Comes now Farmington council member Tom Buck, to say our city’s new mayor should be opposed to a merger with Farmington Hills, even before a county-funded study launched just weeks ago is completed.
Talk about your self-fulfilling prophecies.
As reported by the Farmington Observer on-line Wednesday evening, Mr. Buck told council member Valerie Knol that Farmington’s mayor should support “autonomy” until the residents have clearly said they don’t want it. The context: Both officials were about to be nominated for the position of mayor, a largely ceremonial role. Knol was the heir apparent; it’s standard for the mayor pro tem to move into the top position without so much as a “how d’you do.”
Not this time. This time, the mayor pro tem had some ‘splainin’ to do. Which seems odd, really, because Mr. Buck knows exactly where Ms. Knol stands on merger/shared services. She’s made many public and private statements indicating her mind is open until she has facts in hand. Still, he pressed for an absolute answer, when he knew one would not be forthcoming.
And then he declared this city’s mayor should oppose a merger until the residents have said otherwise. Clearly, no less.
It’s really tough to decide what’s most troubling about his statement. On the one hand, having a city council member simply declare how or what our city’s mayor should think seems more than over the top. But for any Farmington official to claim residents might speak “clearly” is nothing short of delusional.
In a city where fewer than 20 percent of registered voters usually show up at the polls, nothing is absolutely clear.
Perhaps Mr. Buck has figured out the worst-kept secret about Farmington politics: It really doesn’t matter what the majority of citizens think. The only opinions that matter are those of the 1,800 or so people who vote in every election, and it’s possible that he has talked with enough people to conclude the majority of those would oppose a merger.
Which leads me to the most insidious and damaging aspect of Mr. Buck’s statements. By declaring the majority doesn’t want one government over the two cities, he creates the illusion that the issue has already been decided. Residents who remain open-minded or even those who see great opportunity in a merger will simply assume they sit in the minority and their elected leaders have already decided.
Based on a majority opinion.
Which doesn’t exist.
The truth is, only a handful of residents have spoken publicly about the merger, and more than a few of those have said “let’s get the facts, then decide.” There is no majority. And there is no community consensus about whether a merger is a good idea.
The truth is, most of Farmington’s 10,000+ residents are simply not engaged. Committee and commission posts go unfilled, volunteers are overworked for sheer lack of numbers.
The truth is, it’s going to be difficult to draw all those people into a conversation about merger and shared services. And this time, it’s just not enough to talk to a few hundred of the Farmington Faithful, who will say “no, thanks”, and hope it all goes away.
The truth is, at this point, anyone who has established an absolute position has an agenda, because rational and unbiased decisions cannot be made in the absence of facts.
So what is Mr. Buck’s agenda? Seems pretty obvious to me. He’s got a lot invested in his IDeA project, whose aim is to create an identity for Farmington. He’s the one who brought North Star Destination Strategies into the picture, a consultant now holding a nearly $60,000 contract with the City of Farmington and the Downtown Development Authority. A merger would deeply affect the value of whatever comes of that process.
And, of course, at some point, Mr. Buck has to face the majority of the minority if he hopes to be re-elected.
My hope is that our elected officials will make an honest and comprehensive effort to present all Farmington residents with factual information, then listen to what they have to say and act accordingly. My guess is that’s what Valerie Knol will want to do. And my fear is that our new mayor, who has already demonstrated both character and common sense, may simply be outnumbered.
–Joni Hubred-Golden
Michigan Woman Blogger
Huzzah, Ms. Hubred-Golden! Can we get an amen?
As has been pointed out, Valerie Knol has clearly stated her stance on this issue previously, and publicly – one that makes the most sense given the volatility of the issue. That is – let’s get the facts before we rush to judgment. One would hope that all of our elected representatives would adopt such a stance. Knee-jerk reaction and thinly veiled demagoguery is no way to lead.
I can empathize somewhat with those who are concerned about Farmington’s identity being ‘diluted’ and fears of being sucked up into homogeneity – but really now, how can one make such assumptions without facts in front of them? It seems a bit silly to make blanket assertions without anything to back them up.
Furthermore, from our leaders we need balanced voices of reason – not bloviation. Their “agenda” should be that which provides the best result for all those they represent, not just for a limited circle of interest or personal bias.
If after truly studying the issue and taking into consideration all possible outcomes it is determined that moving forward on the issue of merger would not benefit our community, either financially or otherwise, THEN would be the time to make one’s stand. Pointedly insisting that someone else should commit to any single conclusion before the facts are presented seems suspiciously self-serving.
The city has certainly been willing to initiate and fund studies about myriad other subjects, sometimes in multiples, so the stance of some of our “leaders” in this case is puzzling. This isn’t even city money being spent! It is county money, out of the city’s hands and control…
Oh – maybe THAT’S the problem…
This Merger is like a bad tooth that needs pulling. Its driving some to the brink of insanity-well I wouldnt worry too much about Val Knol, that Sista can take it and then some!