Dearborn Veteran Focuses on Growing Downtown Development

Dearborn Patch will profile candidates running for office in the Aug. 6 city primary.

Editor's note: All nine elective offices in Dearborn are on the primary ballot — mayor, clerk and all seven city council seats. There are five candidates for mayor, three for clerk and 21 for council. Dearborn Patch will run profiles of candidates seeking the office of mayor, city clerk, and city council leading up to the Aug. 6 primary election.

Today we feature candidate Patrick Melton.

Candidate: Patrick Melton

Office sought: Dearborn City Council

Occupation: Police officer; director of law enforcement for Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.

Education: Associate's degree in police administration, Henry Ford Community College; School of Police Staff and Command, Northwestern University; University of Michigan-Dearborn

Family: Married for 18 years to Wendy Melton. Three children: Jack, Chase and Anna.

Previous elected office: Michigan Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems board member; president, AFSCME Local 3317 sergeant and lieutenant’s union; Wayne County Employee's Retirement System trustee.

Current public service: 10 years in the U.S. Army; served for 23 years as a police officer for Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.

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What are two key issues in Dearborn?

One of the most noticeable issues is the high number of vacancies in our business district. Dearborn is fortunate enough to be the home base to a number of large employers and learning centers that provide us with an influx of daily visitors who, along with our residents, are prime targets for supporting a downtown with better eating, shopping and entertainment options. We have to do a better job of capitalizing on this.

Find out what's happening in Dearbornwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Another significant issue is how to creatively increase our tax base so that residents feel they are getting value equivalent to the amount of taxes they pay.

How will you address these issues?

It’s easy to stand on the sidelines and talk about “simple solutions” for the issues that challenge our city. I’m convinced, however, that if these issues had simple solutions, they would be fixed by now.

The first thing I will do as a city council member is to listen, ask questions and talk to my colleagues on the council who have been grappling with these issues longer than me. I need to spend some time really getting my arms around our constraints and limitations in order to then be able to collaboratively work with council members to identify solutions.

Through my role as a trustee and then president of an eight-member retirement fund, I am all too familiar with how to break through the stalemates that prevent groups of well-intended individuals from reaching the solutions that are most appropriate.

I will address issues by approaching them with an open mind, listening to my colleagues and those who have a deep understanding of all aspects of the challenge, and then work to be a leader to drive the council to the best outcome.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-it-Melton/331161116984806.

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