Alan Lewandowski:

·  AGE: 31.

·  RESIDENCE: 2919 Conner St., Apt.1.

·  OCCUPATION: Teacher at St. Clair County Intervention Academy.

·  POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Member Port Huron City Council since 2007.

·  EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in political science/social studies from Western Michigan University; studying for a master's degree in special education from Saginaw Valley State University.

·  FAMILY: Not married; no children.  

"This forum has been set up for the candidates to ask the questions. Do you feel that the opportunity to ask questions should be offered to non-candidates as well? " Submitted by James Fisher 9-16-09

"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.

With that being said, I believe that the answer to this question should be left up to the people who set up this forum. It is their site and their rules."

"How do the candidates feel about having fundraisers outside of Port Huron city limits. Do they get most of their contributions from non residents or from residents? Also do they feel that township resident contributions can sway their opinions and how they vote?" Submitted by John Edison 9-11-09

"I don’t feel that it is wrong for a candidate to hold a fundraiser outside of Port Huron. In fact, I think it could end up being beneficial for the city. If Port Huron is going to be economically viable in the future, the city is going to need people from outside of the city to make capital investments inside of Port Huron. Fundraisers are not used to only raise campaign funds, but are also used to meet many different types of people and promote the area in which you are seeking to be elected.

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."

"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.

"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."

"A few months ago the City Council removed funding for the EDA and hired their own Economic Development director. Do you support the direction this council has taken?" Submitted by John Edison Palmer 8-27-2009.

"Yes, I fully support the direction that city council has taken in its approach towards economic development. Michigan is on the verge of a new revitalized economy and Port Huron needs to make sure that it is positioned correctly to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves down the road. I believe that the hiring of a City Economic Development Director, who works exclusively for Port Huron’s interest, places the city on the best path to future economic success."

During the pre-primary debate. A few of the challengers commented that too much time has been spent on "trivial matters." Specifically, over the past two years, what items up for council consideration have you considered "trivial?"  Submitted by Jim Fisher 8-26-2009.

"Port Huron has a large and diverse population, and every issue that is decided upon by the city council will have an effect on someone living in the city. I don’t believe that any of the issues that were discussed in my first-term on the Port Huron City Council would be considered trivial.

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.

"No, I do not favor decreasing the pay level for the city’s department heads. The council has looked at this issue during past budget workshops and have been given reports by two different city managers that have shown that our department head salaries are not out of line with cities similar in size. Also, most of the department heads have not been awarded a raise in their salary in over three years.

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."

1.  What strategy should the city employ for economic development?

"Port Huron needs to adopt an economic development strategy of personalized recruitment and retention. Port Huron has all the economic tools at its disposal that other communities can offer, but what has been missing is a highly qualified individual that is out fighting for Port Huron's economic success exclusively. Port Huron is centrally located in the North American marketplace and offers many features that other communities can not offer such as an international rail tunnel, a strong labor force, an international bridge crossing and low cost/high quality buildings. I have worked to help put some of the needed pieces in place and am committed to solving the current economic problems of Port Huron."

2. What should be done to pay the debt from the sewer separation project?

"There is no question that the (combined sewer overflow) project has been a large financial burden on the residents of Port Huron. The general fund of the city budget has been cut and will continue to be cut. But, at some point in the near future cutting money from the budget to make up for the looming cost of the CSO project will not be possible without interrupting essential services. The council and city administration need to look at raising the water/sewer rates in small amounts to avoid having to raise the rates in large sums in the future. The city cannot continue to subsidize the water/sewer departments at $5 million a year and expect to pay its bills on cuts alone."

3. After economic development, what is the biggest issue facing the city?

"Aside from budget concerns and economic development, I think the biggest issue we face as a community is changing the attitude of the people in the city. When the citizens believe the leaders of the city are working in their best interest and start seeing progress in the city, they will support the local leadership in its endeavors. There has been lots of bad news for the residents of the city as of late and some positive news will come as a welcome breath of fresh air. There is light at the end of the tunnel for Port Huron, it is just going to take some hard work and some creative thinking to reach that point. If the next council, private developers, private donors and  private entrepreneurs  all work toward the same goal of improving the city, Port Huron can become everything it should be and possibly more."

4. What would you do with McMorran Place if you had the final say?

"I am afraid that there are only two real viable options for McMorran's future, in my opinion. The first is creating a regional authority to run McMorran. The second is trying to privatize McMorran again. As the councilman who introduced the resolution to privatize McMorran the first time, I still believe that privatization is the best option for the future success of McMorran. Government does many things well for its citizens, but providing entertainment is not an area in which government excels. If I had the final say on what happens with McMorran, I would be doing everything I could to get Kinney Management interested in running McMorran again."