lose the opportunity of the (Fort Gratiot Lighthouse), it can be another beautiful city asset, and all the buildings are history -- that can be one more tourist destination."

Sherry Archibald

"There is more to the decision regarding McMorran than having the final say. The decision is tied entirely to adequate funding. Funding aside, I would make it a state-of-the-art arena and entertainment center. The Silver Stick hockey tournament is an example of the kind of events that could be hosted at a state-of-the-art facility bringing in revenue. A decision must be made to move forward and a very aggressive plan put into place. A new board and general manager were appointed, guide them and give them time to accomplish what they were appointed to do."

Sherry Archibald