Election 2012: Alanna Maguire, Plymouth Township Trustee Candidate

Alanna Maguire, candidate for Plymouth Township Trustee

Age: 27

Party affiliation: Democrat

Spouse/kids?: Unmarried, no children

How long have you been a resident of the township?:

I am a lifelong resident of Plymouth.  I lived with my family in the city of Plymouth for the first 8 years of my life and then we moved to the township (19 years in Plymouth Township, 8 in Plymouth City).  I grew up in the Ridgewood West subdivision.  Now, I live in a condo in Wedgewood Village where I take care of my grandmother.  I love Plymouth Township, which is why I made the decision to stay here after I college and graduate school.

What is your prior political experience?:

 I own my own small business where I do political, non-profit, and academic consulting.  I have worked on several campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels.  This is my first time running for office.

What is your prior professional experience?:

I own my small business where I do political, non-profit, and academic consulting.  I also work as a research assistant at Michigan State University in the Global Urban Studies Program.  I have worked as a research assistant and/or consultant for the International Joint Commission, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University.

What made you decide to seek office/re-election?:

I decided to run for office because I was increasingly unhappy with the direction of the current Board of Trustees.  The Board needs to be respectful and accountable to the people of Plymouth Township.   I started regularly attending the board meetings during the issue with the Plymouth Fire Department and I saw an appalling lack of respect towards people who came to air their legitimate concerns.  I saw the need for someone to challenge the Board which is why I decided to step up.  I am running because I am committed to public safety, to restoring trust in the Board of Trustees, and to promoting economic growth and development in Plymouth Township.  I am a lifelong resident of Plymouth and I care about my community. 

What issues do you see affecting the township?:

Public Safety is my top priority followed by restoring trust to the Board of Trustees and promoting economic growth and development in Plymouth Township.

I would work to reopen the Lake Pointe Fire Station and restore our Fire Department.  I would explore ways to repair our relationship with the City of Plymouth to share fire services again.  I would also seek to protect our police department from any cuts and layoffs.  A strong police presence and more fire fighters mean a safer community.  I would encourage even more focus on community policing to facilitate greater two-way communication between our citizens and our police officers.  I would also press for public-private partnerships between our first responders and the business community.  These partnerships would allow for better response and recovery times in the event of an emergency.

Transparency and accountability in government are a must.  I believe in being both respectful and responsive to community concerns.  We need to eliminate wasteful discretionary spending and focus on what really matters to the people in Plymouth. 

As a small business owner, I am particularly invested in economic growth and development in Plymouth Township.  We have a great community.  It’s a great place to live and there is so much potential here.  A committed Township Board can play an active role in bringing business and thus, jobs to Plymouth.  We need to be innovative as a community.  Streamlining our permitting process, improving and expanding our infrastructure, offering tax incentives, and networking with prospective businesses can all attract the type of growth that will bring higher employment, more revenue, and improvements in sales for our existing businesses.  Every Trustee should make this his/her personal mission.

What is your plan to address those issues?

See above answer.

Education

College

Attended college : Yes
College : University of Michigan
Degree : Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Year of graduation : 2007

Grad school

University : Michigan State University
Degree : Master of Public Policy with graduate certificates in Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis
Year of graduation : 2011

Political Information

Party affiliation : Democrat
Running for a: Local office
Running for position: Plymouth Township Trustee
Chamber/district: Plymouth Township
Incumbent: No
Previous elective offices : NA
Unsuccessful bids for elective offices: NA

On the web

Website : www.alannafortrustee.com
Facebook : www.facebook.com/AlannaForTrustee

Other facts

I am a small business owner.

I have been endorsed by:

• Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy
• Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon
• State Rep. Dian Slavens
• Former Republican State Rep. & Plymouth Twp. Trustee John Stewart
• Plymouth-Canton Board of Ed. Secretary Judy Mardigian
• Plymouth-Canton Board of Ed. Trustee Sheila Paton
• Plymouth-Canton Board of Ed. Past President Steven Sneideman
• Canton Township Trustee Syed Taj
• Northville Board of Ed. Past President Joan Wadsworth
• Northville Board of Ed. Trustee Scott Craig
• Plymouth Democratic Club