This evening, the Farmington Hills City Council debated and agreed to put SMART on the August ballot, giving voters the choice of maintaining this important service. Assuming voters continue to support it, SMART service will continue running for the next two years.
Special thanks go out to:
– Rob Anderson for leading the local outreach and notification effort;
– Everyone who made phone calls and sent emails to the Council (the Mayor noted that there were many!);
–
County Commissioners Steve Schwartz and Jim Nash and State Rep Vicki Barnett for their insightful testimony;
– Dennis Green and others for their letters to the editor;
– Barry Malak, the big Park&Ride contingency, and the many other local residents for their strong personal statements supporting the SMART service;
– and, of course, the City Council for the strong recognition of the importance of regional transit and faith in the voters to make the right decision.
We won this important defensive battle, but the war is far from over. Next week, Keego Harbor Council will consider adding SMART to the ballot for the first time. And over the summer, we must convince voters throughout the region to maintain this vital service. Keep up the great work!