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the city and on customer service.
“We need to have the right people tomove
the city forward and bring everyone togeth-
er,” said Burcroff. “We have to change our
mentality. Right now, our reputation is at
risk.”
Burcroff has been the council president
since 2009. He's served on the city planning
commission for six years, too, as well as sev-
eral boards and committees during his long
service to the city. He is an upper-level man-
ager for an industrial supply company and
said that business acumen would help serve
the city.
“I think it will translatewell,” he said.
Burcroff said he sees huge potential in
the amount of undeveloped land in the city.
He said having a business-minded person in
the top office would help attract business to
that land, which will help boost city rev-
enues.
“When people see that Romulus is open
for business and that there are some tremen-
dous opportunities here, that word will
spread like wildfire,” he said. “This is some-
thing I'll beworking on fromday one.”
Burcroff said he has a 100-day plan
worked out, should he be successful on Nov.
5. It includes working within the already
approved budget, in which he sees some
opportunities to further reduce costs and
bolster the budget reserves for coming years.
He said he alsowants tomake sureRomulus
can get the most value out of residents' tax
dollars, and sees being prepared for projects
eligible for county or federal funding as one
way to do that. Many communities have to
pass those opportunities by, he said, because
they don't have the shovel-ready projects or
the localmatch.
“We want to jump up and down and say:
'send the money here',” said Burcroff. “I
think that's how we can get a leg up on the
surrounding communities.”
Burcroff said he alsowanted to find away
to re-open the parks and revitalize the parks
and recreation departments-those were cuts
that were made after a millage request was
defeated years ago, but he said he realizes
that they are important quality of life fea-
tures in the community.
She said things like honestly, integrity and
transparency are what people should expect
in their elected officials.
“That's what politicians should be,” she
said. “They should be honest. They should
have integrity. They should be transparent.
I'm concerned with fairness across the
board.”
Webb has lived in Romulus for more than
40 years and served on Parent Teacher
Associations and Parent Teacher
Organizations before being elected to the
school board in 1998. She served until 2001.
She said she has worked in the treasurer's
office, the Department of Public Works and
the Building Department in the city as well
as the clerk's office, retiring as the deputy
clerk in 2009 when she campaigned for city
council.
“I'm capable of being the mayor of this
city,” she said. “I'm the only candidate that
hasworked in thismunicipality.”
She said the top focus should be on the
city budget, working to keep spending as low
as possible.
“If we can keep our budget tight, every-
thingwill fall into place,” she said.
She said she also wants to work to bring
more businesses to town-not just large indus-
trial firms, but smaller operations like
restaurants and retail outlets. Those types of
companies would help diversify the tax base
and provide help to an underserved popula-
tion, she said.
“We have juniors and seniors in high
school that need jobs on the weekends and
there's no place to put them,” she said.
“Industrial businesses are all good, but it
doesn't help our children and it doesn't
always help the people who are unem-
ployed.”
She said she would also provide more
openness in city government and wants to
provide more activities or resources for the
young people inRomulus.
“We have forgotten our young people and
we complain that they don't have anything to
do but walk the streets,” she said.
“I'm passionate about what people need
andwant. If you aren't involvedwith the peo-
ple, youhave no ideawhat they need.”
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
2
October 31, 2013
Burcroff
FROM PAGE 1
Webb
FROM PAGE 1
100th birthday celebrated
R
OMULUS
Ethel RuthKillingbeck, one of nine children born to
Barnard and Minnie Killingbeck of Romulus, will
mark her 100thbirthdayNov. 5.
Her only surviving sister is Genevieve Weimer, the
youngest of her siblings.
During World War II, Killingbeck was employed by
the IndustrialWire andClothCo. where likeRosie The
Riveter she helped to produce parts for airplanes and
other machines that supported the war effort. When
the company moved to a southern state, Killingbeck
went towork for theCity of Romulus until she retired.
Killingbeck lived in Romulus most of her life and
cared for her nephew, Michael, and her mother when
she needed assistance later in her life. Killingbeck
now resides at the Four Seasons Nursing Center in
Westland where a party with family and friends is
planned to celebrate her centennial birthday.
Ethel Ruth Killingbeck
Honored
Romulus
City
Councilman John
Barden, far right,
was recently pre-
sented with an
award for his 10
years of service on
the Wayne County
Mental
Health
board. Barden has
been an advocate
for the mental
health community
through his service
on the Qual ity
I m p r o v e m e n t
Committee and his
chairmanship of the
Recipient Rights Committee, officials noted.. Barden was congratulated by President
and CEO of the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority Tom Watkins, far left, and cur-
rent Board of Directors Chairman George Gaines, center.