A pair of Green Oak residents with deep local roots have filed to run as Democrats for positions on the Green Oak Township board, setting up contests in the township for the first time since 2008.
Gayle Steele, a former special education teacher, (left) filed for the Democratic nomination for township supervisor and Sarah Pearsall, a longtime member of the township planning commission, filed for township trustee.
“I believe we need an honest, open, accountable person managing the supervisor’s office,” Steele said.
“I will be the first person to challenge the incumbent supervisor in over a decade and I am ready to give the residents of Green Oak Township a choice at the voting booth.”
Pearsall (right) has served on the township Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals for the township for 14 years.
“The voters need a choice in who is on the board,” she said. “I have been involved in the local government for many years and feel that I understand what we need for the future. I understand the needs of the community and would like a chance to work with the people and achieve what is needed and wanted in our community.”
Steele said her goals for the township include the “Green Oak Identity Project,” to give the township an identity centered around a community center and expansive park system with a parks commission.
She also proposed:
--Freezing salaries for the term of office.
--Recording all board meetings, including the township board, planning commission and zoning board of appeals.
--Ensuring that taxpayer funds would be used for services benefiting residents such as transportation and community outreach.
Steele, whose address is in Whitmore Lake, was a special education teacher at Whitmore Lake Public Schools from 1977 to 2010, giving her a strong connection with parents and former students, as well as well-rounded administrative experience that would prepare her for the supervisor’s position. She is a member of the Michigan Education Association.
She has two children, who both graduated from Whitmore Lake Public Schools, and six grandchildren. A township resident for 42 years, Steele graduated from Mackenzie High School, Detroit. She has a bachelor’s degree in education and a graduate certificate in special education, both from Eastern Michigan University.
People wishing more information may contact Steele at gayleforsupervisor@gmail.com
As a trustee, Pearsall said her priorities would make addressing the needs of the senior population a priority, including increasing the ability to walk to local services and the availability of more affordable houses suitable for seniors.
Pearsall, whose address is Brighton, has lived in the township for 48 years. She has been involved extensively with Green Oak Township government, including 14 years on the township Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. She has been in program management for 25 years at General Motors.
A graduate of Howell High School, she also attended Cleary University. She and her partner, David, have two nieces and three great nieces.
People wishing more information may contact Pearsall at sarahpearsall810@yahoo.com.
(Paid for by Livingston County Democratic Executive Committee, 8028 Grand River, Woodland Plaza Suite 7, Brighton, MI 48114. Labor donated.)