By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
MELVINDALE – Twelve hopefuls will compete for six seats on the city council Tuesday.
Jeannine Prohownick Ansley served on the council for eight years until 2007. She has worked for the Environmental Protection Agency and was the executive director of Friends of the Detroit River.
She said win or lose, she plans to continue to work to better the community, including luring new businesses to the city, and marketing the city’s boat launch and civic arena during their off-seasons.
“We can take this town and revitalize it,” she said. “I think there’s a lot of little things we can do to make life better.”
Carl Louvet is a 26-year resident of the city who serves as a parks and recreation commissioner and launched an unsuccessful campaign for city council in the last election. He is a league representative for Melvindale Junior Football and is president of the Melvindale Athletic Club. He works as an artifact rigger.
If elected, he said he would work to enhance transparency and comunication in city government.
“We need some change,” he said. “And I’m heavily involved in the community and I think I can do some good.”
Michael Haftel is a 21-year resident of the city launching his third campaign for a city council seat. He is a navy veteran and has sat on the city’s planning commission and currently works as an IT product manager for a consulting firm. He said he hopes to use his experience to improve his community, especially in fighting urban blight.
“I’m not coming into this as just any old person who decided I wanted to get invoplved,” he said. “I do have some skill that I’m bringing to the table.”
Candidates Nicole Barnes and Kalley Hess did not respond to emails seeking comment by press time.
Current phone numbers could not be located for candidates Lisa Snipes, Renee Buckerrough, Betty Lindlbauer, Medina Balderas, Jorge Martinez, Wheeler Marsee, and David Cybulski.
Jim McGuckin and Matthew Rader are running uncontested for two school board seats.