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Charlie's Priorities

Moving Oakland Forward with Progressive Values

Metro-Detroit is the most segregated in the Country, and our biggest export in Michigan over the last two decades has been talented young people in search of housing and employment. Oakland County, Metro-Detroit, and Michigan are managing decline. Oakland County can become the model of how we facilitate growth. Charlie is fighting for a County and Government:

  • Committed to Racial, Social, and Economic Justice

  • Working to narrow the economic divide by strengthening union membership, prioritizing Worker Cooperatives, and investing in locally owned Small Businesses, rather than out of state corporations

  • That ensures everyone in Oakland County can thrive through a livable wage, good healthcare, access to high quality schools, parks, and services, and a brighter future

  • That transcends "Transactional Politics" by recognizing politics affects you 365 days per year, whether you are participating in the process or not. We must invite everyone in our community to actively participate in local government in order to rebuild trust and awareness of our role as citizens in government

Criminal Justice Reform

In the Metro-Detroit area, the number one reason for a person being in jail is a minor traffic offense (driving on a suspended license, driving without insurance, etc). In addition, despite being just 6% of the Oakland County Population, black men make up nearly one out of every three people incarcerated in the Oakland County Jail system. As our County Commissioner, Charlie is going to:

  • work with the Prosecutor and Courts to end cash bail for nonviolent and misdemeanor offenses

  • work with local communities to establish mental health diversion courts

  • establish an adequately funded public defender for Oakland County

  • work to reduce Oakland County Jail population and streamline our court system using techniques pioneered during this COVID-19 pandemic

  • divest funds from an increasingly militarized Sheriff’s Office, and invest in community services workers 

Aging Issues

Almost a quarter of Oakland County’s population will be over 60 by 2025. As our County Commissioner Charlie is working to:

  • promote aging in place by making greater resources available to families

  • Expand services like house keeping, lawn mowing, meals on wheels, and senior wellness checks

  • Make Oakland the 72nd Michigan County to establish a Senior Millage to guarantee funding for the above mentioned.

Protecting our Environment

While the rest of the World, Country, and State scramble to find their place combating climate change, Oakland County must set itself as a leader in clean energy, green jobs, and ensuring the planet is habitable for future generations. As our County Commissioner Charlie wants to:

  • expand PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) to more local governments and private businesses

  • establish an Office of Sustainability for Oakland County

  • Invest in updating infrastructure sustainably to reduce cost, extend services lifespan, and ensure a healthier environment to live and raise a family in

Economic Security

Before COVID-19, 44% of Michiganders couldn’t weather a financial emergency of greater than $800. As our County Commissioner, Charlie is fighting to:

  • make housing more affordable by establishing a Housing Trust Fund

  • help small businesses stay afloat during this Pandemic through grants and forgivable loans

  • focus additional resources on those without a job

  • establish Children’s savings accounts for kids in poverty

Public Transit

Metro-Detroit is famously one of the worst places in America for Public Transit. As our County Commissioner, Charlie is pushing to:

  • work with the County Executive to create a regional transit plan with our neighbors in Wayne, Macomb, and Washtenaw

  • adopt a version of the Dallas Model for Transit, using scalable pilot projects to expand our Transit capacity

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