Troy City Council Candidate Survey: Thomas Kuhn

Could you tell us about your education, relevant to this position?
Tom Kuhn has a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan.  He also has an MA and PhD in Political Science. Tom Kuhn received a law degree in 1985, and has worked as an attorney for the past 27 years.  He took several post-graduate law courses from Wayne State and has done continuing legal education courses. As Oakland Community College (OCC) Board Trustee, he has undertaken various types of board training.

Could you tell us about your personal or professional background, relevant to this position?
Tom Kuhn has served over 20 years in local government.  He served 12 years on the Royal Oak City council prior to moving to Troy in 2001.  While he lived in Royal Oak, he served on the Planning Commission two years, and on the Master Plan Steering committee. Thus, he has extensive experience with local Planning and Zoning issues.  He also served on various committees, including LCC Review and Hotel-Motel Oversight committees.  Tom Kuhn was involved in establishing Audit Review Committees in Royal Oak and at Oakland Community College, and has served as a committee member on both.

For how long have you lived in Troy?
Tom Kuhn has lived in Troy 12 years.  During that time, he has been involved in a variety of community activities.  He was a board member of the Troy Baseball Boosters (TBB) for two years, and a TBB coach for seven years.  He was a coach in the Troy Youth Soccer League (TYSL) for several years. Since 2010, Tom Kuhn has been a member of the Emerald Lakes Village Homeowners Association Board.  As Lakes Chair, he has had principal responsibility for the association’s six lakes.   Consequently, he has interfaced with state and local officials on several important environmental issues.

Do you have an activity relevant to this position or an endorsement which you would like readers to know of?
Tom Kuhn has had extensive experience providing leadership on boards and committees. He has served on the OCC Board for 9 years, including two years as chair.  He has been involved with re-structuring as OCC has made adjustments to cover over $30 million in revenue losses due to declining property values. Tom Kuhn has served as a Troy neighborhood association board member, allowing him to better understand concerns about providing city services to neighborhoods.  He has also served on Troy's youth baseball board, which has shown him the importance of parks and recreation to youth development in Troy.

Could you summarize why you are running for city council?
Tom Kuhn is running for City Council to serve the public further.  Utilizing his experience of over 20 years’ service in local governments, Kuhn wants to provide knowledgeable and responsible representation for Troy taxpayers, neighborhoods and businesses.  He believes it’s important to have fiscally responsible government-- without tax increases.  The city should thoroughly review operations to assure they are efficient, and re-structure where it can assure greater value.  Tom Kuhn would like to see the City adopt an audit review committee that utilizes the expertise of citizens to provide regular outside assessment of the city’s financial operations.

What do you think are the greatest issues facing the city? How would you handle them?
Tom Kuhn intends to be open and responsive to the concerns of citizens, neighborhoods and businesses while representing the best interest of the community.With the decline in property tax values in recent years, the City must critically review any new projects to assure that they serve real needs of the residents, neighborhoods and businesses. It is important to maintain the quality of services provided by the City, but essential to be fiscally responsible in providing those services.