Novi City Council Candidate: Laura Casey

On the Nov. 8 election ballot, Novi residents will vote for three candidates for a four-year term on Novi City Council.

Laura Casey is running against Rickie Ibe, Ed Kramer, Donna Skelcy, incumbent Dave Staudt, Ramesh Verma and incumbent . Casey submitted these answers to questions asked by Patch.

Age

40

Occupation

Marketing

Current and past community involvement

Over 6 years as a Library Board trustee, including serving as President during the development and construction of the new Library;  Vice President of Stonehenge Condominium Association Board of Directors;  member of the Friends of Novi Library; member of the Library Bond Campaign Committee; Board member of 3 MSU Alumni organizations

Education

MBA, Walsh College; MS in Management, Walsh College; BA in American Public Affairs, James Madison College, MSU; BA in French, MSU

How long have you been a Novi resident? 

11 years

Why are you running for office?

I know that Novi can continue to be a vibrant, successful community and I want to be a part of shaping its future.  We need to ensure that we’re not just reacting to issues today but planning for how these issues may impact the city in the future.

I have gained a lot of experience in managing a publicly-funded organization after serving on the Library Board for over 6 years, especially in my years as President, and I will bring that experience and my 16+ years of business experience to City Council. 

I believe I’ve made a difference for my fellow Novi residents through my work on the Library Board, and I want to expand my ability to contribute by serving on City Council.

What do you think are the biggest issues facing the city? How would you handle them?

• Ensuring that we have a fiscally responsible city government that is driven by the priorities of our community.  As a Council member, I will work with residents and local businesses to understand their priorities and follow that direction when setting budgets and defining long-term strategies

• Providing the best city services to our residents, especially in the area of public safety and making sure that we excel at providing the basics like prompt snow removal and maintaining and improving our infrastructure.  If elected, I will work to ensure that our police and fire services have the funding they need to continue to keep our residents and businesses safe and that we are appropriately funding and completing infrastructure maintenance and improvement projects

• Focusing on a long-term strategy for growth and economic development – if the revenue levels of today are the “new normal” it’s more important than ever that we’re planning for our future today.  I will work with the city and fellow Council members to focus on long-range strategies to bring new residents and businesses to Novi

If elected, what are some of your goals for the city?

• Ensure Novi’s future success, which requires fiscal responsibility today and simultaneous planning for tomorrow.  We should work together as a community to decide what our priorities are in the short term, with reduced economic resources, and how we plan to meet the needs of residents at the end of this decade

• Encourage more Novi residents to be active with the community through participation in a club or group or through the Boards or Commissions.  Novi residents are caring and active in their neighborhoods and we need to find ways to involve them in the broader community. I believe that having a diverse set of voices involved in the community helps to make our community stronger

• Find innovative ways to provide services to businesses and residents, including making necessary technology improvements

Why should Novi residents vote for you?

I bring a strong business background and years of civic experience, including serving in several leadership roles on the Library Board.  I have demonstrated success in working on multiple boards and setting and meeting goals and managing budgets in those organizations.  For example, as a member of my condominium association’s Board, I worked to help bring multi-year budgeting to our complex and we now have a long-range plan that helps us plan for major expenditures for the next 30 years. 

I am a strategically-focused, forward-thinking, engaged Novi resident who is committed to our city, is energetic and dedicated, and has a strong desire to contribute to the well-being of Novi today and tomorrow. 

How can residents contact you?

The best way to reach me is through my website at caseyforcouncil.com because I can respond to e-mail quickly.  Alternately, my phone number is 248.478.1174.