Troy City Council Candidate Survey: Wade Fleming

Edited: Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2:25 p.m. (professional background)

Could you tell us about your education, relevant to this position?

B.B.A. Business--Accounting Major--I have attended numerous seminars on purchasing, materials management, leadership and finance.

Could you tell us about your personal or professional background, relevant to this position?

I retired as President and CEO of a Tier One Automotive Supplier.  My career also included being a Finance Manager and Purchasing Director for 2 different Tier one Automotive Suppliers and now do some business consulting part-time and a lot of volunteering.

For how long have you lived in Troy?

I have lived in Troy for the past 31 years.  My wife of 39 years, Paula, and son Mark moved here from Mississippi in 1982.

Do you have an activity relevant to this position or an endorsement which you would like readers to know of?

I have had the privilege  of serving on the Troy City Council for the past 8 years including 2 terms as Mayor Pro-Tem. I am endorsed by the current Mayor and all current members of the Troy City Council, The Troy Police Officers Association, Retired Troy Police Chief Charlie Craft, State Senator John Pappageorge, Former Mayor Pro Tem Robin Beltramini, Former Citizens of the Year Terry Knight and Jo Rhodes (partial list).

Could you summarize why you are running for city council?

Serving on the Troy City Council for the past 8 year, has proved to be both an interesting and trying time and I would like to continue to use my business and leadership experience to keep Troy moving forward in a positive direction.  Council has had to make some difficult budge decisions during my tenure, but they have proved to be effective in making Troy government more efficient without overtaxing our residents and businesses.  I want to continue working with our City Manager and staff to bring new business and jobs to Troy and enable Troy remain one of the best places in the country to have a business and raise a family for many years to come.

What do you think are the greatest issues facing the city? How would you handle them?

We need to continue attracting business to fill the office and commercial buildings especially along the Big Beaver and Maple Road corridors.  This will enable us to shift the tax revenue stream back toward 60% from business and 40% from residents as our residents are currently about 60%. We need to maintain our AAA  Bond rating with a strong multi-year budget with more funding going toward improving our roads and other major infrastructure while maintaining our essential services without raising taxes.  Essential services include keeping Troy one of the safest places to live in the country, with excellent award winning schools, which combined, make Troy a great place to raise a family, shop, work and play for many years to come.  This can only be accomplished by electing experienced leaders who are willing to listen to all our residents, study the issues and watch the bottom line.